Os corantes são substâncias adicionadas para conferir ou intensificar a cor dos alimentos. Sendo a aparência dos alimentos fundamental para a escolha do consumidor, a indústria justifica o uso de corantes como forma de melhorar a aparência dos mesmos e aumentar o consumo. Os corantes artificiais adquiriram seu espaço no mercado por terem a vantagem de ser mais estáveis ao processamento, possuírem maior poder tintorial e serem mais baratos do que os naturais. Contudo, estudos ao longo dos anos têm apontado que corantes alimentares artificiais podem estar relacionados a problemas de saúde, principalmente em crianças. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo visou verificar qual a percepção da população do Rio Grande do Sul (RS) em relação a esse tipo de aditivo, através de um questionário online de opinião. Além disso, a pesquisa também procurou estudar o consumo de corantes artificiais por crianças residentes no Rio Grande do Sul. No estudo de percepção (n = 531) foi verificada uma baixa percepção de benefício e alta percepção de perigo dos corantes artificiais, principalmente por pessoas do gênero feminino, pessoas com filho e pessoas de maior faixa etária. Contudo, apesar da sua opinião sobre corantes artificiais, o consumidor não parece afetar o seu padrão de consumo, uma vez que os respondentes afirmaram consumir produtos com esse tipo de aditivo Foi verificado também uma alta desconfiança por parte do público quanto a regulamentação da área de alimentos e falta de conhecimento do consumidor em relação aos rótulos dos alimentos. No estudo de consumo de corantes artificiais por crianças (n = 218), os resultados demonstraram que embora a maioria das crianças (~90%) consuma corantes em quantidades inferiores aquelas estipuladas como seguras, algumas extrapolam o consumo em níveis que podem acarretar em risco à saúde. Em média, os corantes mais consumidos com relação à IDA foram: o Bordeaux (~29% da IDA), Amarelo crepúsculo (~6,5% da IDA), Amarelo Tartrazina (~3,1% da IDA) e Azul Brilhante (~2,8% da IDA). O corante Bordeaux foi o que apresentou maior porcentagens de crianças que ultrapassaram a sua IDA (7,3%). O principal alimento responsável pelo consumo é o refresco em pó. O estudo demonstrou que algumas crianças estão colocando em risco sua saúde ao consumir quantidades elevadas de corantes artificiais. / Dyes are added substances to confer or intensify the color of food. As the appearance of food is fundamental to consumer’s choice, the industry justifies its use as a way to improve their appearance and increase consumption. Artificial dyes have acquired their space in the market because they have the advantage of being more stable to the processing, possessing greater color power and being cheaper than the natural ones. However, studies over the years have pointed out that artificial food colorings may be related to health problems, especially in children. In this context, the present study aimed to verify the perception of the population of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in relation to this type of additive, through an online opinion questionnaire. In the study of perception (n = 531), a low perception of benefit and a high perception of the risk of artificial dyes were observed, mainly by people of the female gender, people with children and people of greater age. However, in spite of his opinion about artificial colors, the consumer does not seem to affect his consumption pattern, since the respondents stated that they consume products with this type of additive There was also a high public distrust regarding the regulation of the food area and lack of consumer knowledge about food labels. In the study of artificial colorants consumption by children (n = 218), the results showed that although most children (~ 90%) consume dyes in amounts lower than those stipulated as safe, some extrapolate consumption to levels that may be at risk the health. On average, the most consumed dyes with respect to IDA were: Bordeaux (~ 29% of IDA), Sunset Yellow (~ 6.5% of IDA), Yellow Tartrazine (~ 3.1% of IDA) and Bright Blue ~ 2.8% of the ADI). The Bordeaux dye showed the highest percentage of children who exceeded their ADI (7.3%). The main food that is responsible for consumption is soft drink powder. The study showed that some children are putting their health at risk by consuming high amounts of artificial colorants.

Para avaliar os possíveis efeitos que os corantes artificiais podem causar à saúde, é de grande importância possuir dados relativos à exposição a estas substâncias. O fato de diversos estudos apontarem problemas de saúde relacionados ao consumo do corante artificial Amarelo Crepúsculo (AC) justifica a necessidade de verificar se a ingestão desta substância, através do consumo de alimentos industrializados, ultrapassa a Ingestão Diária Aceitável (IDA). O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar e caracterizar a ingestão de AC pela população brasileira. Para isso, primeiramente foram verificados quais os alimentos comercializados por uma das maiores redes de supermercados do país que continham AC na sua formulação. Foi avaliada a ingestão média destes alimentos utilizando as Pesquisas de Orçamento Familiar (POF, 2008-2009) e determinada a Ingestão Diária Máxima Teórica (IDMT) de AC, através dos valores estipulados pela legislação brasileira para a concentração máxima permitida deste corante nos diferentes grupos de alimentos. Posteriormente foram realizadas analises, através de Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência (CLAE), para avaliar o teor de Amarelo Crepúsculo em refrescos em pó, refrigerantes, bebidas isotônicas, gelatinas e balas, e verificar as faixas de utilização deste corante e a adequação à legislação vigente. Através dos dados obtidos, verificou-se que a IDMT para AC, considerando o consumo médio per capita de alimentos, não supera a IDA para nenhuma das distribuições populacionais estudadas. No entanto, ao considerar a prevalência de consumo alimentar, a IDMT é superior à IDA para adolescentes de 10 a 18 anos (277% da IDA), adultos (181% da IDA) e idosos (140% da IDA) das áreas urbanas e rurais e nas cinco regiões do país Em relação às amostras analisadas, pode-se constatar que, considerando-se as médias obtidas, os produtos que mais contêm AC são na ordem: Refrigerantes (7,91 mg/100 mL); Bebidas Isotônicas (6,22 mg/100 mL); Refrescos em pó (5,96 mg/100 mL); Gelatinas (5,92 mg/100 mL) e Balas (menor que 1,25 mg/100 g). Através da realização deste trabalho, conclui-se que considerando o consumo médio per capita a ingestão diária representa entre 14 e 31% da IDA, não representando risco à saúde. No entanto, verificou-se que alguns indivíduos de todos os grupos populacionais podem estar ingerindo o corante em quantidades superiores às recomendadas. Cabe destacar que a POF (2008-2009), utilizada como fonte de dados nesta pesquisa, entrevistou crianças a partir dos 10 anos de idade. Visto que neste estudo o consumo de AC aumentou ao diminuir a faixa etária, é provável que esta tendência se aplique para crianças com menos de 10 anos. Diante do exposto, torna-se necessário um maior rigor no emprego e na fiscalização do uso de Amarelo Crepúsculo em produtos alimentares, visto que o consumo elevado deste corante pode ocasionar reações adversas aos seus consumidores. / To evaluate the possible effects that artificial dyes can cause health is very important to have data on exposure to these substances. The fact that several studies suggest health problems related to the consumption of artificial dye Sunset Yellow (SY) justifies the need to verify that the ingestion of this substance through consumption of processed foods, exceeds the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize the SY intake by the Brazilian population. For this, they were first checked which foods marketed by one of the country's largest supermarket chains containing SY in its formulation. the average intake of these foods using the Household Budget Surveys were evaluated (HBS 2008-2009) and determined the Theory Maximum Daily Intake (TMDI) SY, through the values set by the Brazilian legislation for the maximum permitted concentration of the dye in the different groups of food. Later analyzes were performed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to evaluate the Yellow Twilight content in powdered drinks, soft drinks, isotonic drinks, gelatins and candy, and check the use of bands of this dye and the adequacy of legislation current. Through the data, it was found that the TMDI for SY, considering the average per capita consumption of food does not exceed the ADI for any of the studied population distributions. However, when considering the prevalence of food consumption, the TMDI is higher than the ADI for adolescents 10-18 years (277% of ADI), adults (181% of ADI) and the elderly (140% ADI) in urban areas and rural and in five regions of the country. Regarding the samples, it can be seen that, considering the averages, the products that contain SY are in order: Soft drinks (7.91 mg/100 mL); Isotonic drinks (6.22 mg/100 mL); powdered drinks (5.96 mg/100 mL); Gelatins (5.92 mg/100 mL) and candy (below 1,25 mg/100 g) Through this work, it is concluded that considering the average consumption per capita daily intake is between 14 and 31% of ADI and do not represent a health risk. However, it was found that some individuals of all population groups may be ingesting the dye in amounts greater than those recommended. It should be noted that the HBS (2008-2009), used as a data source in this research, interviewed children from 10 years old. Since in this study the use of SY increased by reducing the age, it is likely that this trend will apply to children under 10 years. Given the above, it is necessary a greater rigor in applying and monitoring the use of Sunset Yellow in food products, as the high consumption of this dye can cause adverse reactions to their consumers.

Os corantes são substâncias adicionadas para conferir ou intensificar a cor dos alimentos. Sendo a aparência dos alimentos fundamental para a escolha do consumidor, a indústria justifica o uso de corantes como forma de melhorar a aparência dos mesmos e aumentar o consumo. Os corantes artificiais adquiriram seu espaço no mercado por terem a vantagem de ser mais estáveis ao processamento, possuírem maior poder tintorial e serem mais baratos do que os naturais. Contudo, estudos ao longo dos anos têm apontado que corantes alimentares artificiais podem estar relacionados a problemas de saúde, principalmente em crianças. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo visou verificar qual a percepção da população do Rio Grande do Sul (RS) em relação a esse tipo de aditivo, através de um questionário online de opinião. Além disso, a pesquisa também procurou estudar o consumo de corantes artificiais por crianças residentes no Rio Grande do Sul. No estudo de percepção (n = 531) foi verificada uma baixa percepção de benefício e alta percepção de perigo dos corantes artificiais, principalmente por pessoas do gênero feminino, pessoas com filho e pessoas de maior faixa etária. Contudo, apesar da sua opinião sobre corantes artificiais, o consumidor não parece afetar o seu padrão de consumo, uma vez que os respondentes afirmaram consumir produtos com esse tipo de aditivo Foi verificado também uma alta desconfiança por parte do público quanto a regulamentação da área de alimentos e falta de conhecimento do consumidor em relação aos rótulos dos alimentos. No estudo de consumo de corantes artificiais por crianças (n = 218), os resultados demonstraram que embora a maioria das crianças (~90%) consuma corantes em quantidades inferiores aquelas estipuladas como seguras, algumas extrapolam o consumo em níveis que podem acarretar em risco à saúde. Em média, os corantes mais consumidos com relação à IDA foram: o Bordeaux (~29% da IDA), Amarelo crepúsculo (~6,5% da IDA), Amarelo Tartrazina (~3,1% da IDA) e Azul Brilhante (~2,8% da IDA). O corante Bordeaux foi o que apresentou maior porcentagens de crianças que ultrapassaram a sua IDA (7,3%). O principal alimento responsável pelo consumo é o refresco em pó. O estudo demonstrou que algumas crianças estão colocando em risco sua saúde ao consumir quantidades elevadas de corantes artificiais. / Dyes are added substances to confer or intensify the color of food. As the appearance of food is fundamental to consumer’s choice, the industry justifies its use as a way to improve their appearance and increase consumption. Artificial dyes have acquired their space in the market because they have the advantage of being more stable to the processing, possessing greater color power and being cheaper than the natural ones. However, studies over the years have pointed out that artificial food colorings may be related to health problems, especially in children. In this context, the present study aimed to verify the perception of the population of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in relation to this type of additive, through an online opinion questionnaire. In the study of perception (n = 531), a low perception of benefit and a high perception of the risk of artificial dyes were observed, mainly by people of the female gender, people with children and people of greater age. However, in spite of his opinion about artificial colors, the consumer does not seem to affect his consumption pattern, since the respondents stated that they consume products with this type of additive There was also a high public distrust regarding the regulation of the food area and lack of consumer knowledge about food labels. In the study of artificial colorants consumption by children (n = 218), the results showed that although most children (~ 90%) consume dyes in amounts lower than those stipulated as safe, some extrapolate consumption to levels that may be at risk the health. On average, the most consumed dyes with respect to IDA were: Bordeaux (~ 29% of IDA), Sunset Yellow (~ 6.5% of IDA), Yellow Tartrazine (~ 3.1% of IDA) and Bright Blue ~ 2.8% of the ADI). The Bordeaux dye showed the highest percentage of children who exceeded their ADI (7.3%). The main food that is responsible for consumption is soft drink powder. The study showed that some children are putting their health at risk by consuming high amounts of artificial colorants.

Os corantes são substâncias adicionadas para conferir ou intensificar a cor dos alimentos. Sendo a aparência dos alimentos fundamental para a escolha do consumidor, a indústria justifica o uso de corantes como forma de melhorar a aparência dos mesmos e aumentar o consumo. Os corantes artificiais adquiriram seu espaço no mercado por terem a vantagem de ser mais estáveis ao processamento, possuírem maior poder tintorial e serem mais baratos do que os naturais. Contudo, estudos ao longo dos anos têm apontado que corantes alimentares artificiais podem estar relacionados a problemas de saúde, principalmente em crianças. Nesse contexto, o presente estudo visou verificar qual a percepção da população do Rio Grande do Sul (RS) em relação a esse tipo de aditivo, através de um questionário online de opinião. Além disso, a pesquisa também procurou estudar o consumo de corantes artificiais por crianças residentes no Rio Grande do Sul. No estudo de percepção (n = 531) foi verificada uma baixa percepção de benefício e alta percepção de perigo dos corantes artificiais, principalmente por pessoas do gênero feminino, pessoas com filho e pessoas de maior faixa etária. Contudo, apesar da sua opinião sobre corantes artificiais, o consumidor não parece afetar o seu padrão de consumo, uma vez que os respondentes afirmaram consumir produtos com esse tipo de aditivo Foi verificado também uma alta desconfiança por parte do público quanto a regulamentação da área de alimentos e falta de conhecimento do consumidor em relação aos rótulos dos alimentos. No estudo de consumo de corantes artificiais por crianças (n = 218), os resultados demonstraram que embora a maioria das crianças (~90%) consuma corantes em quantidades inferiores aquelas estipuladas como seguras, algumas extrapolam o consumo em níveis que podem acarretar em risco à saúde. Em média, os corantes mais consumidos com relação à IDA foram: o Bordeaux (~29% da IDA), Amarelo crepúsculo (~6,5% da IDA), Amarelo Tartrazina (~3,1% da IDA) e Azul Brilhante (~2,8% da IDA). O corante Bordeaux foi o que apresentou maior porcentagens de crianças que ultrapassaram a sua IDA (7,3%). O principal alimento responsável pelo consumo é o refresco em pó. O estudo demonstrou que algumas crianças estão colocando em risco sua saúde ao consumir quantidades elevadas de corantes artificiais. / Dyes are added substances to confer or intensify the color of food. As the appearance of food is fundamental to consumer’s choice, the industry justifies its use as a way to improve their appearance and increase consumption. Artificial dyes have acquired their space in the market because they have the advantage of being more stable to the processing, possessing greater color power and being cheaper than the natural ones. However, studies over the years have pointed out that artificial food colorings may be related to health problems, especially in children. In this context, the present study aimed to verify the perception of the population of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in relation to this type of additive, through an online opinion questionnaire. In the study of perception (n = 531), a low perception of benefit and a high perception of the risk of artificial dyes were observed, mainly by people of the female gender, people with children and people of greater age. However, in spite of his opinion about artificial colors, the consumer does not seem to affect his consumption pattern, since the respondents stated that they consume products with this type of additive There was also a high public distrust regarding the regulation of the food area and lack of consumer knowledge about food labels. In the study of artificial colorants consumption by children (n = 218), the results showed that although most children (~ 90%) consume dyes in amounts lower than those stipulated as safe, some extrapolate consumption to levels that may be at risk the health. On average, the most consumed dyes with respect to IDA were: Bordeaux (~ 29% of IDA), Sunset Yellow (~ 6.5% of IDA), Yellow Tartrazine (~ 3.1% of IDA) and Bright Blue ~ 2.8% of the ADI). The Bordeaux dye showed the highest percentage of children who exceeded their ADI (7.3%). The main food that is responsible for consumption is soft drink powder. The study showed that some children are putting their health at risk by consuming high amounts of artificial colorants.

The purpose was to find the adjustments needed to make acceptable pies, cookies and muffins baked in the electronic oven. The products were evaluated by a taste panel and by objective tests. The results of both tests supported each other. The best bottom pie crust had an extra tablespoon of liquid added to the pastry and was precooked before the filling was added. It was both flaky and tender. No leavening and one-fourth more liquid produced the most acceptable cookies. They were more like standard cookie in height, texture, moisture and tenderness. It was found that one-half the amount of egg and two tablespoons more liquid made the best muffins. No treatment of the muffins as used in this study resembled the standard, but were half way between a standard muffin and cake in their texture, flavor and appearance.

The primary purpose of this thesis was to develop, validate and implement a novel ergonomics tool for manual arm strength (MAS) prediction. In Chapter 2, an empirical study was conducted to: 1) fill in gaps in our MAS database, and 2) examine the relationships between MAS and shoulder/elbow moments, to help identify important sources of variance for future predictive modeling attempts. Chapter 3 focused on the evaluation of artificial neural network (ANN) and traditional multiple regression approaches for MAS prediction, and revealed that ANNs provided a more accurate and generalizable prediction of MAS for our specific dataset. Chapter 4 drew on the data and findings of Chapters 2 & 3, and described the development of the ‘Arm Force Field’ (AFF) method for MAS prediction. The AFF method can be used to predict the MAS for any percentage of the population, given only the simple inputs of force vector direction, hand location (relative to the right shoulder), and torso orientation. In Chapter 5, a theoretical examination of the relative changes in wrist strength, due to interacting forearm and wrist postures, was conducted. That study resulted in a set of regression equations that can be used to predict wrist strength correction factors in complex wrist and forearm postures, allowing for more accurate estimations of the limiting joint once the MAS is calculated. An example of the AFF method’s implementation is provided and discussed in Chapter 6. The four studies, presented in this thesis, add to the current knowledge related to strength prediction in ergonomics, and the AFF method has the potential to be easily integrated within digital human models, for more valid estimates of manual force capabilities for the population. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Repetitive and forceful exertions have been dentified as an important risk factor for occupational injuries. One method used to determine appropriate exposures to these and other risk factors is psychophysics, which is based on individual perceptions of task demands and/or risk. Effects of work exposure have been indicated as of potential importance, but have not been well studied. Indications from an earlier study related to psychophysical limits for a repetitive manual torquing task were that five days of work conditioning had minimal effects on resulting Maximum Acceptable Repetition Rates (MARR). However, it is unknown whether and how longer work exposure durations might influence MARRs. The current study investigated the effects of work exposure on MARR and adjustment time over 10 working days (two weeks) with two days of rest after five days. Ten participants (five males and five females) performed a manual torquing (45 Nm load) task at mid-chest level in the coronal plane for a one hour test session. Starting repetition rate for each participant was set at single high and low rate on alternate days. Temporal (exposure) effects were determined, where day of exposure was the independent variable, and MARR and adjustment time were the dependent variables. Final MARRs were relatively lower during the first few exposure days (14 - 15 repetitions/min) and increased for days 5 - 7 (16 - 18 repetitions/min). On average participants made four adjustments to reach MARR . Day was not found to significantly affect MARR, though week affected both MARR and adjustment time. Thus, an exposure of two weeks may be needed to obtain stable and valid psychophysical limits for manual torquing and, perhaps, related tasks. / Master of Science

O presente estudo tem como principal objetivo avaliar o impacto de aspectos contingenciais no modelo básico do efeito da espera na avaliação geral de um serviço. Com base em estudos referentes à espera já realizados, o presente trabalho definiu o “modelo básico do efeito da espera na avaliação geral do serviço” que consiste no impacto negativo da espera na avaliação geral do serviço por meio da suscitação de emoções negativas. A influência de fatores contingenciais sobre o modelo é a principal contribuição do estudo, dado que essa abordagem não havia sido ainda estudada. Inicialmente, foi realizada uma etapa exploratória, qualitativa, para investigar as relações propostas no modelo teórico, assim como para compreender melhor os serviços de saúde, campo de estudo da pesquisa. Na sequência, a influência do envolvimento do consumidor, da singularidade do serviço, da pressão do tempo e do relacionamento interpessoal no modelo central foi investigada através da realização de uma survey com 382 pacientes As hipóteses foram testadas por meio de modelagem de equações estruturais, com o software LISREL 8.51. Os resultados indicam que o envolvimento do consumidor tem impacto positivo no seu tempo de espera aceitável. Já o efeito da singularidade do serviço sobre essa mesma variável não foi confirmado. A pressão do tempo apresentou impacto positivo no tempo de espera percebido e o efeito moderador do relacionamento interpessoal na relação entre as respostas afetivas negativas e a avaliação geral do serviço também foi confirmada. Além das hipóteses propostas, foi realizado um teste exploratório segundo o qual se confirmou o efeito moderador da variável gravidade sobre as relações que compõe o modelo básico do efeito da espera da avaliação geral do serviço. No final, os resultados são discutidos, e as limitações do estudo e sugestões para futuras pesquisas são apresentadas. / The most important objective of the present study is to evaluate the impact of the contingency aspects on the basic model of the waiting effect in the overall service evaluation. Based on studies in reference to the wait already carried out, this study defined the "basic model of the waiting effect on the general evaluation of the service" as being the negative impact of waiting in the general evaluation of the service because of the rise of negative emotions. The influence of contingency factors over the model is the most important contribution of the study as this approach has never been studied before. Iniatially, there was a qualitative exploratory to investigate the proposed relations in the theoretical model, as well as to have a better understanding of health care services, the field study of the research. Following that, the influence of the consumer involvement, the uniqueness of the service, the time pressure and the interpersonal relationship in the central model was investigated through a survey conducted among 382 patients The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling with LISREL 8.51 software. The results showed that the consumer involvement have a positive impact in the acceptable waiting time. On the other hand the effect of the uniqueness of the service over the same variable was not confirmed. The time pressure indicated a positive impact on the perceived waiting time and the moderate effect of the interpersonal relationship of the connection between negative affective reactions and the overall service evaluation was also confirmed. Beyond the proposed hypotheses, it was performed a exploratory test whereby it was confirmed the moderator effect of the gravity variable on the relations that form the basic model of the waiting effect on the overall service evaluation. In the end the results are discussed, and the limitations of the study and suggestions for future surveys are presented.

This study examined the effects of extending high-frequency bandwidth, for both a speech signal and a background noise, on the acceptable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of listeners with mild sensorineural hearing loss through utilization of the Acceptable Noise Level (ANL) procedure. In addition to extending high-frequency bandwidth, the effects of reverberation time and background noise type and shape were also examined. The study results showed a significant increase in the mean ANL (i.e. participants requested a better SNR for an acceptable listening situation) when high-frequency bandwidth was extended from 3 to 9 kHz and from 6 to 9 kHz. No change in the ANL of study participants was observed as a result of isolated modification to reverberation time or background noise stimulus. An interaction effect, however, of reverberation time and background noise stimulus was demonstrated. These findings may have implications for future design of hearing aid memory programs for listening to speech in the presence of broadband background noise.

This thesis focuses on exacerbating chemicals risk in workplaces under the background of rapid industrialization in developing countries. The overall aim is to investigate the development of regulatory tools which aim at minimizing the health risks from chemical substances in the workplace. The contents of the thesis are divided into three sections: the profile of occupational diseases in China (paper I), occupational exposure limits (paper II and III), and comparison between chemicals regulat ions in Europe and China (paper IV). Paper I presents an analysis of the development of occupational diseases in China between 2000 and 2010. The number of recorded cases of occupational diseases increased rapidly in China during this period and the majority of cases were attributable to dust and other chemicals exposures. Difficulties in diagnosis and inefficient surveillance are major impediments to the proper identification and mitigation of occupational diseases. Migrant workers are extremely vulnerable to occupational hazards. Paper II investigates the state of harmonization of OELs between twenty-five OEL systems in Europe and Asia. The majority of the investigated organizations declare themselves to have been influenced by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and in many cases this can be empirically confirmed. However, large international differences still exist in substance selection and in the level of OELs among organizations. Paper III explores the setting of risk-based OELs on non-threshold carcinogens. Relatively few agencies set risk-based OELs. Differences exist in policy, both regarding the magnitude of risk considered as tolerable or acceptable and whether a general risk level or case-by-case substance-specific risk levels are determined. In regards to the level of the OELs both differences in science and policy contribute, and it was not possible to determine which has the larger influence. Paper III explores the setting of risk-based OELs on non-threshold carcinogens. Relatively few agencies set risk-based OELs. Differences exist in policy, both regarding the magnitude of risk considered as tolerable or acceptable and whether a general risk level or case-by-case substance-specific risk levels are determined. In regards to the level of the OELs both differences in science and policy contribute, and it was not possible to determine which has the larger influence. Paper IV systematically compares the regulation systems for chemicals in the EU and China in terms of substances covered, requirement on information, risk assessment and risk management. It shows that the European and Chinese chemicals legislations are remarkably similar.The differences are larger in terms of substance coverage and data requirements than in terms of risk assessment and management. Substitution of hazardous substances is driven more by updates of the EU regulatory system than of the Chinese system. / <p>QC 20130830</p>