An official website of the United States government.

This is not the current EPA website. To navigate to the current EPA website, please go to www.epa.gov. This website is historical material reflecting the EPA website as it existed on January 19, 2021. This website is no longer updated and links to external websites and some internal pages may not work. More information »

EPA EcoBox

Contact Us

EPA EcoBox Phases of ERA

An ERA includes three primary phases: problem formulation, analysis, and risk characterization. This tool set provides modules that briefly describe these three phases of ecological risk assessment. It also provides a list of tools for conducting and evaluating ecological risk.

The 1998 Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment (U.S. EPA, 1998) describe ecological risk assessment (ERA) as

“the process that evaluates the likelihood that adverse ecological effects may occur or are occurring as a result of exposure to one or more stressors.”

Planning and Problem FormulationPlanning and Problem Formulation

Review the steps to planning and problem formulation
 

Risk CharacterizationAnalysis

Review the steps to analysis


 

ToolsRisk Characterization

Review the steps to risk characterization


 

Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.

Ecological Risk Assessments (ERA)