AIHA University Webinar: Innovative Modeling With IH Mod 2.0 and Monte Carlo Simulation Techniques

Earn 1.5 Contact Hours

Member $140 | Nonmember $185 | Student $25

Accurately assessing and managing inhalation exposure risks in the face of uncertainty and variability is a persistent challenge for industrial hygienists and exposure professionals. This webinar introduces IH Mod 2.0, a versatile Excel-based freeware tool available on the AIHA website for assessing workplace and consumer inhalation exposures. With its dual capabilities for deterministic analysis and stochastic modeling (Monte Carlo Simulation), this tool addresses variability and uncertainty in exposure estimates. It’s an essential resource for industrial hygienists aiming to understand short- or long-term airborne contaminant concentrations under diverse workplace scenarios, including spill events, and to evaluate the impact of various factors and engineering controls (e.g., ventilation improvements) on worker exposure levels.

Participants will explore the IH Mod 2.0 suite of exposure models and its extensive support materials, learning to select suitable models and parameter inputs for specific scenarios. The session will delve into both deterministic and probabilistic approaches, using models such as the well-mixed room (box) model, two-zone (near field/far field) model, near-field plume model, and turbulent eddy diffusion model. Real-world case studies will illustrate model applications, highlighting scenarios with well-defined versus uncertain input parameters and emphasizing key exposure determinants.

Special attention will be given to characterizing exposure distributions and interpreting model outputs, which can include concentration curves or time-weighted averages across different percentiles. The discussion will cover critical considerations such as data quality, model validation, and limitations, equipping participants with the knowledge to apply these tools effectively and confidently in their practice.

Learning Objectives

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify scenarios where IH Mod 2.0 models can be effectively applied to assess workplace and consumer exposures.
• Analyze the types of models within IH Mod 2.0, including their input parameters and data requirements.
• Differentiate between deterministic and probabilistic approaches, and select appropriate distribution types for exposure modeling.
• Apply IH Mod 2.0 models to real-world scenarios, interpreting results and addressing data gaps and model limitations with confidence.

Presenters

Pamela Williams, MS, ScD, CIH
Dr. Pamela Williams, Principal and Owner of E Risk Sciences, LLP, has extensive expertise in industrial hygiene, exposure assessment, exposure modeling, and risk assessment. She also currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor on the faculty of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado and Adjunct Instructor in the College for Public Health and Social Justice at St. Louis University. She previously served as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of Colorado. She is a Fellow with the non-profit organization Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA). She has extensive scientific consulting experience and previously served as a Senior Science and Policy Advisor in the Office of Research and Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. She has served as a Subject Matter Expert for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the World Bank. She has authored or co-authored over 160 articles, book chapters, technical reports, and presentation abstracts, which includes 38 peer-reviewed publications, and currently serves on the Editorial Board of two scientific journals (Risk Analysis and Human and Ecological Risk Assessment). She is a past President of the Society for Risk Analysis and past Chair of AIHA’s Risk Committee. She received the AIHA Alice Hamilton Award for Social Responsibility in 2022. Dr. Williams received both her Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Science (ScD) degrees from the Harvard School of Public Health and is also a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

Alan Rossner, PhD, CIH, FAIHA
Dr. Rossner is Director of Environmental Health Science and Environmental Science & Policy undergraduate programs at Clarkson University. He is a Professor and Associate Director of Clarkson’s Institute for a Sustainable Environment. He received his BS degree in Biology from Clarkson University, MS degree in Environmental Health from the University of Washington, and PhD in Occupational Health from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Prior to moving to Clarkson University in 1995, he spent two years with Oregon OSHA, five years with The Boeing Company and three years as an industrial hygiene consultant in the Pacific Northwest. His teaching and research interests are in human exposure to hazardous chemicals and agents. While at Clarkson, Dr. Rossner has conducted research in the areas of exposure assessment and environmental health science. A continuing challenge in environmental and occupational health is that of accurately estimating an individual’s long-term exposure to the multitude of airborne contaminants found in our work and community environments. These challenges are further magnified by the constant influx of new chemicals/agents and new processes into our living and working environments. Research into improved exposure assessment strategies and air sampling methodologies that better characterize individuals’ exposures are necessary to further our understanding of the health effects related to airborne contaminants. Dr. Rossner has served as Chair of the AIHA Risk Assessment Committee and taught in a variety of Professional workshops over the last two decades. He is an AIHA Fellow as well as board certified in the Comprehensive Practice of Industrial Hygiene by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. He served on the Board of Directors of ACGIH for six years.

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