EU Risk Assessment Guidelines - II: Visualisation of the complexity of EUSES

Abstract

The interdependencies of parameters applied in the models of EUSES are visualised in a directed connectivity graph. The parameters (inputs, defaults, state variables, outputs) are represented by hoses (nodes) and their relations by lines ledges). The visualisation, on the one hand, clarifies the complexity of the models in EUSES and, on the other hand, creates an overview and transparency. The parameters' relations to each other can be recognised faster, and the models can he better understood. The complexity was quantified by the number (variety), kind (substance parameter, physico-chemical parameter, concentration, other parameters), and depth (dimension) of the parameter and the number of relations (connectivity). The variety of EUSES (without the models Simple Treat and Simple Box whose interior structure is not documented and without the effect and risk characterisation) amounts to 466, the connectivity to 961, and the maximal dimension is 21.