Enhancing risk management and public health decisions through exposure investigations

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:215495

Abraham, J E; Williams, R C

Although the methodology (primarily risk assessment) for conducting evaluations of human health risk continues to improve, in most cases risk assessors must still depend on indirect estimates of exposure and dose calculations to make a health risk determination. Thus, media concentrations of contaminants and hypothetical scenarios of human contact with site-related materials, coupled with statistical and mathematical manipulations and simulations, form the basis for risk management decisions. Site-specific exposure investigations (EI) , which include direct measures of human exposures and doses or exposure point environmental sampling, offer a compelling alternative. Because of their emphasis on gathering representative biologic samples and conducting personal monitoring for site related hazardous materials, EIs enhance the public health professionals ability to determine the need for site-specific actions. Exposure investigations improve public health decision making, enhance community interactions and responsiveness to community concerns, strengthen the public health influence on site remediation, facilitate transitions from public health assessments to public health follow-up actions, and help triage limited resources toward exposed populations.

• OSTI ID: 215495
• Report Number(s): CONF-951139--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
COMMUNITIES
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HEALTH HAZARDS
POLLUTANTS
PUBLIC OPINION
REMEDIAL ACTION
RISK ASSESSMENT
WASTE MANAGEMENT