Assessing environmental health risks: part 1

Journal Article · Thu Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 1993 · CHEMTECH; (United States)

OSTI ID:6525756

Ruttenber, A J

Questions about health risks from toxic chemicals in the environment are raised frequently by concerned citizens and scientists alike. How do the authors know whether public exposures to chemical are dangerous to workers in the chemical industry or to residents of communities near industrial sites Is an outbreak of a new disease in a community due to an exposure from a nearby industry or to a communicable disease Can the authors adequately protect human health by relying solely on data from studies of animals exposed in the laboratory Do epidemiologic studies really provide the last word in the analysis of risk And finally, are risks to human health the only risks one should be assessing In this article and the second part which will follow next month, the author reviews the analytical approaches used to quantitatively evaluate public exposures to toxic chemicals. The techniques of exposure assessment, dose reconstruction, risk assessment, and epidemiologic analysis are described, compared, and discussed with regard to their effectiveness in predicting the risks from chemicals in the environment and in protecting the public's health.

• OSTI ID: 6525756
• Journal Information: CHEMTECH; (United States), Journal Name: CHEMTECH; (United States) Vol. 23:4; ISSN CHTEDD; ISSN 0009-2703
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

552000* -- Public Health
570000 -- Health & Safety
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
ACCURACY
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EPIDEMIOLOGY
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
MEASURING METHODS
PUBLIC HEALTH
RISK ASSESSMENT