Human Health Risk Assessment

Environment Human Health Risk Assessment

Introduction A human health risk assessment is the process to estimate the nature and probability of adverse health effects in humans who may be exposed to contaminated environmental media, now or in the future. To explain this better, a human health risk assessment addresses questions such as: What types of health problems may be caused by environmental stressors such as chemicals and radiation? What is the chance that people will experience health problems when exposed to different levels of environmental stressors? (stressor is a chemical or biological agent, environmental condition, an external stimulus or an event that causes stress to an organism) Is there a level below which some chemicals don't pose a human health risk? What environmental stressors are people exposed to and at what levels and for how long? Are some people more likely to be susceptible to environmental stressors because of factors such as age, genetics, pre-existing health conditions, ethnic practices, gender, etc.? Are some people more likely to be exposed to environmental stressors because of factors such as where they work, where they play, what they like to eat, etc.?

Risk assessors will typically ask the following questions when planning a human health risk assessment: Who/What/Where is at risk? Individual General population Life stages such as children, teenagers, pregnant/nursing women Population subgroups highly susceptible (for example, due to asthma, genetics, etc.) and/or highly exposed (for example, based on geographic area, gender, racial or ethnic group, or economic status)

What is the environmental hazard concern? Chemicals (single or multiple/cumulative risk) Radiation Physical (dust, heat) Microbiological or biological Nutritional (for example, diet, fitness, or metabolic state) Socio-Economic ( for example, access to health care)

of

Where do these environmental hazards come from? Point sources (for example, smoke or water discharge from a factory; contamination from a Superfund site) Non-point sources (for example, automobile exhaust; agricultural runoff) Natural sources

The answers to these types of questions helps decision makers, whether they are parents or public officials, understand the possible human health risks from environmental media.

How does exposure occur?

Pathways (recognizing that one or more may be involved) o Air Prepared By: M/s. Pollucon Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Surat www.polluconlab.com

Human Health Risk Assessment o o o o o o Surface Water Groundwater Soil Solid Waste Food Non-food consumer pharmaceuticals Subchronic - weeks or months (for humans generally less than 10% of their lifespan) o Chronic - a significant part of a lifetime or a lifetime (for humans at least seven years) o Intermittent Timing Is there a critical time during a lifetime when a chemical is most toxic (e.g., fetal development, childhood, during aging)? o Methodology The risk assessment process exposure is typically

products,

Routes (and related human activities that lead to exposure) o Ingestion (both food and water) o Contact with skin o Inhalation o Non-dietary ingestion (for example, "hand-to-mouth" behavior)

described as consisting of four basic steps: What does the body do with the environmental hazard and how is this impacted by factors such as age, race, sex, genetics, etc.?) Absorption - does the body take up the environmental hazard Distribution - does the environmental hazard travel throughout the body or does it stay in one place? Metabolism does the body breakdown the environmental hazard? Excretion - how does the body get rid of it? hazard identification, assessment, and risk dose-response assessment,

characterization. Each of these steps will be explained in the following text. Step 1 - Hazard Identification

Examines whether a stressor has the potential to cause harm to humans and/or ecological systems, and if so, under what circumstances. Step 2 - Dose-Response

Assessment Examines the numerical relationship between exposure and effects.

What are the health effects? Step 3 - Exposure Assessment Example of some health effects include cancer, heart disease, liver disease and nerve disease. Examines what is known about the frequency, timing, and levels of contact with a stressor. Step 4 - Risk How long does it take for an environmental hazard to cause a toxic effect? Does it matter when in a lifetime exposure occurs? How long? o Acute - right away or within a few hours to a day Characterization

Examines how well the data support conclusions about the nature and extent of the risk from exposure to environmental stressors.

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Human Health Risk Assessment

What is risk? What is a stressor?

While there are many definitions of the word risk, EPA considers risk to be the chance of harmful effects to human health or to ecological systems resulting from exposure to an environmental stressor. A stressor is any physical, chemical, or biological entity that can induce an adverse response. Stressors may adversely affect specific natural resources or entire ecosystems, including plants and animals, as well as the environment with which they interact.

What is risk assessment?

EPA uses risk assessment to characterize the nature and magnitude of health risks to humans (e.g., residents, workers, recreational visitors) and ecological receptors (e.g., birds, fish, wildlife) from chemical contaminants and other stressors, that may be present in the environment. At EPA, environmental risk assessments typically fall into one of two areas: Human Health Ecological Risk assessment is, to the highest extent possible, a scientific process. In general terms, risk depends on the following factors:
1) Data Collection and Evaluation Gather and analyze relevant site data Identify potential chemicals of concern (CoCs) 2) Exposure Assessment Analyze contaminant releases Identify exposed populations Identify potential exposure pathways Estimate exposure concentrations for pathways Estimate contaminant intakes for pathways 3) Toxicity Assessment Collect qualitative and quantitative toxicity information Determine appropriate toxicity values 4) Risk Characterization Characterize potential for adverse health effects to occur Estimate cancer risks Estimate non-cancer hazard quotients Evaluate uncertainty Summarize risk information

How much of a chemical is present in an environmental medium (e.g., soil, water, air), How much contact (exposure) a person or ecological receptor has with the contaminated environmental medium, and The inherent toxicity of the chemical.

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Human Health Risk Assessment

Stressor Air Pollution Hazardous substances, pollutants, and waste Pharmaceuticals Pesticides Radiation including radon Toxic substances, human environmental exposure Vaccines Water pollution exposure,

What Health Problems Are Associated With Air Pollution? Air pollution is one of many environmental factors that may promote and aggravate chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and may cause earlier onset of these diseases in susceptible individuals. Adverse health effects associated with exposure to air pollution can decrease quality of life for people with or without existing health conditions. The common air pollutants ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide, are always present in the atmosphere in some amount. They are the most significant causes of adverse health affects associated with poor air quality. Other pollutants, such as lead, are less common in the air we breathe, but still pose significant threats to human health.

Ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide Ground-level ozone (O3), a primary component in smog, is formed when pollutants released from motor vehicles, industrial processes, and other sources combine with each other downstream from the pollution source. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are also released from motor vehicles and industrial sources. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a gas formed when sulfur-containing fuels, such as coal and oil, are burned. Groundlevel ozone, NOx, and SO2 all cause inflammation of the lining of the lungs, leading to symptoms such as chest tightness, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Healthy individuals and people with underlying respiratory disease are Prepared By: M/s. Pollucon Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Surat www.polluconlab.com

Human Health Risk Assessment vulnerable to adverse health symptoms upon moderate to high outdoor levels of these pollutants. How badly an individual is affected by the pollutants depends upon prior health status, the level of pollution, and how long the individual is exposed. Particle pollution, also called particulate matter (PM), comes from dust, smoke, soot, and other sources. Fine particles (less than 2.5 microns) are about 1/30th the width of a human hair and can be inhaled deeper into the lungs. PM can increase vulnerability to respiratory infections and aggravate existing respiratory and heart diseases. Some studies indicate that shortterm (within 24 hours) and long-term (over a period of years) exposure to higher PM levels is associated with increased rates of illness and death from heart and lung disease. People with heart disease may experience chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath when exposed to higher levels of particle pollution. Older adults and children may also be vulnerable to respiratory or cardiac health problems. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that reduces the ability of blood cells to carry oxygen to vital organs. Inhalation of enough CO will restrict any oxygen from binding to hemoglobin and therefore cause death by asphyxiation. CO poses a particular health threat to people with cardiovascular disease. Typical reactions of vulnerable individuals upon exposure to low to moderate levels of CO include chest pain and tightness, especially during physical activity. In healthy individuals, exposure to higher levels of CO can affect mental alertness and vision. Lead Lead-based paints have not been in use since the 1970s, but in older buildings lead poisoning from chipped paint or dust from sanding painted surfaces is still a concern. Exposure to lead is associated with behavioral problems, effects on the nervous system, and has been shown to lower IQ.

Water contamination is commonly associated with starving children in developing nations; Due to failures of companies to meet environmental regulations pollutants and harmful metals are entering the countrys drinking water. Conditions Caused by Pollution or Water Contamination Many diseases caused by water contamination go un-noticed because the effects take months or years to materialize. A high incidence of conditions such as specific types of cancer or miscarriages can be an indicator of regional pollution. The following conditions all have potential causes of specific types of pollution. If an area has both a high occurrence of the condition and the water contains high levels of any of the chemicals or minerals associated with it then pollution or other contamination may be an underlying culprit. Cancer

Arsenic Barium Lead Manganese Tetrachloroethylene (Dry Cleaning Solvent) Copper Zinc Chlorine Selenium Chromium Beryllium Nickel Radon Radium Kidney Damage & Organ Failure Arsenic Barium Lead Manganese

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Human Health Risk Assessment Tetrachloroethylene (Dry Cleaning Solvent) Selenium Chromium Beryllium Nickel Nervous Damage Arsenic Barium Lead Manganese Copper Zinc Chlorine Selenium Tooth Decay Lead Nickel Heavy Metals Skin Irritation Lead Nickel Heavy Mentals Infection Animal Feces Birth Defects and Fertility Problems (Male and Female) Pesticides Susceptibility to H1N1 (Swine Flu) Arsenic

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