Risk Assessment Handbook Volume I Human Health Evaluation

This handbook, Risk Assessment Handbook Volume I - Human Health Evaluation, provides technical guidance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) risk assessors and risk assessment support personnel for planning, evaluating, and conducting Human Health Risk Assessments (HHRAs) in a phased hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste (HTRW) response action. The handbook, a compendium to the Risk Assessment Handbook: Volume II - Environmental Evaluation (Engineer Manual (EM) 200-1-4), encourages the use of "good science" within the framework of existing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) risk assessment guidelines. Reference and overview resources: ̂Required and Related References (Appendix A) ̂Abbreviations and Acronyms (Appendix B) Risk characterization is a similar process for both human health and Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs). The fundamental paradigm for human health risk characterization has four phases: (1) hazard identification, (2) dose-response assessment, (3) exposure assessment, and (4) risk characterization. Similarly, the fundamental framework for ecological risk characterization includes four phases: (1) problem formulation, (2) ecological effects characterization, (3) exposure characterization, and (4) risk characterization. This handbook encourages the concurrent assessment of human and ecological risks so that data collection activities are coordinated and risk managers are provided risk characterization results in a timely manner. Risk characterization results for human and ecological receptors should be reasonable and communicated to the risk managers in a clear and unbiased manner to facilitate the making of balanced and informed risk management decisions.

This handbook, Risk Assessment Handbook: Volume I - Human Health Evaluation, provides technical guidance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) risk assessors and risk assessment support personnel for planning, evaluating, and conducting Human Health Risk Assessments (HHRAs) in a phased hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste (HTRW) response action. The handbook, a compendium to the Risk Assessment Handbook: Volume II - Environmental Evaluation (Engineer Manual (EM) 200-1-4), encourages the use of "good science" within the framework of existing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) risk assessment guidelines.

This handbook, Risk Assessment Handbook Volume I - Human Health Evaluation, provides technical guidance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) risk assessors and risk assessment support personnel for planning, evaluating, and conducting Human Health Risk Assessments (HHRAs) in a phased hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste (HTRW) response action. The handbook, a compendium to the Risk Assessment Handbook: Volume II - Environmental Evaluation (Engineer Manual (EM) 200-1-4), encourages the use of "good science" within the framework of existing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) risk assessment guidelines. Reference and overview resources: * Required and Related References (Appendix A) * Abbreviations and Acronyms (Appendix B) Risk characterization is a similar process for both human health and Ecological Risk Assessments (ERAs). The fundamental paradigm for human health risk characterization has four phases: (1) hazard identification, (2) dose-response assessment, (3) exposure assessment, and (4) risk characterization. Similarly, the fundamental framework for ecological risk characterization includes four phases: (1) problem formulation, (2) ecological effects characterization, (3) exposure characterization, and (4) risk characterization. This handbook encourages the concurrent assessment of human and ecological risks so that data collection activities are coordinated and risk managers are provided risk characterization results in a timely manner. Risk characterization results for human and ecological receptors should be reasonable and communicated to the risk managers in a clear and unbiased manner to facilitate the making of balanced and informed risk management decisions.

The overall objective of this manual is to provide risk assessors with the recommended basic/minimum requirements for developing scopes of work, evaluating Architect-Engineer (A-E) prepared human health risk assessments, and documenting risk management options associated with Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) investigations, studies, and designs consistent with principles of good science in defining the quality of risk assessments. This EM is intended for use by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Project Managers, technical personnel, and contractor personnel.

In fact, with the control and containment of most infectious conditions and diseases of the past millennium having been achieved in most developed countries, and with the resultant increase in life expectancies, much more attention seems to have shifted to degenerative health problems. Many of the degenerative health conditions have been linked to thousands of chemicals regularly encountered in human living and occupational/work environments. It is important, therefore, that human health risk assessments are undertaken on a consistent basis - in order to determine the potential impacts of the target chemicals on public health.

Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: Theory and Practice assembles the expertise of more than fifty authorities from fifteen different fields, forming a comprehensive reference and textbook on risk assessment. Containing two dozen case studies of environmental or human health risk assessments, the text not only presents the theoretical underpinnings of the discipline, but also serves as a complete handbook and "how-to" guide for individuals conducting or interpreting risk assessments. In addition, more than 4,000 published papers and books in the field are cited. Editor Dennis Paustenbach has assembled chapters that present the most current methods for conducting hazard identification, dose-response and exposure assessment, and risk characterization components for risk assessments of any chemical hazard to humans or wildlife (fish, birds, and terrestrials). Topics addressed include hazards posed by: Air emissions Radiological hazards Contaminated soil and foods Agricultural hazards Occupational hazards Consumer products and water Hazardous waste sites Contaminated air and water The bringing together of so many of the world's authorities on these topics, plus the comprehensive nature of the text, promises to make Human and Ecological Risk Assessment the text against which others will be measured in the coming years.

This book provides a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the many facets relating to human health risk assessments in relation to chemical exposure problems. It presents some very important tools and methodologies that can be used to address chemical exposure and public health risk management problems in a consistent, efficient, and cost-effective manner. On the whole, the book represents a collection and synthesis of the principal elements of the risk assessment process that may be used to more effectively address issues pertaining to human exposures to chemicals found in modern societies. This also includes an elaboration of pertinent risk assessment concepts and techniques/methodologies for performing human health risk assessments. Written for both the novice and the experienced, the subject matter of this book is an attempt at offering a simplified and systematic presentation of public health risk assessment methods and application tools – all these facilitated by a layout that will carefully navigate the user through the major processes involved. A number of illustrative example problems are interspersed throughout the book, in order to help present the book in an easy-to-follow, pragmatic manner.

The regulation of potentially hazardous substances has become a controversial issue. This volume evaluates past efforts to develop and use risk assessment guidelines, reviews the experience of regulatory agencies with different administrative arrangements for risk assessment, and evaluates various proposals to modify procedures. The book's conclusions and recommendations can be applied across the entire field of environmental health.

In fact, with the control and containment of most infectious conditions and diseases of the past millennium having been achieved in most developed countries, and with the resultant increase in life expectancies, much more attention seems to have shifted to degenerative health problems. Many of the degenerative health conditions have been linked to thousands of chemicals regularly encountered in human living and occupational/work environments. It is important, therefore, that human health risk assessments are undertaken on a consistent basis - in order to determine the potential impacts of the target chemicals on public health.