How do ATSDR scientists determine which exposure situations and contaminants to evaluate?
ATSDR’s public health assessments are exposure-driven. Chemical contaminants disposed of or released into the environment have the potential to cause adverse health effects under certain conditions. That said, a release does not always result in exposure. ATSDR scientists evaluate site conditions to determine if people could have been (a past scenario), are (a current scenario), or will be (a future scenario) exposed to site-related contaminants. When evaluating exposure pathways, ATSDR identifies whether exposure to contaminated media (soil, water, air, waste, or biota) has occurred, is occurring, or will occur through ingestion, dermal (skin) contact, or inhalation. If exposure was or is possible, ATSDR applies a weight-of-evidence approach as to whether people might develop adverse health effects. First, ATSDR scientists select contaminants for further evaluation by comparing them against health-based values. Comparison values are developed by ATSDR from scientific literature availa
Related Questions
- How is DOL going to determine if it is "at least as likely as not" that exposure to a toxic substance was a significant factor in the development of a covered illness?
- How do ATSDR scientists determine which exposure situations and contaminants to evaluate?
- How does ATSDR determine which exposure situations to evaluate?
