Were low-flow conditions considered in the Moira River Study?
Yes. A Preliminary Quantitative Risk Assessment (PQRA), conducted as part of the Moira River Study, was used to evaluate the potential, current and long-term health risks to Moira River residents. All significant pathways of exposure for Moira River residents to substances of concern were considered. The approach for the PQRA was very cautious and conservative (i.e., protective). That is, when considering possible current and future health risks, the estimates for exposure to contamination were based on the assumption that the most sensitive individuals (children) are exposed in every way possible to maximum levels of contaminants, including those recorded during periods of low-flow, on a daily basis for 70 years (considered a lifetime). In other words, risks were deliberately overestimated in order to be the most protective of health.
