What are Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxicants?
Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic pollutants (PBTs) are highly toxic, long-lasting substances that can build up in the food chain to levels that are harmful to human and ecosystem health. They are associated with a range of adverse human health effects, including effects on the nervous system, reproductive and developmental problems, cancer, and genetic impacts. In the AERA process, ingestion risks are assessed from PBTs due to concerns that chemicals emitted into air will be deposited on the land, taken up into produce and livestock, and then consumed by humans. These chemicals are associated with multi-pathway concerns. Multi-pathway concerns refer to exposure from contact with soil, plants, or water bodies on which an emitted chemical has been deposited as well as the ingestion of fruits, vegetables, beef, milk, pork, chicken, eggs, fish, and soil. The Multi-pathway Screening Factors are derived from the list of PBTs in the RASS. PBTs include chemicals such as dioxins, polycycl
