Environmental Health Criteria 214

HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
Risk mitigation proceeds from first determining that an exposure
is a hazard (risk assessment) to identifying and quantifying the route
and the environmental pathways for a contaminant. Where a contaminant
has multiple sources or routes of exposure, relative contributions to
individual and population risk must be determined. Exposure
assessments are crucial for developing this information, and may rely
on both measurements and modelling. Once this information is obtained,
then effort can be directed toward the most effective mitigation
strategies.
In fact, intervention studies are implicitly or explicitly
predicated on the sequence of risk assessment and mitigation.
Intervention at the source, transmission or receptor (receiving
person) is intended to reduce the effect or risk of an effect.
Prohibiting smoking in public buildings or sections of restaurants is
designed to separate sources from receptors. Specific ventilation
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6/1/2007