Exposure and Risk Assessment with Respect to Contaminated Soil: Significance of Biomarkers and Bioavailability

1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 419-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urvashi Rangan ◽  
Christine Hedli ◽  
Michael Gallo ◽  
Paul Lioy ◽  
Robert Snyder

The evaluation of health risk from chemical exposure is evolving in concept and practice. The ability to sensitively detect levels of chemicals in the environment has served as the traditional foundation for determining exposure levels and consequent health risks. More recently, however, other parameters have been constructed to probe the pathway between environmental levels of a chemical and the biological effects of subsequent exposure. Among these, two that are discussed in this paper are bioavailability and biomarker determinations. Chemicals in the environment often are associated with a medium such as airborne particulate, water, or soil. The interaction between the chemical and its medium is dependent on the physicochemical properties of the system. In some cases, such as 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in soil, the chemical becomes partially and irreversibly bound to the medium. Animalingestion studies of TCDD-contaminated soil suggest that some of the TCDD remains bound to the soil and does not cross the gastrointestinal barrier during digestion, and therefore only a fraction of the TCDD enters the blood and becomes bioavailable. The characterization of bioavailability provides for more accurate exposure assessment. Biomarker information potentially can validate exposure assessment information from bioavailability studies, elucidate specific biological effects from chemical exposure, and investigate genetic susceptibility issues that may increase the likelihood that an individual or population will experience increased health risks. Benzene-induced chromosome damage is discussed as an example of a significant biomarker that has demonstrated the potential for providing information useful for accurately prediction health risk.

Author(s):  
Saber Moradi Hanifi ◽  
Fereydoon Laal ◽  
Zahra Panjali ◽  
Jamshid Khoubi

Background: Process units, due to performance conditions at high pressure and high temperatures, are prone to many health risks that can lead to adverse effects during work. In order to identify health hazards, assess their risks and make appropriate decisions to control the risk and improve the health of individuals in this regard, the assessment of health risks is of particular importance. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess and prioritize health risks in a refinery. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a refinery in 2012. In this study, 14 important chemical substances were identified and analyzed.  Excel analysis was used to analyze the data. To assess the health risks due to chemical exposure the methodology proposed by the Department of Health Care in University of Singapore was used. First, important chemicals were identified and then the degree of risk and degree of exposure to chemicals were calculated and finally the level of health risk due to exposure to chemicals was determined. Results: The results showed that from 14 identified cases, exposure to diglycol diamine had a risk level of 4.47 (very high), hydrogen sulfide a risk level of 3.87 (high level), and molybdenum and nickel base catalysts a health risk of 3.87 (high), all of which were in a range of  unacceptable risk. Conclusion: In this study exposure to diglycol diamine, hydrogen sulfide, and molybdenum and nickel based catalysts was in the range of unacceptable risk. Using management and engineering controls such as personnel training, shortening the work shift of individuals, pre-recruitment and periodical examinations, designing a ventilation system, and the use of detectors and discovery equipment are recommended to reduce the level of risk.  


1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 315-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Schreiner ◽  
M. Gaughan ◽  
H. L. Schultz ◽  
R. Walentowicz

The USEPA Office of Health and Environmental Assessment develops methodologies for conducting exposure and risk assessments. Protocols appropriate for specific analyses have been developed to aid in the selection of an exposure assessment model and to assess the validation and uncertainties associated with models used for toxic chemical exposure assessments in surface water, groundwater, and air. A software package has been developed to provide users with a quick and intuitive tool to access information for selected models and applications based on these protocols. The Integrated Model Evaluation System (IMES) is composed of three modules: 1) Selection, query systems for selecting a model based on technical criteria (currently for surface water, non-point source, and groundwater models); 2) Validation, a database containing validation and other information on over 50 models in various media; and 3) Uncertainty, a database demonstrating uncertainty simulations for several surface water models applied to exposure assessments of several chemicals. The selection modules are linked to the uncertainty and validation modules to access information for chosen models. The PC-based software system employs pull-down menus, help screens, and graphics to display its information.


Author(s):  
Amira Teffahi ◽  
Yacine Kerchich ◽  
Yacine Moussaoui ◽  
Paola Romagnoli ◽  
Catia Balducci ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdur Rahman ◽  
N. C. Mondal ◽  
K. K. Tiwari

AbstractAn increased nitrate (NO3−) concentration in groundwater has been a rising issue on a global scale in recent years. Different consumption mechanisms clearly illustrate the adverse effects on human health. The goal of this present study is to assess the natural and anthropogenic NO3− concentrations in groundwater in a semi arid area of Rajasthan and its related risks to human health in the different groups of ages such as children, males, and females. We have found that most of the samples (n = 90) were influenced by anthropogenic activities. The background level of NO3− had been estimated as 7.2 mg/L using a probabilistic approach. About 93% of nitrate samples exceeded the background limit, while 28% of the samples were beyond the permissible limit of 45 mg/L as per the BIS limits. The results show that the oral exposure of nitrate was very high as compare to dermal contact. With regard to the non-carcinogenic health risk, the total Hazard Index (HITotal) values of groundwater nitrate were an average of 0.895 for males, 1.058 for females, and 1.214 for children. The nitrate health risk assessment shows that about 38%, 46%, and 49% of the samples constitute the non-carcinogenic health risk to males, females, and children, respectively. Children were found to be more prone to health risks due to the potential exposure to groundwater nitrate.


Food Control ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107991
Author(s):  
Simranjot Kaur ◽  
Jasbir Singh Bedi ◽  
Pankaj Dhaka ◽  
Deepthi Vijay ◽  
Rabinder Singh Aulakh

2011 ◽  
Vol 414 ◽  
pp. 214-220
Author(s):  
Xiao Song Sun ◽  
An Ping Liu ◽  
Hang Zhou ◽  
Xiao Nan Sun ◽  
Jian Ming Sun

Based on the process of health risk assessment for Cd contaminated sites, study the relationship between exposure duration and recommended target of soil remediation. This paper discusses the changes (from 7.7 mg/kg to 5.0 mg/kg, from 9.1 mg/kg to 3.8 mg/kg) of recommended target for soil remediation when the exposure duration has large changes (EDa ranges from 6a to 36a, EDc ranges from 1a to 12a). The results point out that both EDa and EDc have effects on recommended target of soil remediation, and in general, exposure duration and recommended target of soil remediation vary inversely.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 505-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Phillips ◽  
R. E. Glasgow ◽  
G. Bello ◽  
M. G. Ory ◽  
B. A. Glenn ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 995-1000
Author(s):  
Youngho Kim

The current study investigated how Korean adolescents perceive their own health risks and compare likelihood of their own health risks with those of others at the same age. 416 Korean students ( M = 16.2 yr., SD = .6) who attended junior high and high schools in Seoul completed a Korean version of the Self-Other Risk Judgments Profile. Analysis indicated adolescents tend to have unrealistic perceptions of their vulnerability to most health risks and perceived their own likelihood of encountering all health risk events as lower than that of others.


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