Assessing the Risks Associated With Exposure to Waterborne Pathogens: An Expert Panel's Report on Risk Assessment†

1997 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1426-1431 ◽  
Author(s):  
DAVID A. NEUMANN ◽  
JEFFERY A. FORAN
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Problem Formulation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waterborne Diseases ◽  
Waterborne Pathogens ◽  
Human Health Risks ◽  
Exposed Population

The resurgence of outbreaks of waterborne diseases in the United States underscores the need for quantitative methods for assessing the human health risks associated with various types of waterborne pathogens in diverse environments (e.g., drinking water, waste water, recreational water) under different exposure scenarios (e.g., ingestion, inhalation from aerosols). An expert panel developed a three-stage general framework for conducting risk assessments of waterborne pathogens. An initial problem formulation stage involving all stakeholders identifies the purpose of the risk assessment, the critical issues to be addressed, and how the results might be used to protect public health. The analysis characterizes both the exposure and the health effects. This compilation of quantitative and qualitative data, expert opinion, and other information yields a host/pathogen profile that explicitly identifies the assumptions and uncertainties associated with the profile. The final stage, risk characterization, states the likelihood and types and magnitude of effects likely to be observed in the exposed population under the expected exposure scenario, including all the inherent assumptions and uncertainties. This characterization will be used by risk managers and policy makers to reduce human health risks and by risk communication specialists to inform the public.

scholarly journals Paradigms to assess the human health risks of nano- and microplastics

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seta Noventa ◽  
Matthew S. P. Boyles ◽  
Andreas Seifert ◽  
Simone Belluco ◽  
Aracaeli Sánchez Jiménez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Environmental Pollutants ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Political Agenda ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Human Health Risks ◽  
Integrated Risk Assessment

AbstractHuman exposure to nano- and microplastics (NMPs) has raised major societal concerns, yet no framework to assess the risks of NMPs for human health exists. A substantial proportion of plastic produced worldwide is not properly disposed and persists in the environment for decades while degrading. Plastic degradation generates a size continuum of fragments, including nano- and microplastic particles, with numerous associated environmental pollutants and plastic additives, and microbial communities colonising their surfaces. The ubiquitous presence of NMPs, their availability for uptake by organisms and their potential to act as vectors for toxicants and pathogens render risk assessment a priority on the political agenda at the global level. We provide a new, fully integrated risk assessment framework tailored to the specificities of NMPs, enabling an assessment of current and future human health risks from NMPs. The framework consists of four novel paradigms to the traditional risk assessment methodology. These paradigms deal with techniques in NMP analysis, gaps in empirical data, theoretical and modelling approaches and stakeholder engagement. Within the proposed framework, we propose how we can use research experiences gained so far to carry out the different steps of the assessment process, and we define priorities for further research.

Remediation of Contaminated Land

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-189
Author(s):  
Masashi Kamon ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Permeable Reactive Barriers ◽  
Organic Chemical ◽  
Contaminated Land ◽  
Human Health Risks

Growing awareness of geoenvironmental hazards has made clear the need to develop better technical knowledge of environmental issues. We are thus studying how to remediate soil and groundwater contaminated by heavy metals and organic chemical substances in natural and man-made disasters. Remediation technology includes containment and risk assessment of contaminated land, with permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) and monitored natural attenuation (MNA) presented as the passive and cost-effective techniques. A case study to assess the effectiveness of a containment facility as a remedial technique in reducing human health risks was introduced. Numerical analyzed results confirm that this significantly reduces potential human health risks from land contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dioxin. Risk assessment based on in situ monitored data indicated that no significant health risks were induced. The important projected role of the geoenvironment is developing a sustainable contamination-free society.

scholarly journals Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Integrated Crop–Livestock Systems: Environmental Exposure and Human Health Risks

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (23) ◽  
pp. 12550
Author(s):  
Gaurav Jha ◽  
Vanaja Kankarla ◽  
Everald McLennon ◽  
Suman Pal ◽  
Debjani Sihi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
The United States ◽  
Wastewater Sludge ◽  
Meat Production ◽  
Agricultural Crop ◽  
Human Health Risks ◽  
Polyfluoroalkyl Substances ◽  
Livestock Systems

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are highly persistent synthetic organic contaminants that can cause serious human health concerns such as obesity, liver damage, kidney cancer, hypertension, immunotoxicity and other human health issues. Integrated crop–livestock systems combine agricultural crop production with milk and/or meat production and processing. Key sources of PFAS in these systems include firefighting foams near military bases, wastewater sludge and industrial discharge. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances regularly move from soils to nearby surface water and/or groundwater because of their high mobility and persistence. Irrigating crops or managing livestock for milk and meat production using adjacent waters can be detrimental to human health. The presence of PFAS in both groundwater and milk have been reported in dairy production states (e.g., Wisconsin and New Mexico) across the United States. Although there is a limit of 70 parts per trillion of PFAS in drinking water by the U.S. EPA, there are not yet regional screening guidelines for conducting risk assessments of livestock watering as well as the soil and plant matrix. This systematic review includes (i) the sources, impacts and challenges of PFAS in integrated crop–livestock systems, (ii) safety measures and protocols for sampling soil, water and plants for determining PFAS concentration in exposed integrated crop–livestock systems and (iii) the assessment, measurement and evaluation of human health risks related to PFAS exposure.

Antimicrobial Resistance Risk Assessment in Food Safety

2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 2063-2071 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. GREGG CLAYCAMP ◽  
BARRY H. HOOBERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Acquired Resistance ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Drug Resistant ◽  
Resistance Risk ◽  
Human Health Risks

Microbiological risk assessments generally focus on estimating adverse human health risks from exposures to human pathogenic microbes. The assessment of potential human health risks posed by pathogens that have acquired resistance to antimicrobial drugs is a new application of risk assessment that is closely related to microbiological risk assessment. Antimicrobial resistance risk assessment is a risk analytical process that focuses on resistance determinants as hazardous agents that might lead to drug-resistant microbial infections in humans exposed to bacteria carrying the determinants. Antimicrobial-resistant infections could occur directly from actively invading or opportunistic pathogens or indirectly from the transfer of resistance genes to other bacteria. Here, we discuss risk assessment models that might be employed to estimate risks from drug-resistant bacteria in the animal food pathway and the types of models and data that may be used for microbiological risk assessments or antimicrobial resistance risk assessments.

scholarly journals Occurrence and Human Health Risk Assessment of Pharmaceuticals and Hormones in Drinking Water Sources in the Metropolitan Area of Turin in Italy

Toxics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Dimitra Papagiannaki ◽  
Stefania Morgillo ◽  
Gianluca Bocina ◽  
Paola Calza ◽  
Rita Binetti
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Water Sources ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
Human Health Risks ◽  
Drinking Water Sources ◽  
Treated Drinking Water

Pharmaceuticals and hormones (PhACs) enter the aquatic environment in multiple ways, posing potential adverse effects on non-target organisms. They have been widely detected in drinking water sources, challenging water companies to reassure good quality drinking water. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentration of sixteen PhACs in both raw and treated drinking water sources in the Metropolitan Area of Turin—where Società Metropolitana Acque Torino (SMAT) is the company in charge of the water cycle management—and evaluate the potential human health risks associated to these compounds. Multivariate spatial statistical analysis techniques were used in order to characterize the areas at higher risk of pollution, taking into account the already existing SMAT sampling points’ network. Health risks were assessed considering average detected concentrations and provisional guideline values for individual compounds as well as their combined mixture. As reported in the just-issued Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184/UE, in order to establish priority substances, a risk assessment of contaminants present in raw drinking water sources is required for monitoring, identifying potential health risks and, if necessary, managing their removal. The results showed negligibly low human health risks in both raw water sources and treated water.

Mapping of human health risks arising from soil nickel and mercury contamination

2013 ◽  
Vol 244-245 ◽  
pp. 225-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojgan Yeganeh ◽  
Majid Afyuni ◽  
Amir-Hosein Khoshgoftarmanesh ◽  
Loghman Khodakarami ◽  
Manouchehr Amini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Mercury Contamination ◽  
Human Health Risks
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