ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT COURSE

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH UNIT, DISEASE CONTROL DIVISION

MINISTRY OF HEALTH
6- 10 SEPTEMBER, 2004
ILHAM RESORT, PORT DICKSON, SEREMBAN
WATER QUALITY HEALTH IMPACT

CASE STUDY 1
A factory manufacturing nickel-cadmium battery discharges cadmium in its effluent. The
discharge enters a river and the concentration of cadmium in river was 1mg/l. Children
from a nearby village occasionally swim in the river at 2 hours per swim, twice a week,
from the age of 9 to 12.
Outline the steps to be taken and calculate the health risk (non-carcinogenic health effect
and lifetime excess cancer risk) for those children.
Information given
A: Chronic Daily Intake due to ingestion while swimming (CDII)
CDI =

C X R X TE X FE X Dt
WB X T avg

Where, CDI
C
R
TE
FE
Dt
WB
T avg

=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=

Chronic Daily Intake (mg/kd/day)

Concentration of chemical in water (mg/l)
Contact rate (l/hr)
Exposure time (hr/event)
Exposure frequency (event / year)
Duration of Exposure (years)
Body weight = 30 kg
Averaging time (days)
T avg = 70 years or 25,550 days (lifetime) for carcinogen

B.

Chronic Daily Intake due to skin absorption while swimming (CDID)

CDI =

C X AS X RD X TE X FE X KV X Dt
WB X T avg

Where, CDI =
Chronic Daily Intake (mg/kd/day)
C
=
Concentration of chemical in water (mg/l)
AS
=
skin surface area for contact (CM2)
RD
=
Dermal permeability constant (cm / hr)= 8.4 x 10 -4 cm/hr for water
Contact rate (l/hr)
TE
=
Exposure time (hr/event)
FE
=
Exposure frequency (event / year)
Dt
=
Duration of Exposure (years)
KV
=
Conversion factor (0.001 L/cm3)
WB =
Body weight = 30 kg
T avg =
Averaging time (days)
T avg = 70 years or 25,550 days (lifetime) for carcinogen
C.
D.

Reference dose for cadmium (RfD) = 5 x 10 -4 mg / kg/day

Slope factor for cadmium = 6.1 (mg/kg/day

Solution
Calculating chronic daily intake
CDII

1 X 0.05 X 2 X 4

5.43 X 10-5 mg/kg/day

30 X 25,550
CDID =

1 X 11,600 X 8.4 x 10 -4 X 2 X 104 X 4 X 0.001

30 X 25,550

= 1.06 X 10-5 mg/kg/day

Total CDI = CDII + CDID =6.49 10-5 mg/kg/day

CALCULATION OF SYSTEMIC RISK (HAZARD INDEX)

Hazard Index =

Total CDI
R fD

6.49 10-5 mg/kg/day =

5 x 10 -4 mg / kg/day

CALCULATION OF LIFETIME EXCESS CANCER RISK

Lifetime excess cancer risk

= Total CDI x CSF

= 6.49 10-5 mg/kg/day X 6.1 (mg/kg/day)
= 3.96 X 10-4
= 396 excess cancer per million populations

0.13

Step

Measurement of cadmium levels in river water

Step 2
Determine the possible exposure routes
Ingestion
Skin adsorption
Step 3
Calculate the chronic daily intake (CDI) due to ingestion while swimming (CDIi)
Calculate the chronic daily intake (CDI) due to skin absorption while swimming (CDIS)
Calculate the total CDI
Step 4
Calculate Hazard index (HI)
Calculate Life time excess cancer risk

CASE STUDY 2
The result of tube well drinking water monitoring revealed that arsenic concentration in
drinking water was 0.05 mg/l.
Conduct HRA to determine the magnitude of health risk due to exposure of arsenic in
drinking water.

Step1
Determine the category of exposed population
Total dependent on tube well
Occasionally uses tube well for drinking water (how frequent per week/year)
Determine the possible exposure routes
Ingestion
Step 2
Calculate the chronic daily intake (CDI) due to ingestion of drinking water

Step3
Calculate Hazard index (HI)
Calculate Life time excess cancer risk