RISK AND HAZARD

ASSESSMENT
NUR FAIZAH MAHBUB
A107000
SITI NORHAYATI ISMAIL
A107355

definitio
ns

2 elements
of risk

4 Steps
in risk
assessm
ent

RISK AND HAZARD

ASSESSMENT

Example of
risk
assessment for
toxic air
pollutants
(environments

Comparison of
hazard
assessment
with risk
assessment

DEFINITIONS
RISK :probability that the hazard will occur under specific
exposure conditions.

HAZARD: capability of a substance to cause an adverse

effect.

RISK ASSESSMENT : the process by which the hazard,

exposure and risk are
determined.

HAZARD ASSESSMENT: process designed to

determine factors contributing to the possible adverse

effects of a substance to which a human population or an
environmental compartment could be exposed.

The two elements of risk

Risk = Exposure x Hazard

Risk criteria
of lifetime
incremental
risks

Exposure
factors ;
drinking water,
soil ingestion
etc

Chemical
specifics
properties

4 BASIC STEPS IN THE RISK ASSESSMENT

1.Hazards identification
characterization of innate
adverse toxic effects of
agents.

2.Dose-response
assessment
characterization of
the relation between
doses and incidences
of adverse effects in
exposed populations.

4.Risk characterization
estimation of the
incidence of health
effects under the various
conditions of human
exposure.

3.Exposure assessment
measurement or
estimation of the
intensity, frequency and
duration of human
exposures of agents.

HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
Determine whether exposure to a chemical can increase the
incidence of a particular adverse effect.
Determine the likehood of occurrence in humans.
In this step ,the potential for xenobiotic to induce any type of
toxic hazard is evaluated.
Information is gathered and analyzed in a weight-of-evidence
approach.
The types of data usually consist of :
-Human epidemiology data
-Animal bioassay data
-Supporting data

HUMAN EPIDEMIOLOGY DATA

Most desirable and given highest priority

since they avoid the concern for species
different in the toxic response.

ANIMAL BIOASSAY DATA

Primary data used in risk assessments.
Animal studies, which are wellcontrolled experiments with :
-known exposures
-employ detailed
-careful clinical
-pathological examinations

SUPPORTING DATA

Derived from cell and biochemical

studies may help the risk assessor
make meaningful predictions as to
likely human response.

DOSE-RESPONSE ASSESSMENT
Describes the relationship between magnitude of
exposure and the incidence of effects in humans.
Estimate the quantity of a hazard that may reach organs
or tissue.
Estimate how different of exposure to a pollutant change
the probability and severity of health effects.
Effect level such as LD50(Lethal dose),LC50(Lethal
concentration),ED50(Effective dose), and NOAEL.

LD50 :the dose of toxicant that will kill 50 percent of the test
organism within a period.

LC50 :median level concentration, a standard measure of

toxicity. It tells how much of a substance is needed to kill half
of a group of experimental organism in a given time.

ED50 :temporary and reversible effects.

NOAEL: exposure level without adverse effects.

EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT
Evaluation of the source of the exposure
The routes by which human are exposed (inhalation, skin contact,
ingestion)
Level of exposure
Different types of organism expose (human, animal, adult, infant )
Psycho-chemical characteristics (lipid solubility, water solubility,
vapors pressure etc)
Use biomarkers to make risk process more reliable.

BIOMARKERS

As an indication of the internal dose for proper

description of the dose response relationship
Determination of the NOAEL and the dose response
relationship
Determining specially sensitive groups for estimating an
uncertainty factor

RISK CHARACTERIZATION

Two parts :1.Numerical estimates of risk

2.Help decision makers judge the significance
of the risks.

Comparison of the measured with the predicted exposure levels

to determine potentially problematic exposure levels
Includes probability of health with environmental effects

From NOAEL
Various parameters can be determined :
Examples :
For food additives : Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)
amount of chemical to which a person can be
exposed for a lifetime without suffering harmful
effects.
For food contaminants : Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI)
estimate of the daily intake of the chemical that
can occur over a lifetime without
appreciable
health risk
For occupational exposure : Threshold Limit Values (TLV)
exposure for an eight hour working day

COMPARISON OF HAZARD ASSESSMENT WITH

RISK ASSESSMENT
CHARACTERISTIC

HAZARD ASSESSMENT

RISK ASSESSMENT

Probabilistic result

No

Yes

Assessment endpoint

Not explicit

explicit

Scales of result

Dichotomous

Continuous

Basic for regulation

Scientific judgment

Risk management

Expression of
contamination

Concentration

Exposure

Decision criteria

Judgment

Formal criteria

RISK ASSESSMENT FOR TOXIC AIR

POLLUTANTS (ENVIRONMENT)
What are toxic air pollutants
Poisonous substances in the air that come from natural sources
or from manmade sources and can harm the environment or
health.

What are health risks

Measure of the chance that will experience health problems

4 steps risk assessment process

-Hazard identification
-Dose response assessment
-Exposure assessment
-Risk characterization

1)

Hazard identification
What health problems are caused by the air pollutants?
Examples : cancer, respiratory irritation, nervous
system problems, birth defects.

2)

Dose response assessment

Sources : factory smokestacks
automobiles
Then determine the amount of the toxic air pollutants
released in a specific time period.
Determine how it moves away from the sources.
Estimates the amount of each person inhales.

3)

Exposure assessment
Determine on how toxic pollutants move through the body.
Examples : by breathing, ingestion, absorption through the skin
State the movements and changes in the body.
Examples once the pollutants enter the body it can stay in the
lungs be exhaled or move into the blood from the lungs.
Describe on how toxic pollutants change the way of the body
works.

4)

Risk characterization
Combining the results of the exposure assessment and the dose
response assessment gives an estimate of the increased lifetime
risk of cancer for an individual exposed to the maximum predicted
long term concentration.

REFERENCES
John Timbrell.2003.Introduction to Toxicology.
3rd edition. Taylor & Francis
Ernest Hodgson.2003. A textbook of Modern
Toxicology, Second edition
Salem H., Olajos E. 1999 Toxicology in Risk
Assesment New York: Taylor & Francis Inc.
Environmental Protection Agency:
http://www.epa.gov

THATS ALL
THANK YOU !!