ABSTRACT
The notion of risk and hazard is obviously not limited to problems of the environment and pollution. These terms, closely related to the domain of insurance, are also associated with nuisance, danger, damage etc. In environmental sciences the concept of evaluation of risk, which the Anglo-Saxons call 'risk assessment', is fairly well developed. Parallel to the risks due to exposure of target populations one may consider the risk at the source itself depending on its nature and the industrial activities carried out there. Hence attempt to define the sectors most exposed to the risk of contamination. Different methods are employed in various countries (Germany, Canada, the USA) to evaluate hazards or risks associated with pollution. Methods for evaluating dangers are applicable to a specific, well-characterised site and permit quantification of the 'absolute' impact or nuisance caused by a site.
