ABSTRACT
Toxicological standard setting is a process carried out by legally qualified national authorities to protect the public health or the quality of the environment. A toxicological standard for a substance can be defined as a limit value for its content in food, (drinking) water, soil, or air. These toxicological standards are not only based on toxicological knowledge, but are also the result of a thorough risk–benefit analysis. In the process of standard setting, toxicological guide values or health-based recommendations are weighed against technical feasibility and check possibilities, and socio-economical and political interests (Figure 19.1). Thus, standards are based on scientific as well as practical considerations. It should be noted that standards are only of value if they can be implemented and enforced.
