ABSTRACT
Risk assessments involve not only human health but also the effects of environmental pollutants on other environmental organisms, for example, wildlife and aquatic species. Risk assessment and risk management are complex processes which are normally fraught with major uncertainties from the beginning. The risk assessment process was organized into four primary activities: hazard identification; dose response assessment; exposure assessment; and risk characterization. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and even state environmental agencies have developed standardized procedures for the routine conduct of risk assessments for environmental pollution, including hazardous waste sites. The procedures used by the EPA to quantitatively evaluate risk are quite different for noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic effects. The exposure assessment is an obvious key phase in the risk assessment process since without an exposure toxic chemicals are not hazardous. The allowable daily intake procedure has been used to calculate permissible chronic exposure levels.
