ABSTRACT
Exposure assessment is an integral part of the cancer risk assessment process. Exposure assessment is a particularly case-specific process. Although "generic" exposure assessments are made, they are based on assumptions of a generic case or "reference environment." Moreover, it is well to keep in mind that cancer risk assessments are generally driven by exposure. The purpose of these assessments may be to estimate the overall impact of an accident or a prolonged past or existing exposure, or to determine liability for compensation. The kinds of exposure estimates needed are different for a cancer risk assessment than for an assessment of acute effects of carbon monoxide exposure. Occasional or intermittent releases of carcinogens may pose some cancer risk and indeed, in a highly industrialized region, the cumulation of many occasional releases from different sources may result in a substantial average dose to the population.
