Question

Community Health Evaluation

The health risk assessment is typically described as consisting of four basic steps: 1) hazard identification, 2) exposure assessment, 3) dose-response assessment, and 4) risk characterization. Explain these steps.

Answer 1

Ans) Human health risk assessment:

- It is the process to estimate the nature and probability of adverse health effects in humans who may be exposed to chemicals in contaminated environmental media, now or in the future.

Human health risk assessment includes 4 basic steps:

Planning- Planning and Scoping process

- Environmental Protection Agency begins the process of a human health risk assessment with planning and research.

• Step 1 - Hazard Identification:

- Examines whether a stressor has the potential to cause harm to humans and/or ecological systems, and if so then what circumstances.

• Step 2- Exposure Assessment

- Examines what is known about the frequency, timing, and levels of contact with a stressor.

• Step3- Dose- Response Assessment

- Examines the numerical relationship between exposure and effects.

• Step 4 - Risk Characterization

- Examines how well the data support conclusions about the nature and extent of the risk from exposure to environmental stressors.