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Transcript of Human Health and Risk Assessment. Protecting Human Health Efficient Use of Limited Resources Causes...
Human Healthand
Risk Assessment
Protecting Human HealthEfficient Use of Limited Resources
Causes of death:• Disease• Lifestyle Factors• Toxins
Symptoms and Causes
Laboratory Studies
Epidemiological Studies
Environmentally-Based Health IssuesToxins and Exposure
50 years later, victims of Minamata Disease still fight for justiceNew America Media, Commentary, Christopher Reed,
Apr 26, 2006
Environmental Racism
Asbestos
Microscopic view of lung tissue with asbestosis.
Asbestos fibers lodged in the lungs. Asbestos-related conditions affect the
lungs and surrounding tissues
Differences in Effect:Sensitive Receptors
• Children– Longer exposure– Developing tissues– Higher exposures?
• Elderly• Respiratory Disease• Genetics
Quantifying Health Effects
Table 2: Toxicity Classes: Gosselin, Smith and Hodge
Probable Oral Lethal Dose (Human)
Toxicity Rating or Class
Dose For 70-kg Person (150 lbs)
6 Super Toxic Less than 5 mg/kg
1 grain (a taste - less than 7
drops)
5 Extremely Toxic 5-50 mg/kg 4 ml (between 7 drops and 1
tsp)
4 Very Toxic 50-500 mg/kg 30 ml (between 1 tsp and 1 fl
ounce)
3 Moderately Toxic
0.5-5 g/kg 30-600 ml (between 1 fl oz and 1
pint)
2 Slightly Toxic 5-15 g/kg 600-1200 ml (between 1
pint to 1 quart)
1 Practically Non-Toxic
Above 15 g/kg More than 1200 ml (more
than 1 quart)
Four steps of Risk Assessment
• Hazard Identification– Laboratory vs Epidemiological Studies
• Dose-response• Exposure Assessment• Risk Characterization
versus
• The Precautionary Principle
Ecological Risk Assessment
• Consequences of a shift to biomass energy• Water diversion in dry areas• Herbicide use in eutrophic aquatic systems
Factors in Understanding Environmental Toxicity
• Persistence• Bioaccumulation• Biological Magnification
Water Qualityin Southern FloridaFlorida, 1996–98