Risks to humans as a consequence of chemical exposures are a complex
issue with worldwide implications, especially in our modern societies.
The effective management of human exposure to a variety of chemicals
present in various sectors of society has indeed become a very important
public health policy issue - and risk assessment promises a systematic
way for developing appropriate strategies to aid public health risk
management decisions. Risk assessment generally serves as a tool that
can be used to organize, structure, and compile scientific information
in order to help identify existing hazardous situations or problems,
anticipate potential problems, establish priorities, and provide a basis
for regulatory controls and/or corrective actions.
In fact, with the control and containment of most infectious conditions
and diseases of the past millennium having been achieved in most
developed countries, and with the resultant increase in life
expectancies, much more attention seems to have shifted to degenerative
health problems. Many of the degenerative health conditions have been
linked to thousands of chemicals regularly encountered in human living
and occupational/work environments. It is important, therefore, that
human health risk assessments are undertaken on a consistent basis - in
order to determine the potential impacts of the target chemicals on
public health.
This book provides a concise, yet comprehensive overview of the many
facets/aspects relating to human health risk assessments in relation to
chemical exposure problems. It presents some very important tools and
methodologies that can be used to address chemical exposure and public
health risk management problems in a consistent, efficient, and
cost?effective way. Overall the book represents a collection and
synthesis of the principal elements of the risk assessment process that
pertain to human exposures to chemicals in the human living and work
environments. It offers an understanding of the scientific basis of risk
assessment and its applications to public health policy decisions.
Audience: The subject matter of this book should be of interest to
many a professional encountering risk assessment in relation to
environmental contamination and public health risk management programs
&endash; especially public and occupational health practitioners;
environmental consultants; environmental attorneys; public policy
analysts; and various health, environmental, and consumer advocacy
interest groups. The book is also expected to serve as a useful
educational and training resource for both students and professionals in
the health-related and environmental fields &endash; who have to deal
with human exposures to chemicals, public health risk assessment issues,
and/or environmental health management problems.
