Human Health Risk Assessment - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 209

Chapter 5
Human Health Risk Assessment

Frank A. Swartjes and Christa Cornelis

Abstract Exposure of humans to contaminated sites may result in many types of
health damage ranging from relatively innocent symptoms such as skin eruption or
nausea, on up to cancer or even death. Human health protection is considered as
a major protection target, both by decision-makers as well as by the general pub-
lic. The first step in Human Health Risk Assessment is definition of the problem
(issue framing). In this stage, the scope of Human Health Risk Assessment must be
clearly defined and the various stakeholders need to be actively involved. It is impor-
tant to define the timeframe for which the Risk Assessment is applicable, since the
effects depend on the duration of exposure and factors that impact human health risk
will change over time. Subsequently, Exposure Assessment and Hazard Assessment
must be performed. Ideally, the Exposure Assessment covers a smart combination
of calculations, using exposure models, and measurements in contact media and
body liquids and tissue (Biomonitoring). Hazard Assessment, which is different for
contaminants with or without threshold effects, results in a Critical Exposure (aka:
Toxicological Reference Value). In a final step, Risk Characterisation provides a risk
appraisal calculated on the basis of exposure and hazard. Specific attention is given
in this chapter to phenomena such as public perception, probabilistic Human Health
Risk Assessment, Physiologically-Based PharmacoKinetic modelling, background
exposure, sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, human health-based Soil Quality
Standards, site-specific Human Health Risk Assessment on the basis of a tiered
approach and ethical issues in regard to testing of human beings.