Human Exposure Pathways - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 455

Chapter 11
Human Exposure Pathways

Mark Elert, Roseline Bonnard, Celia Jones, Rosalind A. Schoof,
and Frank A. Swartjes

Abstract Depending on land use and corresponding human activities, a number of
exposure pathways are relevant for human exposure. In this chapter, six important
pathways are described, i.e., exposure through consumption of vegetables, con-
sumption of animal products, consumption of domestic water, inhalation of vapours
outdoors, inhalation of dust particles (indoors and outdoors) and dermal uptake via
soil material (outdoors and indoors). Note that these exposure pathways follow dif-
ferent exposure routes to enter the human body, i.e., oral, inhalation and dermal
routes, respectively. Human exposure through all oral and inhalative exposure path-
ways described in this chapter (so excluding the dermal uptake exposure pathway),
follow a similar pattern. This pattern includes three steps. Firstly, the transfer of
contaminants from one of the mobile phases of the soil (pore water or soil gas)
into a so-called contact medium. Secondly, the intake of that contact medium by
human beings. And thirdly, the uptake of part of the contaminants from the contact
medium into the blood stream and target organs and the corresponding excretion
of the remaining part of the contaminants. For each of the pathways the signifi-
cance, conceptual model, an example of mathematical equations and of the input
parameters is described in this chapter, in detail. Moreover, attention is given to the
reliability and limitations of the calculations.

Contents

11.1 Introduction ...........................................

457

11.1.1 Relevant Pathways ..................................

457

11.1.2 Calculating Exposure ................................ 457

11.2 Exposure Through Consumption of Vegetables ..................... 458