Folia Medica Indonesiana
ISSN 0303-7932
Vol. 39 / No. 3 / Published : 2003-07
Order : 7, and page :171 - 178
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Original Article :
Difficulties in health risk assessment and management resulting from exposures to environmental agents
Author :
- Soedjajadi Keman*1
- Department of Environmental Health, Airlangga University School of Public Health
Abstract :
The environmental health risk assessment process provides a format to eliminate and evaluate human health risks in relation to environmental agents such as chemical, biological, physical or even psychological agent. The process consists of four steps namely hazards identification, exposure-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. While environmental health risk management is process of weighting policy alternatives and selecting the most appropriate regulatory action, integrating the results of risk assessment with engineering data as well as social, economic and political concerns to reach a decision. Most environmental health risk assessments are associated with a high degree of difficulty, which can be grouped into two majorcategories: difficulty resulting from the lack of scientific understanding to interpret the available data, and from the lack of available and appropriate information and data. In order to deal with difficulty in environmental health risk assessment studies, often default assumptions have been used. Risk assessment is generally seen, as an objective and scientific process with values are elements that influence the management process. Whereas the type of management decision frequently affects the type and details of the risk assessment. It is recognized that these two processes are related and complementary. Quantitative risk assessment is an important aspect. However, it is only one element in formulating regulatory decisions. Decision makers must also consider other important factors such as social, economical, political and technical factors before they decide whether actions are needed to protect human health.
Keyword :
environmental health, risk assessment, risk management,
References :
Albering H,(1998) Environmental health risk assessment : Evaluation of some default assumption Maastricht : Datawyse / Universitaire Pers Maastricht
Covello VT and Merkhofer MW,(1993) Risk assessment methods: approaches for assessing health and environmental risk New York : Plenun Press
Archive Article
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 Volume : 39 / No. : 3 / Pub. : 2003-07 |
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