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The EPA's human exposure research program for assessing cumulative risk in communities
- Source :
- Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
- Publication Year :
- 2009
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2009.
-
Abstract
- Communities are faced with challenges in identifying and prioritizing environmental issues, taking actions to reduce their exposures, and determining their effectiveness for reducing human health risks. Additional challenges include determining what scientific tools are available and most relevant, and understanding how to use those tools; given these barriers, community groups tend to rely more on risk perception than science. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and collaborators are developing and applying tools (models, data, methods) for enhancing cumulative risk assessments. The NERL's “Cumulative Communities Research Program” focuses on key science questions: (1) How to systematically identify and prioritize key chemical stressors within a given community?; (2) How to develop estimates of exposure to multiple stressors for individuals in epidemiologic studies?; and (3) What tools can be used to assess community-level distributions of exposures for the development and evaluation of the effectiveness of risk reduction strategies? This paper provides community partners and scientific researchers with an understanding of the NERL research program and other efforts to address cumulative community risks; and key research needs and opportunities. Some initial findings include the following: (1) Many useful tools exist for components of risk assessment, but need to be developed collaboratively with end users and made more comprehensive and user-friendly for practical application; (2) Tools for quantifying cumulative risks and impact of community risk reduction activities are also needed; (3) More data are needed to assess community- and individual-level exposures, and to link exposure-related information with health effects; and (4) Additional research is needed to incorporate risk-modifying factors (“non-chemical stressors”) into cumulative risk assessments. The products of this research program will advance the science for cumulative risk assessments and empower communities with information so that they can make informed, cost-effective decisions to improve public health.
- Subjects :
- Research design
Research program
medicine.medical_specialty
Epidemiology
Toxicology
Risk Assessment
Residence Characteristics
Agency (sociology)
medicine
Humans
Organizational Objectives
community-based
Cooperative Behavior
United States Environmental Protection Agency
risk
End user
business.industry
Public health
cumulative
Environmental resource management
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
EPA
Environmental Exposure
Articles
Environmental exposure
Pollution
United States
communities
Risk perception
Risk analysis (engineering)
Research Design
exposure
business
Psychology
Risk assessment
Environmental Monitoring
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 1559064X and 15590631
- Volume :
- 20
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....bf689f71cd7140c1e23cc8db44709fe9