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Risk assessment: good for health?
1Health Council of The Netherlands, The Hague.
Toxicology Letters
|June 1, 1994
Summary
Risk assessment requires careful selection of health indicators and risk attributes. Current Dutch policy focuses on mortality, but a comprehensive approach must include other health effects and environmental factors for accurate risk management.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Risk Assessment Science
- Public Policy
Background:
- Risk assessment informs risk management and policy priorities.
- Current Dutch environmental policy defines individual risk primarily as probability of death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the limitations of the current 'individual risk' definition in Dutch environmental policy.
- To advocate for a broader definition of risk incorporating diverse health impacts and environmental exposures.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the current Dutch Ministry of the Environment's risk policy.
- Conceptual exploration of additional risk attributes and health indicators for indoor environments.
Main Results:
- Applying the current 'individual risk' definition to indoor environments necessitates strong mitigation for NO2, radon, and particulate matter.
- This definition is insufficient, as it overlooks other crucial health parameters like physiological effects and nuisance.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive risk assessment must include parameters beyond mortality, such as chemical/biological mixtures and inhabitant activities.
- Broader health indicators, including reversible/irreversible physiological effects and nuisance, are essential for accurate risk characterization and policy setting.