ATSDR PUBLIC HEALTH CONCLUSION CATEGORIES | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
CATEGORY A. URGENT PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD1 This category is used for sites where short-term exposures (< 1 yr) to hazardous substances or conditions could result in adverse health effects that require rapid intervention. Criteria: Evaluation of available information2 indicates that site-specific conditions or likely exposures have had, are having, or are likely to have in the future, an adverse impact on human health and requires immediate action or intervention. Such site-specific conditions or exposures might include the presence of serious physical or safety hazards, such as open mine shafts, poorly stored or maintained flammable/explosive substances, or medical devices which, upon rupture, could release radioactive materials. |
CATEGORY B. PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD1 This category is used for sites that pose a public health hazard due to the existence of long-term exposures(> 1 yr) to hazardous substances or conditions that could result in adverse health effects. Criteria: Evaluation of available relevant information2 suggests that, under site-specific conditions of exposure, long-term exposures to site-specific contaminants (including radionuclides) have had, are having, or are likely to have in the future, an adverse impact on human health that requires one or more public health interventions. Such site-specific exposures might include the presence of serious physical hazards, such as open mine shafts, poorly stored or maintained flammable/explosive substances, or medical devices, which, upon rupture, could release radioactive materials. |
CATEGORY C. INDETERMINATE PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites in which critical data are insufficient with regard to extent of exposure and/or toxicologic properties at estimated exposure levels. Criteria: The health assessor must determine, using professional judgment, the criticality of such data and the likelihood that the data can be obtained and will be obtained in a timely manner. Where some data are available, even limited data, the health assessor is encouraged to the extent possible to select other hazard categories and to support their decision with clear narrative that explains the limits of the data and the rationale for the decision. |
CATEGORY D. NO APPARENT PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD1 This category is used for sites where human exposure to contaminated media might be occurring, might have occurred in the past, and/or might occur in the future, but the exposure is not expected to cause any adverse health effects. Criteria: Evaluation of available information2 indicates that, under site-specific conditions of exposure, exposures to site-specific contaminants in the past, present, or future are not likely to result in any adverse impact on human health. |
CATEGORY E. NO PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites that, because of the absence of exposure, do NOT pose a public health hazard. Criteria: Sufficient evidence indicates that no human exposures to contaminated media have occurred, none are now occurring, and none are likely to occur in the future. |
1 Each of these designations represent a professional judgment made in any given case on the basis of critical data that ATSDR regards as sufficient to support a decision. It does not imply, however, that the available data are necessarily complete; in some cases, additional data may be required to confirm or further support the decision. 2 Examples include environmental and demographic data; health outcome data; community health concerns information; toxicologic, medical, and epidemiologic data. |