Risk Assessment is a structured methodology that is used to evaluate the possible effects of exposure to contaminants found at Superfund sites on human health and ecosystem health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses this process both to view the extent of a problem at a Superfund site and to inform decision makers during the pre-remedial, removal and post-remedial phases of a Superfund site cleanup. An integral part of Risk Assessment is Exposure Assessment, which is the process of measuring or estimating exposures to chemical contaminants. Much SBRP-funded research is focused to the general goals of improving and validating the measurements, modeling, instrumentation and study designs that are used to analyze the health risks and exposure pathways from Superfund sites. Some key areas of research include epidemiological studies that evaluate the relationship between exposure and disease in a population; the development of new tools, models and biomarkers to measure exposure and effect; and studies examining the environmental pathways in which environmental contaminants are transported from the release site to possible points of contact with humans.
Use the search tools below to find additional information about SBRP-funded risk and exposure assessment studies.
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