What's Involved in an Exposure Pathways Evaluation?

Exposure pathways evaluation addresses a primary question: In a community in which a hazardous chemical has been found, are people coming in contact with the chemical in a way that could make them ill?

To gather as much information as possible for the exposure pathways evaluation, a health assessor follows these steps.

Step 1.
Identifying exposure categories

Step 2.
Gathering community health concerns and other site information

Step 3.
Reviewing environmental data and considering its characteristics

Step 4.
Reviewing and evaluating site environmental data

Step 5.
Using comparison values

Step 6.
Identifying exposure pathways for further evaluation

Step 7.
Preparing for exposure evaluation

Why is an exposure pathways evaluation important for a community?

A completed exposure pathways evaluation provides the basic information that is needed to go to the next step in the assessment process. The next step will determine whether people could get sick from the exposure.

How can people in the community help in the pathways evaluation?

People can express their concerns verbally at public availability sessions or other meetings. They can also call, write, or e-mail the health assessor at any time to ask questions or provide information about the site. Health assessors especially need to learn how people feel they may have come into contact with chemicals.