Exposure, Dose, Hazard and Risk
Many of the activities in which humans engage carry substantial risk.
Key concepts: Exposure, Dose, Hazard & Risk
Exposure is not synonymous with dose.
Exposure: concentration of a substance with which a human or animal comes into contact. It is measured in milligrams per cubic meter in terms of airborne exposure and milligrams per liter in terms of aqueous exposure.
Dose: amount that gets into the body. It is measured in milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
Hazard: inherent capability of a substance to cause harm at some dose level – this may be very high.
Risk: the likelihood that a hazard will occur at a specified exposure.
Risk = Hazard x Dose (Exposure)
Formaldehyde presents an extremely low risk at exposure levels that are typically present in workplaces, products and indoor air concentrations.
