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Risk Assessment for Dioxins and Related Compounds

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Dioxin and Related Compounds

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 49))

Abstract

The presence of dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other ubiquitous environmental contaminants in food and feed is generally unavoidable. As a consequence, human and animal exposure to these compounds is also unavoidable. We know that some of these compounds are highly toxic. It is therefore important to be able to establish whether or not these substances, at the levels they are found, are likely to cause adverse health effects in either animals or humans. Risk assessment consists of hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation. The aim of a risk assessment is to set a health-based guidance value to determine an intake that may be judged to be without appreciable risk or to identify a margin of exposure between a reference point or point of departure (in the case of North America) associated with a corresponding dose–response curve and estimated exposure. Risk management relies heavily on the outcome of the risk assessment process but will also take into account socio-economic and political factors.

© Crown copyright. The views expressed in this article are my own and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK

    Martin Rose

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Correspondence to Martin Rose .

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  1. Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

    Mehran Alaee

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Rose, M. (2015). Risk Assessment for Dioxins and Related Compounds. In: Alaee, M. (eds) Dioxin and Related Compounds. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 49. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2015_338

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