exposure route versus exposure source

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-010502",
  "term": "exposure route versus exposure source",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. Exposure route (also known as \"route of exposure\") most commonly refers to the manner in which a hazardous agent moves from the environment to target tissues or organs. Examples of exposure routes include inhalation (nose and mouth to lungs), ingestion (oral), dermal (skin), eyes, ears, and sexual. Which routes are relevant for a given hazardous agent depends on both the host (or receptor in ecological RA) and agent (pathogen in MRA; stressor in ecological RA) properties and is situation dependent. An exposure source can originate from either natural or anthropogenic events, activities, or locations that generate or release hazards. Exposure sources can be classified as point sources or non-point sources. An example of a point source is an industrial facility that releases untreated water into a river; an example of a non-point source is agricultural run-off. For MRA, a sewage treatment plant would be a commonly considered point source, whereas, urban run-off is a possible non-point source of pathogens.\n\n2. An exposure pathway encompasses both exposure source and route, and generally is described by a source, an exposure point, and an exposure route.",
  "subject": "Health and safety",
  "references": [
    "Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/exposure-route-versus-exposure-source/"
}