Hazard Assessment

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-012884",
  "term": "Hazard Assessment",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. This term has been used to mean either (1) evaluating the intrinsic effects of a stressor (U.S. EPA, 1979) or (2) defining a margin of safety or quotient by comparing a toxicologic effects concentration with an exposure estimate (SETAC, 1987).\n\n2. The process of determining whether exposure to an agent can cause an increase in the incidence of a particular adverse health effect (e.g., cancer, birth defect) and whether the adverse health effect is likely to occur in humans.\n\n3. Evaluating the effects of a stressor or determining a margin of safety for an organism by comparing the concentration which causes toxic effects with an estimate of exposure to the organism.\n\n4. A process designed to determine the possible adverse effects of an agent or situation to which an organism, system, or target population could be exposed. The process typically includes hazard identification, dose-response evaluation and hazard characterization. The process focuses on the hazard, in contrast to risk assessment, where exposure assessment is a distinct additional step.\n\n5. The process of determining whether exposure to an agent can cause an increase in the incidence of a particular adverse health effect (e.g., cancer, birth defect) and whether the adverse health effect is likely to occur in humans. [EPA 2003]\n\n6. Evaluating the effects of a stressor or determining a margin of safety for an organism by comparing the concentration which causes toxic effects with an estimate of exposure to the organism. [EPA 2005b]\n\n7. A process designed to determine the possible adverse effects of an agent or situation to which an organism, system or (sub) population could be exposed. The process includes hazard identification and hazard characterization. The process focuses on the hazard in contrast to risk assessment where exposure assessment is a distinct additional step. [IPCS/OECD 2004]\n\n8. An analysis and evaluation of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the hazard. [RAIS 2004, SRA 2004]",
  "subject": "Health and safety",
  "references": [
    "Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment Glossary",
    "Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Glossary; EPA 2003",
    "Terms of Environment; EPA 2005b",
    "Exposure Factors Handbook: Glossary",
    "Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/hazard-assessment/"
}