Public Health Risk Assessment for Human Exposure to Chemicals

603 Pages·2017·6.155 MB·English

by  Kofi Asante-Duah (auth.)

Environmental Pollution 27
Kofi Asante-Duah
Public Health Risk
Assessment for
Human Exposure
to Chemicals
Second Edition
Environmental Pollution
Volume 27
SeriesEditor
J.Trevors
SchoolofEnvironmentalSciences,UniversityofGuelph,Ontario,Canada
Moreinformationabout thisseries athttp://www.springer.com/series/5929
Kofi Asante-Duah
Public Health Risk
Assessment for Human
Exposure to Chemicals
Second Edition
KofiAsante-Duah
ScientificAdvisor/EnvironmentalConsultant
HumanHealthRiskAssessmentPractice
Washington,DC,USA
ISSN1566-0745 ISSN2215-1702 (electronic)
EnvironmentalPollution
ISBN978-94-024-1037-2 ISBN978-94-024-1039-6 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-94-024-1039-6
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2017933957
©SpringerScience+BusinessMediaB.V.2002,2017
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To: Dad—George Kwabena Duah
To: Mom—Alice Adwoa Twumwaa
To: Kojo Asante-Duah (a.k.a., K.J.)
To: Kwabena Asante Duah (a.k.a.,
Daddy-K./Kobby)
To: Adwoa Twumwaa Asante-Duah (a.k.
a., Obaa-Sima A.T./Naana)
To: My Extraordinary Families
(of Abaam, Kade, and Nkwantanan)
—and all the Off-springs & Off-shoots
&
To the Everlasting and Ever-Loving
Memories of:
Daddy, George Kwabena Duah
(a.k.a., GKD/Agya Duah)
Grandma, Nana Martha Adwoa Oforiwaa
& Grandpa
Grandma, Nana Abena Nketia Owusua
& Grandpa
Atta Kakra (a.k.a., Emmanuel Asare Duah)
Atta Panin (a.k.a., Ebenezer Asare Duah)
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah @GH
Preface
Risktohumanhealthasaconsequenceoftoxicmaterialsfoundinmodernsocieties
isamatterofgraveconcerntotheworldcommunity.Whatismore,riskstohumans
that arise from chemical exposures from a multiplicity of sources are a complex
issuewithworldwideimplications.Theeffectivemanagementofhumanexposure
toavarietyofchemicalspresentinvarioussectorsofsocietyhasthereforebecome
a very important public health policy issue that will remain a growing social
challengeforyearstocome.Infact,withareasonablecontrolandcontainmentof
most infectious conditions of the past millennium having been realized in most
developed countries, and with the accompanying increase in life expectancies,
much more attention seems to have shifted to degenerative health problems typi-
callyattributabletoenvironmentalor‘social’chemicalssoveryoftenencountered
inmodernsocieties.Manyofthedegenerativehealthconditionshaveindeedbeen
linked to thousands of chemicals regularly encountered in human living and
occupational/workenvironments.Itisimportant,therefore,thathumanhealthrisk
assessmentsarecarriedoutonaconsistentbasis—inordertobeabletodetermine
thepotentialimpactsofthetargetchemicalsonpublichealth.Overall,riskassess-
mentpromisesasystematicwayfordevelopingappropriatestrategiestoaidpublic
healthriskpolicydecisionsinthearenaofhumanexposurestochemicals.
Riskassessmentgenerallyservesasatoolthatcanbeusedtoorganize,structure,
andcompilescientificinformationtohelpidentifyexistinghazardoussituationsor
problems,anticipatepotentialproblems,establishpriorities,andprovideabasisfor
regulatorycontrolsand/orcorrectiveactions.Akeyunderlyingprincipleofpublic
healthriskassessmentisthatsomerisksaresomehowtolerable—areasonableand
evensensibleview,consideringthefactthatnothingiswhollysafeperse.Infact,
whereas human exposures to large amounts of a toxic substance may be of major
concern, exposures of rather limited extent may be trivial and hence should not
necessarilybeacauseforalarm.Inordertobeabletomakeacredibledecisionon
the cut-off between what really constitutes a ‘dangerous dose’ and a ‘safe dose’,
systematic scientific tools—such as those afforded by risk assessment—may be
utilized.In thisregard, therefore, risk assessmentseemstorepresentanimportant
vii
viii Preface
foundation in the development of effectual public health risk management strate-
giesandpolicies.
Thisbookprovidesaconcise,yetcomprehensiveoverviewofthemanyfacets/
aspects of human health risk assessments in relation to chemical exposure prob-
lems.Itpresentssomeveryimportanttoolsandmethodologiesthatcanbeusedto
address chemical exposure and public health risk management problems in a
consistent,efficient,andcost-effectivemanner.Onthewhole,thebookrepresents
acollectionandsynthesisoftheprincipalelementsoftheriskassessment process
thatmaybeusedtomoreeffectivelyaddressissuespertainingtohumanexposures
to chemicals found in modern societies. This also includes an elaboration of
pertinent risk assessment concepts and techniques/methodologies for performing
human health risk assessments. A number of illustrative example problems are
interspersed throughout the book, in order to help present the book in an easy-to-
follow,pragmaticmanner.
Meanwhile, it is noteworthy that even though the main focus of this title is on
risk assessment of the potential human health effects associated with chemical
exposures, the same principles may be extrapolated to deal with other forms of
human exposure problems (such as exposures to radionuclides and pathogens).
Thus, the chemical risk assessment framework may be adapted and applied to
human exposures to other agents—albeit many unique issues may have to be
addressed for exposures to the new hazard/agent under consideration. In fact, the
subjectmatterofthisbookcangenerallybeusedtoaidintheresolutionofavariety
ofenvironmentalcontaminationandpublichealthriskmanagementproblems.
On the whole, this book should serve as a useful reference for many profes-
sionals encountering risk assessment in relation to environmental contamination
and public health risk management programs; it offers an understanding of the
scientific basis of risk assessment and its applications to public health policy
decisions.Thespecific intended audience includes public andoccupational health
practitionersandotherpublichealthandenvironmentalhealthprofessionals,public
policy analysts, environmental consulting professionals, consumer product manu-
facturers, environmental attorneys, environmental and health regulatory agencies,
environmentalandpublichealthNGOs,andamiscellanyofhealth,environmental,
and consumer advocacy interest groups. The book is also expected to serve as a
useful educational/training resource for both students and professionals in the
health-relatedandenvironmentalfields—particularlythosewhohavetodealwith
human exposures to chemicals, public health risk assessment issues, and/or envi-
ronmental health management problems. Written for both the novice and the
experienced, the subject matter of this book is an attempt at offering a simplified
andsystematicpresentationofpublichealthriskassessmentmethodsandapplica-
tion tools—all these facilitated by a design/layout that will carefully navigate the
userthroughthemajorprocessesinvolved.
Finally,akeyobjectiveinpreparingthisrevisededitiontothebookhasbeento,
insofar as practicable, incorporate new key developments and/or updates in the
field since thepreviousversion was last published.Another notable feature of the
revised edition is the sectional re-organization that has been carried out for some
Preface ix
topics—allmeanttohelpwiththeoverallflowofthepresentations,butespecially
tofacilitateamoreholisticlearningprocess/experienceaffordedbythisbook.All
inall,thebookisorganizedintofiveparts—consistingof15chaptersandasetof
5appendices,togetherwithabibliographicallisting.Itisthehopeoftheauthorthat
the five-part presentation offered by this title will provide adequate guidance and
direction for the successful completion of public health risk assessment programs
that are to be designed for any type of chemical exposure problem, and at any
geographicallocation.Thestructuredpresentationshouldalsohelpwithanyefforts
to develop effectual classroom curricula for teaching purposes. Ultimately, the
systematic protocols presented in this volume should indeed aid many a public
health and related environmental professional to formulate and manage chemical
exposureandassociatedproblemsmoreefficiently.
Washington,DC KofiAsante-Duah
8August2016
Acknowledgements
Iamindebtedtoanumberofpeopleforboththedirectandindirectsupportafforded
me during the period that I worked on this book project. Many thanks to the
extensiveDuahfamily(ofAbaam,Kade,Nkwantanan,andbeyond)andoffshoots,
as well as to the friends and colleagues who provided much-needed moral and
enthusiasticsupportthroughoutthepreparationofthemanuscriptforthisbook.
SpecialthanksgotoDr.KwabenaDuah(FellowoftheCollegeofPublicHealth
Medicine, South Africa)—a public and occupational health practitioner in
Australia—for reviewing and providing contributions to various sections of the
manuscript for this book. Indeed, as a physician with specialty practice in public
andoccupationalhealth,environmentalhealth,andgeneralmedicine,Dr.Kwabena
Duah’s input was most invaluable. Thanks also to several colleagues associated
with the Premier [Occupational and Environmental] Health Services Group
(an occupational and environmental health firm offering consulting and primary
healthcare services) and the Environmental Risk Solutions (ERS) Group
(an environmental consulting firm with practice focusing on human health risk
assessments)forprovidingmiscellaneousassistance.
The support of the Publishing, Editorial, and Production staff at Springer in
helping to bring this book project to a successful conclusion is very much appre-
ciated. I also wish to thank every author whose work is cited in this book—for
havingprovidedsomepioneeringworktobuildon.
Finally,itshouldbeacknowledgedthatthisbookbenefitedgreatlyfromreview
comments of several anonymous individuals, as well as from discussions with a
numberofprofessionalcolleagues.Anyshortcomingsthatremainare,however,the
soleresponsibilityoftheauthor.
xi
Contents
PartI ProblemDiagnosis:AGeneralOverviewoftheOrigins
andNatureofChemicalExposureProblems
1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1 ChemicalOrigins:ComingtoTermswiththe
SeveralChemicalsinModernSociety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.1.1 TheWide-RangingScopeofChemicalHazard
Problems:AGeneralOverview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1.1.2 TheWide-RangingScopeofChemicalHazard
Problems:LeadExposuresasanExample. . . . . . . . . . 15
1.2 PublicHealthandSocio-EconomicImplications
ofChemicalExposureProblems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
1.2.1 TheGeneralNatureofHumanHealthEffects
FromChemicalExposures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1.3 StrategicallyManagingtheChemicalExposureProblem:
TheNeedforPublicHealthRiskAssessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
2 AnatomicalandPhysiologicalPerspectivesonHuman
ExposuretoChemicals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
2.1 AnOverviewofHumanContactSitesandTarget
OrgansMostSusceptibletoChemicalExposures. . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.1.1 FundamentalsofHumanPhysiology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
2.1.2 TargetOrganToxicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
2.2 TheGeneralNatureofChemicalHazardsandHuman
ResponsefromExposuretoChemicalSubstances. . . . . . . . . . . 43
2.2.1 ClassificationofChemicalToxicity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
2.2.2 FactorsInfluencingChemicalToxicitytoHumans
andHumanResponsetoChemicalToxicants. . . . . . . . 46
xiii