Health risk assessment for emission management, sites and territories

The Health Risk Assessment (HRA) method was developed in the USA in the early 1980s to characterize the potential effects of chemical substance toxicity on the health of exposed populations. This method is designed as a decision-making and management tool for the production, use or emission of toxic substances.

This method can be applied according to different approaches ("product", "source" or "territory" approaches) and presents different application frameworks, often regulatory, including :

• the European REACH regulation: Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of CHemicals (this is a regulatory obligation, based on the "product" approach);

• regulations governing the marketing of phytosanitary or biocidal products (regulatory obligation, according to the "product" approach);

• several national substance evaluation programs in the United States, Australia, Canada, etc. (different approaches);

• definition of control or management criteria for environmental media (air, water, etc.) and foodstuffs (regulatory obligation, depending on the "product" or "territory" approach);

• the health aspect of impact studies for facilities classified for environmental protection (ICPE) (regulatory obligation, "source" approach);

• management of polluted sites and soils (regulatory obligation, "source" approach) ;

• management of territories ("zones") subject to multiple pollution (no regulatory obligation, "territory" approach).

This article describes applications of the method in France, for managing emissions from industrial facilities (ICPE), polluted sites and soils, and on a territorial scale (area studies).

It shows how RHS can be linked with other methods and tools, depending on the context, and emphasizes the usefulness that can be expected from it, as well as its limitations.

Finally, current developments and prospects for improvement are presented.