Reducing Risk: The Report of the Human Health Subcommittee. Relative RiskReduction Project. Part 3, Appendix B

摘要

The Human Health Subcommittee of the Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee(RRRSC) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board (SAB) reviewed the Agency's 1987 report entitled 'Unfinished Business: A Comparative Analysis of Environmental Problems.' (UB) The Subcommittee's goal was to evaluate the report's methodology for ranking environmental health problems. Problem areas in the UB report representing proximal human exposure situations were assigned the highest relative risk rankings for cancer and/or other adverse health effects. Future efforts should focus on broad environmental problems, without regard to internal organizational structures or to ultimate regulatory responsibility. The Subcommittee recommends a new approach to the risk ranking process, using a matrix based on sources, exposure situations, agents, and health outcomes. The approach will identify specific agents and mixtures that should receive priorities for applying risk reduction efforts. The Subcommittee further recommends that the Agency assign a specific management focal point for the effort to assure accountability.