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This course provides an overview of the framework for human health air toxics risk assessments. After completion of this course, learners will be able to explain key concepts as well as the stages of the risk assessment process. The primary audience for this course is new hires in state, local, and tribal air agencies who conduct human health air toxics risk assessments and/or new hires who are interested in learning about air toxics risk assessment concepts. This course is also useful for EPA staff as well as the public.
It is recommended that learners complete the module “Health and Environmental Effects of Air Toxics,” with a specific focus on the health effects lesson, before taking this course.
This course is comprised of two modules and an exam:
Module 1. Key Concepts for Air Toxics Risk Assessments
After completion of this module, learners will be able to explain key concepts that are related to conducting human health air toxics risk assessments. Specifically, learners will be able to:
- Define the term "health risk" as it relates to air toxics.
- Explain exposure and toxicity values used for evaluating health risk in air toxics risk assessments.
- Explain what an air toxics risk assessment is.
- Identify the different types of air toxics risk assessments.
- Describe the difference between air toxics risk assessment and risk management.
- Explain each of the stages in the air toxics risk assessment framework.
Module 2: Air Toxics Risk Assessment Process
After completion of this module, learners will be able to explain the inputs and outputs as well as key activities that take place during each stage of the human health air toxics risk assessment process. This module is arranged in 6 lessons and a resources section. Lesson learning objectives are as follows:
Lesson 1: Introduction
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Identify each of the air toxics risk assessment stages.
- Explain the role of the air toxics risk assessor.
Lesson 2: Planning and Scoping and Problem Formulation
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Describe planning and scoping and problem formulation.
- Identify the inputs and outputs of planning and scoping and problem formulation.
- Explain the key activities that take place during each step of planning and scoping and problem formulation.
Lesson 3. Hazard Identification
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Describe hazard identification.
- Identify the inputs and outputs of hazard identification.
- Explain the key activities that take place during each step of hazard identification.
Lesson 4. Dose-Response Assessment
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Generally describe the dose-response assessment.
- Identify the inputs and outputs of the dose-response assessment.
- Describe the activities that take place during dose-response assessment.
- Explain important concepts for cancer and noncancer dose-response assessments.
Lesson 5. Exposure Assessment
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Describe exposure assessment.
- Identify the inputs and outputs of an exposure assessment.
- Explain the activities that take place in order to characterize the exposure setting during exposure assessment.
- Explain how the exposure pathway is evaluated during exposure assessment.
- Explain how the exposure concentration is calculated during exposure assessment.
Lesson 6. Risk Characterization
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
- Describe risk characterization.
- Identify the inputs and outputs of the risk characterization stage.
- Explain how cancer risk is calculated and presented during risk characterization.
- Describe the factors for consideration when calculating population risk.
- Explain how noncancer hazard is calculated during risk characterization.
- Explain how uncertainties and biases are assessed and presented during risk characterization.
TOXC105-SI: Air Toxics Risk Assessment Framework
Air Toxics Risk Assessment Process
TOXC105-SI Course Exam