Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is a scientific process of evaluating the adverse effects caused by a substance, activity, lifestyle, or natural phenomenon. OEHHA is responsible for developing and providing risk managers in state and local government agencies with toxicological and medical information relevant to decisions involving public health. State agency users of such information include all boards and departments within Cal/EPA, as well as the Department of Public Health, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Justice.

Several laws and regulations govern OEHHA's risk assessment work.

Reports, Notices, Documents

December 23, 2005: Final Report: Child-Specific Reference Doses (chRDs) for School Site Risk Assessment: Cadmium, Chlordane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor Epoxide, Methoxychlor, and Nickel

Release of the final technical document establishing chRDs for six chemicals to be used in school site risk assessments, including cadmium (1.1 x 10^-5 mg/kg-day), chlordane (3.3 x 10^-5 mg/kg-day), heptachlor (3.0 x 10^-5 mg/kg-day), heptachlor epoxide (1.3 x 10^-5 mg/kg-day), methoxychlor (2.0 x 10^-5 mg/kg-day), and Nickel (1.1 x 10^-2 mg/kg-day).

November 2, 2005: Final Draft Child-Specific Reference Doses (chRDs) for School Site Risk Assessment: Cadmium, Chlordane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor Epoxide, Methoxychlor, and Nickel

Final draft chRDs for six chemicals to be used in school site risk assessments

October 14, 2005: Comment Period- Final Draft Proposed Child-Specific Reference Dose (chRD) for School Site Risk Assessment: Cadmium, Chlordane, Heptachlor, Heptachlor Epoxide, Methoxychlor, and Nickel

Request for public comments on the final draft ChRDs for six chemicals to be used in school site risk assessment

August 1, 2005: Human Hazard Assessment for Perchlorate in Upland Game from the Potrero Canyon Unit in the San Jacinto Wildlife Area, Riverside County

OEHHA performed a hazard assessment for upland game collected from the Potrero Canyon Unit of the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County, California. The assessment showed that the health hazards from consuming these game species from this site are well below a level of human health concern.

February 4, 2005: Human-Exposure-Based Screening Numbers Developed to Aid Estimation of Cleanup Costs for Contaminated Soil

This revised report is required by the California Land Environmental Restoration and Reuse Act (Escutia, Chapter 764, Statues of 2001) as part of the effort to develop soil screening numbers for a specific set of contaminants.