NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document
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DRAFT
applying a factor of 140 m^/50 m^, accounting for the difference between weekly
ventilation rates associated with continuous exposure and occupational exposure.
Risk Characterization
The risk characterization combines the previously described components of the Risk
Assessment (i.e., hazard identification, exposure assessment, and toxicity assessment) to
provide numerical estimates of human health risk. In general, these risk estimates are
expressed in terms of excess lifetime cancer risk for cancer endpoints expressed as a
probability. The EPA has established a range of acceptable risk from one in ten thousand
to a one in one million. A result below one in one million is generally accepted to
represent no significant risk of adverse health effects. A result above one in ten thousand
generally warrants aggressive risk management actions. A result between one in one
million and one in ten thousand represents a ‘gray area’ where the costs of risk reduction
need to be carefully weighed with the projected benefits.
Table 2 presents the estimated total cancer risks for the Commuter receptor scenario for
exposure to asbestos in air. The Two-hour Commuter is shown to have a cancer risk of
eight in one million (0.000008). The one-hour and one-half hour Commuter are shown to
have cancer risks of four in one million (0.000004) and two in one million (0.000002),
respectively.
Risk-based Concentrations
Risk-based concentrations have been developed for asbestos in air by running the
exposure assessment equations presented above in reverse. These risk-based
concentrations are based on the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers and are specific to
the Commuter scenario developed in the exposure assessment. Table 3 presents risk
based concentrations at target risk levels of one in ten thousand (lE-4), one in one
hundred thousand (lE-5), and one in one million (lE-6). The following equations was
used to calculate risk-based concentrations:
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