Criteria Types: Human Health
A human health criterion establishes the highest concentration of a pollutant in water above which the pollutant is expected to pose a significant risk to human health. The criterion would provide protection under average conditions of exposure, without taking into account:
- Local water quality conditions.
- Potential reactions between the chemical of concern and other chemicals that could increase or reduce the toxicity of the chemical of concern.
Characteristics of a human health criterion might include:
- Expressed as a pollutant concentration based on a toxicological assessment and an exposure scenario.
- Calculated for ingestion of aquatic organisms AND for ingestion of water and organisms.
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