[Approaches to assessing the health risk under exposure to chemicals with account of age peculiarities].

PURPOSE

To study the factors of exposure and to assess health risk in different age groups under exposure to chemical contaminants in drinking water in Novodvinsk.

TECHNIQUES

Local exposure factors were studied by questionnaire in 1628 men in three age groups: 1-6 years, 7-17 years, 18 years and older. In the risk model three ways of exposure: inhalation, oral, and skin have been included. To assess the noncarcinogenic risk cumulative risk indices (CRI) were calculated, to evaluate a carcinogenic risk--the total carcinogenic risk (TCR), taking into account the correction for the age-specific cancer-causing potential was calculated.

RESULTS

Quantity of water used for drinking for 1 kg of body weight in children of 1-6 years was 109 ml/kg-day, 7-17 years--55 ml/kg-day, and adults--34 ml/kg-day. At concentrations of contaminants of drinking water at 90th and 98th percentile the risk to the blood system exceeds the allowable level only for children in the group of 1-6 years (CRI = 1,8 and 3,7, respectively), taking into account age-specific for the total population TCR amounted to 4.3 x 10(-5) and 9.3 x 10(-5) correspondingly.