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Terms & Acronyms

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Term	Acronym	Vocabulary	Vocabulary Type	Definitions
risk assessment		Environmental Issues Terms & Acronyms	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: A process to determine the increased risk from exposure to environmental pollutants together with an estimate of the severity of impact. Risk assessments use specific chemical information plus risk factors.
Risk assessment		GlobalChange.gov Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Studies that estimate the likelihood of specific sets of events occurring and their potential positive or negative consequences.
Risk Assessment		Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence or release of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants.
Risk Assessment		Urban Watershed Management Research Terminology	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: The objective scientific assessment of the expected adverse effects of environmental stressors. The process includes hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Adapted from: Thompson, Anthony J., "Federal Risk Management Policy: Where are the problems?" In the proceedings: Risk Based Decision Making in Water Resources VI, ASCE, 1993. P.1. Risk assessment itself does not generate a decision. It only provides an unbiased evaluation of the effects. The risk assessment often includes uncertainty analysis to clarify the nature of the science. One National Risk Management Research Laboratory's (NRMRL) research focus areas is "characterizing pollutant sources that require management." US EPA, 1997 Update to ORD's Strategic Plan, EPA/600/R-97/015, April 1997.
Risk assessment		Exposure Factors Handbook: Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: A process intended to calculate or estimate the risk to a given target organism, system, or population, including the identification of attendant uncertainties, following exposure to a particular agent, taking into account the inherent characteristics of the agent of concern as well as the characteristics of the specific target system. The risk assessment process includes four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterization (related term: Dose-response assessment), exposure assessment, and risk characterization. It is the first component in a risk analysis process.
Risk assessment		Environmental Modeling and Assessment Program (EMAP) Master Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: "Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants" (EPA 1992, 25).
Risk Assessment		I-BEAM Glossary of Terms	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition 1: The use of factual information to define the nature and impact of an adverse effect on individuals or populations who have been exposed to hazardous materials and situations. Definition 2: A quantitative or qualitative evaluation to determine the probability of an adverse effect to human health or the environment by exposure to specific pollutants.
Risk Assessment	RA		Abbreviation and Acronym List
Risk Assessment		Community-Based Air Pollution Projects Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: In the context of human health, the determination of potential adverse health effects from exposure to chemicals, including both quantitative and qualitative expressions of risk. The process of risk assessment involves four major steps: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.
Risk Assessment		Radiation Protection Radiation Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: An evaluation of the risk to human health or the environment from a hazard. Risk assessments may look at either existing hazards or potential hazards.
Risk Assessment		Pesticides Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: A methodology used to examine all possible risks involved with a particular product or organism. Risk assessment can be divided into four parts: identification of hazards, dose response (how much exposure causes particular problems (i.e., cancer, convulsions, death), exposure assessment (determining how much exposure will be received by people during particular activities), and risk characterization (determining a probability that a risk will occur).
risk assessment		Superfund Reforms Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants.
Risk Assessment		Drinking Water Technical & Legal Terms	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: A qualitative or quantitative evaluation of the environmental and/or health risk resulting from exposure to a chemical or physical agent (pollutant); combines exposure assessment results with toxicity assessment results to estimate risk.
Risk Assessment		RCRA Glossary of Terms	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants.
Risk Assessment		Region 5 Cleanup Sites Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: A study conducted as part of the Remedial Investigation to determine the threats posed to human health and the environment if the site's contamination is left unaddressed. The study takes into account such factors as the contaminant's toxicity and the paths and likelihoods of exposure.
Risk assessment		Environmental Management System Glossary	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Risk assessment is the process of gathering data and making assumptions to estimate short- and long-term harmful effects on human health or the environment from exposure to hazards associated with the use of a particular product or technology.
Risk Assessment		Terms of Environment	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants.
Risk Assessment		Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS) Glossary of Terms	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: The scientific activity of evaluating the toxic properties of a chemical and the conditions of human exposure to it both to ascertain the likelihood that exposed humans will be adversely affected and to characterize the nature of the effects they may experience. The assessment may involve the following four steps: 1) Hazard Identification: The determination of whether a particular chemical is or is not causally linked to particular health effect(s); 2) Dose-Response Assessment: The determination of the relation between the magnitude of exposure and the probability of occurrence of the health effects in question; 3) Exposure Assessment: The determination of the extent of human exposure; and 4) Risk Characterization: The description of the nature and often the magnitude of human risk, including attendant uncertainty.
risk assessment		Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment	Thesaurus	Definition 1: In the context of human health, the evaluation of scientific information on the hazardous properties of environmental agents (hazard characterization), the dose-response relationship (dose-response assessment), and the extent of human exposure to those agents (exposure assessment). The product of the risk assessment is a statement regarding the probability that populations or individuals so exposed will be harmed and to what degree (risk characterization). [EPA 2003] Definition 2: For air toxics, the scientific activity of evaluating the toxic properties of a chemical and the conditions of human or ecological exposure to it in order both to ascertain the likelihood that exposed humans or ecological receptors will be adversely affected, and to characterize the nature of the effects they may experience. [EPA 2004] Definition 3: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants.[EPA 2005b] Definition 4: A methodology used to examine all possible risks involved with a particular product or organism. Risk assessment can be divided into four parts: identification of hazards; dose response (how much exposure causes particular problems (i.e., cancer, convulsions, death); exposure assessment (determining how much exposure will be received by people during particular activities); and risk characterization (determining a probability that a risk will occur). [EPA 2005e] Definition 5: A scientifically based process consisting of the following steps: (i) hazard identification, (ii) hazard characterization, (iii) exposure assessment, and (iv) risk characterization. [CAC 1999, 2002, 2003, FAO/WHO 2003a,b] Definition 6: The scientific evaluation of known or potential adverse health effects resulting from human exposure to hazards. The process consists of the following steps: hazard identification, exposure assessment, hazard characterization (dose-response), and risk characterization. [FDA 2002] Definition 7: The process of identifying and measuring the risk resulting from a specific use or occurrence of a chemical. Risk assessment takes into account the possible harmful effects on people of using the chemical in the way that is proposed and all the possible routes of exposure. [FSA 2005] Definition 8: When referring to a microbial risk assessment, a process that evaluates the likelihood of human health effects occurring after exposure to a pathogenic microorganism or to a medium in which pathogens exist. [ILSI 2000] Definition 9: A process intended to calculate or estimate the risk to a given target organism, system or (sub)population, including the identification of attendant uncertainties, following exposure to a particular agent, taking into account the inherent characteristics of the agent of concern as well as the characteristics of the specific target system. The risk assessment process includes four steps: hazard identification, hazard characterisation (related term: dose-response assessment), exposure assessment, and risk characterization. It is the first component in a risk analysis process. [IPCS/OECD 2004] Definition 10: A systematic approach to organizing and analyzing data, scientific knowledge, and other information to identify possible adverse human health or environmental effects which may occur because of exposure to an agent (chemical, microbiological, or physical substance) or an activity (skiing, climbing a ladder, etc.). It also estimates the likelihood of the effect occurring under specified conditions. A risk assessment generally has four steps: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. [NYS 1998] Definition 11: The process of identifying a hazard and characterizing the risk presented by that hazard, in qualitative or quantitative terms. [OMAF 1997] Definition 12: The process of establishing information regarding acceptable levels of a risk and/or levels of risk for an individual, group, society, or the environment. [RAIS 2004, SRA 2004]
Risk Assessment		Safety, Health, and Environmental Management System Terms and Definitions	Glossary and Key Word List	Definition: Process of evaluating the risk(s) arising from a hazard(s), taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls, and deciding whether or not the risk(s) is acceptable.
Risk Assessment	RA		Abbreviation and Acronym List
Risk Assessment		Web Taxonomy-Research,Analysis & Technology Topics	Taxonomy	Definition: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants. [Terms of Env]
Risk Assessment		EPA EV-Outcomes-Risk Assessments	Taxonomy	Definition 1: Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the risk posed to human health and/or the environment by the actual or potential presence and/or use of specific pollutants. [Terms of the Environment][EPA 2005b][Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment] Definition 2: Evaluation of the risk to human health or the environment from a hazard. Risk assessments may look at either existing hazards or potential hazards. [Radiation Protection Radiation Glossary] Definition 3: In the context of human health, the evaluation of scientific information on the hazardous properties of environmental agents (hazard characterization), the dose-response relationship (dose-response assessment), and the extent of human exposure to those agents (exposure assessment). The product of the risk assessment is a statement regarding the probability that populations or individuals so exposed will be harmed and to what degree (risk characterization). [EPA 2003][Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment] Definition 4: For air toxics, the scientific activity of evaluating the toxic properties of a chemical and the conditions of human or ecological exposure to it in order both to ascertain the likelihood that exposed humans or ecological receptors will be adversely affected, and to characterize the nature of the effects they may experience. [EPA 2004][Thesaurus of Terms Used in Microbial Risk Assessment] Definition 5: The scientific activity of evaluating the toxic properties of a chemical and the conditions of human exposure to it both to ascertain the likelihood that exposed humans will be adversely affected and to characterize the nature of the effects they may experience. The assessment may involve the following four steps: 1) Hazard Identification: The determination of whether a particular chemical is or is not causally linked to particular health effect(s); 2) Dose-Response Assessment: The determination of the relation between the magnitude of exposure and the probability of occurrence of the health effects in question; 3) Exposure Assessment: The determination of the extent of human exposure; and 4) Risk Characterization: The description of the nature and often the magnitude of human risk, including attendant uncertainty. [Benchmark Dose Software (BMDS) Glossary of Terms] Definition 6: Process of evaluating the risk(s) arising from a hazard(s), taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls, and deciding whether or not the risk(s) is acceptable.[Safety, Health, and Environmental Management System Terms and Definitions]

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