Exposure standards and guidelines are developed by governments to protect the public from harmful substances and activities that can cause serious health problems. Only standards and guidelines relating to protection from the toxic effects of chemicals follow.
Exposure standards and guidelines are the products of risk management decisions. Risk assessments provide regulatory agencies with estimates of numbers of persons potentially harmed under specific exposure conditions. Regulatory agencies then propose exposure standards and guidelines which will protect the public from unacceptable risk.
Exposure standards and guidelines usually provide numerical exposure levels for various media (such as food, consumer products, water and air) that cannot be exceeded. Alternatively, these standards may be preventive measures to reduce exposure (such as labeling, special ventilation, protective clothing and equipment, and medical monitoring).
Exposure standards and guidelines are of two types:
Federal and state regulatory agencies have the authority to issue permissible exposure standards and guidelines. They include the following categories:
Consumer Product Exposure Standards and Guidelines
