Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is a scientific process of evaluating the adverse effects caused by a substance, activity, lifestyle, or natural phenomenon. OEHHA is responsible for developing and providing risk managers in state and local government agencies with toxicological and medical information relevant to decisions involving public health. State agency users of such information include all boards and departments within Cal/EPA, as well as the Department of Public Health, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the Office of Emergency Services, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Department of Justice.

Several laws and regulations govern OEHHA's risk assessment work.

Reports, Notices, Documents

July 8, 2010: Notice of Planned Rulemaking

Rulemaking would specify the hazard traits, environmental and toxicological end-points, and other relevant data that are to be included in the state’s Toxics Information Clearinghouse.

June 22, 2010: Table of all Child-Specific Reference Doses (chRDs) Finalized to Date

Health Guidance Values specific to children developed by OEHHA

June 17, 2010: Final Report: Child-Specific Reference Dose (chRD) for School Site Risk Assessment: Chlorpyrifos

Release of the final technical document establishing a chRD for chlorpyrifos (1.0 x 10^-4 mg/kg-day) to be used in school site risk assessments

March 16, 2010: Human Health Hazard Indicators Workshop, March 15-16, 2010

This workshop explores indicators of human health hazards for carcinogenicity, developmental toxicity and endocrine disruption. The agenda, speaker slides, and speaker biographies from the March 15-16, 2010 Human Health Hazard Indicators Workshop are attached.

December 15, 2009: Workshop Series on California’s Toxics Information Clearinghouse: Scientific Approaches to Implementation

A workshop series on “California’s Toxics Information Clearinghouse: Scientific Approaches to Implementation” will be held in March and May of 2010. The series is being co-sponsored by