title: Advances in Inhalation Dosimetry Models and Methods for Occupational Risk Assessment and Exposure Limit Derivation.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to provide an overview and practical guide to occupational health professionals concerning the derivation and use of dose estimates in risk assessment for development of occupational exposure limits (OELs) for inhaled substances. Dosimetry is the study and practice of measuring or estimating the internal dose of a substance in individuals or a population. Dosimetry thus provides an essential link to understanding the relationship between an external exposure and a biological response. Use of dosimetry principles and tools can improve the accuracy of risk assessment, and reduce the uncertainty, by providing reliable estimates of the internal dose at the target tissue. This is accomplished through specific measurement data or predictive models, when available, or the use of basic dosimetry principles for broad classes of materials. Accurate dose estimation is essential not only for dose-response assessment, but also for interspecies extrapolation and for risk characterization at given exposures. Inhalation dosimetry is the focus of this paper since it is a major route of exposure in the workplace. Practical examples of dose estimation and OEL derivation are provided for inhaled gases and particulates.
authors.affiliation: a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , Education and Information Division , Cincinnati , Ohio.
authors.forename: Eileen D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Kuempel
authors.affiliation: b Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine , Naval Medical Research Unit Dayton, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.affiliation: c School of Pharmacy , University of Connecticut , Storrs , Connecticut.
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: d U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , National Center for Environmental Assessment , Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Annie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jarabek
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000592:standards* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000592:standards*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000592:standards*; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000592:standards; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000592:standards* / Q000633:toxicity; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: clearance and retention kinetics; deposition; dosimetry models and methods; fibers; gases; inhaled particles; interspecies extrapolation