Step 2.1 Estimating Exposure Doses
Exposure Dose Types
An exposure dose is an estimate of the amount of a chemical that enters a person’s body when the person comes in contact with the chemical. Consider these three types of exposures that are considered in a toxicologic evaluation.
Inhalation
(breathing air that contains the chemical)
Ingestion
(eating or drinking something that contains the chemical)
Dermal contact
(skin contact with the chemical)
Estimating exposure doses
In conducting a toxicologic evaluation, the health assessor’s first step is to estimate the exposure doses. An exposure dose is estimated for each way that people actually come in contact with a chemical.