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.