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Retrospective exposure assessment with emission inventories: a new approach to an old problem
Author(s) -
Argo James
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
environmetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.68
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-095X
pISSN - 1180-4009
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-095x(199809/10)9:5<505::aid-env319>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - exposure assessment , environmental science , statistics , retrospective cohort study , pollution , environmental health , mathematics , medicine , ecology , biology
A procedure to estimate chemical exposure retrospectively for the purpose of studying individual chronic chemical exposure is described. We use the unique combination of a case‐control study design which eliminates dilution by mobility, coupled with an emission inventory to estimate exposure nationally for up to 35 years latency. The retrospective exposure assessment (REA) methodology leads to an Exposure Index (EI) to describe the average historic exposure at a point. The approach is demonstrated with an estimate of the average chemical environment in each of 78 pulp producing communities in Canada in 1980 considering process‐related emissions. A procedure to partially validate the pollution estimate and the estimate of toxicity is shown. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.