JLE

Environnement, Risques & Santé

MENU

Acute exposure thresholds in case of accidental emission of chemical substances into the atmosphere: Methodology and main results Volume 3, issue 5, Septembre-Octobre 2004

Figures

See all figures

Authors
Unité « Expertise toxicologique des substances chimiques » (ETSC), Département des risques chroniques (DRC), Institut national de l’environnement industriel et des risques (INERIS), Parc technologique ALATA, BP2, 60550 Verneuil‐en‐Halatte <Sylvie.tissot@ineris.fr> Ministère de l'Écologie et du Développement durable (MEDD), Direction de la Prévention des Pollutions et des Risques, Service de l'Environnement industriel, 20, avenue de Ségur, 75302 Paris 07 <ghislaine.verrhiest@environnement.gouv.fr>

Effective risk prevention policies require that acute exposure thresholds be set for chemicals that might be accidentally released into the atmosphere. These thresholds should be determined by a methodology that allows a transparent scientific evaluation of the human and animal toxicity data available in the literature. In France, the Ministry of the Environment nominated a panel of expert toxicologists to conduct this evaluation. For each chemical considered, acute thresholds are established for lethal, irreversible, and reversible effects and for exposure durations of 1, 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes. A perception threshold is also suggested. These thresholds are submitted to the National Council for industrial installations for advice and then validated by the Ministry. Since 1999, 13 chemical substances have been assessed: the reports are available on the web sites of INERIS (Institut national de l'environnement industriel et des risques) and the Ministry of the Environment.