6. What Are The More Likely (Probable) – Additional, Concurrent Chemical Exposures That May Interact With The Selected Chemical?

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
S317 CHEMSAF SP12 Assignments
MIDTERM PAPER: HUMAN TOXIC CHEMICAL HAZARD AND RISK ASSESSMENT

The purpose of this paper is to identify, evaluate and plan for the threat of exposure to a specific toxic chemical for you as a consumer. The toxic chemical may be a chemical element, a chemical compound, or a chemical mixture. Do not write about more than one toxic chemical unless you have my approval.

The paper is to be written as a persuasive document, that is, you are to convince me that there is a real threat to consumers and/or workers from the specific chemical. Justify your opinions by citing Internet or other sources and developing the logic of your case.

Sections one through five are to be addressed in numerical sequence and labelled with the Section number.

Section one of the paper is to identify and justify the selection of the specific Toxic Chemical Threat. The paper must identify and justify the selection of the specific Chemical Threat you chose.

The discussion must cite at least three data sources such as:

1. Federal Agency websites: the
a. National Institutes of Health (NIH),
b. Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
c. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
d. Department of Agriculture (FSIS),
e. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC),
f. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
g. Occupational Safety And Health Agency (OSHA),
h. Cornell University or Other MSDS Data Banks (MSDS),
i. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

2. Websites found by keyword searches such as blogs, chemical manufacturers, medication information, etc.; and

3. Other sources including class notes or interviews.

You must select at least one source that disagrees with the other sources. Discuss the disagreement or differing information you found and compare and contrast the data sites that you use in each of the following sections (Sections 2, 3 and 4) of the paper:

Section two is to address Consumer and/or Workplace exposure and vulnerability factors. You are to use worst-case scenarios in developing the vulnerability assessment, that is, you are to assume exposure at a toxic level that will result in harm. You must address the following questions in your paper.

Specifically address each of the following questions in your paper including listing the question and your answer to the question.

1. How severe are the consequences of exposure?

2. How many people are threatened by exposure?

3. How available and effective are remedial actions,

4. Is this an Acute and/or Chronic threat?

5. Is this a Systemic and/or Target Organ Threat?

6. What Are The More Likely (Probable) – Additional, Concurrent Chemical Exposures That May Interact With The Selected Chemical?

7. What Type of Chemical Interactions May Occur With the Additional, Concurrent Toxic Chemicals?

Section three of the paper is to be devoted to a Risk Assessment of the Threat. The Risk Assessment of the threat is a discussion involving the combining of the probability estimate (likelihood of occurrence of toxic exposure levels) and the expected consequences given the perceived vulnerability and potential chemical interactions. You are to use worst-case scenarios to determine the degree of risk. Justify the assumptions you use to make your risk assessment.

I realize you have limited access to specific information about numbers of persons who may be exposed, medical or emergency actions, etc.; but, you can still make reasonably informed judgments from the information presented in class and your own observations and web searches.

Section four of the paper is to discuss actions you can or will take to reduce and control personal harm from toxic chemical exposures in your own life. Include the following in your discussion and be specific about the chemical you cited in Section One of your paper:

1. How you will determine what chemical threats you may be exposed to and
2. How you can mitigate the personal risks and threats that you cited in your paper.

Section five is to present your conclusions. Bring it all together and convince me that the toxic chemical threat you identified is real and needs to be controlled.

•The paper is to be:

• five pages long,

• double spaced

• 12-point boldface font (equivalent to geneva, courier, times, etc.)