Environmental Fate and Pathways of Exposure to Chemicals in the Environment

Environmental Fate and Pathways of Exposure to Chemicals in the Environment 

As discussed above, the risk of chemicals in the environment is dependent on both exposure and toxicity. Pathways through which organisms in the environment are exposed to chemicals are therefore key determinants of how safe (and therefore, how green ) a chemical is, and must be considered in moving towards a reduced risk or hazard approach to the production and use of chemicals. Fate in the environment is the principal determinant of exposure and designing chemicals for reduced hazard and risk to the environment involves consideration of processes that affect the chemical in the environment, in addition to toxicity. Assessment of environmental fate, including design of chemicals for nonpersistence, is discussed in detail in Chapter 16. 

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