Multimedia Transport of Organic Contaminants and Exposure Modeling,
Abstract
Human exposures to organic contaminants in the environment area complex function of human factors, physicochemical properties of the contaminants, and characteristics of the environmental media in which the contaminants reside. One subject of interest in the screening of organic chemicals for the purpose of identifying exposure pathways of potential concern is the relationship between exposures and contaminant properties. To study such relationships, a multimedia environmental model termed GEOTOX is used to predict the equilibrium partitioning and transport of reference organic chemicals between compartments representing different media (i.e., soil layers, groundwater, air, biota, etc.) of a contaminated landscape. Reference chemicals, which are added to the surface soil of a landscape, are defined by properties consisting of the Henry's law constant, soil water-soil organic carbon partition coefficient, and bioconcentration factors. The steady-state concentrations of the chemicals in the GEOTOX compartments then are used to estimate lifetime average exposures (in milligrams per kilogram per day) to the contaminants for individuals living in the contaminated landscape. Exposure pathways addressed include ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. Local sensitivity analyses are performed to determine which chemical and landscape properties have the greatest effect on the exposure estimates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADP006367
Entities
People
- David W. Layton
- Thomas E. Mckone
Organizations
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory