CATEGORY A.
URGENT PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites that pose an urgent public health hazard as the result of short-term exposures to hazardous substances. Criteria:
Evidence exists that exposures have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur in the future; and the estimated exposures are to a substance or substances at concentrations in the environment that, upon short-term exposures (less than 1 year), can cause adverse health effects to any segment of the receptor population. The adverse health effect can be the result of either carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic toxicity from a chemical exposure. For a noncarcinogenic toxic effect, the exposure exceeds an acute or intermediate minimal risk level (MRL) established in the ATSDR Toxicological Profiles or other comparable value; and /or community-specific health outcome data indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health that requires rapid intervention; and /or physical hazards at the site pose an imminent risk of physical injury. | CATEGORY B.
PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites that pose a public health hazard as the result of long-term exposures to hazardous substances. Criteria:
Evidence exists that exposures have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur in the future; and the estimated exposures are to a substance or substances at concentrations in the environment that, upon long-term exposures (greater than 1 year), can cause adverse health effects to any segment of the receptor population. The adverse health effect can be the result of either carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic toxicity from a chemical exposure. For a noncarcinogenic toxic effect, the exposure exceeds a chronic MRL established in the ATSDR Toxicological Profiles or other comparable value; and/or community-specific health outcome data indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health that requires intervention. | CATEGORY C.
INDETERMINATE PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites with incomplete information. Criteria:
The limited available data do not indicate that humans are being or have been exposed to levels of contamination that would be expected to cause adverse health effects. However, data or information are not available for all environmental media to which humans may be exposed; and there are insufficient or no community-specific health outcome data to indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health. | CATEGORY D.
NO APPARENT PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites where human exposure to contaminated media is occurring or has occurred in the past, but the exposure is below a level of health hazard. Criteria:
Exposures do not exceed an ATSDR chronic MRL or other comparable value; and data are available for all environmental media to which humans are being exposed; and there are no community-specific health outcome data to indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health. | CATEGORY E.
NO PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD This category is used for sites that do not pose a public health hazard. Criteria:
There is no evidence of current or past human exposure to contaminated media; and future exposures to contaminated media are not likely to occur; and there are no community-specific health outcome data to indicate that the site has had an adverse impact on human health. |
