Public Health Hazard Categories

Depending on the specific properties of the contaminant, the exposure situations, and the health status of individuals, a public health hazard may occur. Using data from public health assesments, sites are classified using one of the following public health hazard categories:

Category 1: Urgent Public Health Hazard

Sites that pose a serious risk to the publics health as the result of short-term exposures to hazardous substances.

Category 2: Public Health Hazard

Sites that pose a public health hazard as the result of long-term exposures to hazardous substances.

Category 3: Indeterminate Public Health Hazard

Sites for which no conclusions about public health hazard can be made because data are lacking.

Category 4: No Apparent Public Health Hazard

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.

Category 5: No Public Health Hazard

Sites for which data indicate no current or past exposure or no potential for exposure and therefore no health hazard.