Step 2.1 Estimating Exposure Doses

Estimating an Ingestion Dose for Evaluating Noncancer Health Effects

A dose for ingesting a chemical is estimated using the same formula regardless of whether the chemical was ingested in water, soil, or food. The formula for estimating an ingestion dose is provided here.

The dose is calculated by multiplying the chemical level by the intake rate by the exposure factor and dividing this product by the body weight.

In this formula, the exposure factor is calculated by multiplying the number of days of exposure per year by the number of years of exposure and dividing the product by the days per year multiplied by the number of years of exposure.

Estimating an ingestion dose for cancer-related health effects

The dose is calculated by multiplying the chemical level by the intake rate by the exposure factor and dividing the product by the body weight.

In this formula, the exposure factor is calculated by multiplying the number of days of exposure per year by the number of years of exposure and dividing the product by the days per year multiplied by 70.