Step 2.1 Estimating Exposure Doses
An Inhalation Dose
No dose calculation is needed for an inhalation dose.
Why?
For inhalation doses, the amount of a chemical that is in the air is considered to be the amount that enters the lungs when a person breathes. Therefore, the amount of the chemical measured in the air is the inhalation dose.
Dermal contact dose
Dose calculation is rarely needed for dermal contact, but health assessors may calculate dermal contact doses if site-specific conditions warrant or if community concerns are involved.
A dose calculation for dermal contact is rarely needed for the following exposures:
- For an adult who picks up a lead pipe
- For an adult who occasionally touches soil that contains arsenic
Page last reviewed: May 31, 2016
Content source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry