Review of mathematical models for health risk assessment: I. Overview

The health risk assessment of chemical emissions from industrial facilities requires the mathematical modeling of a variety of processes including transport and fate of chemicals within and between various environmental media, population exposure to those chemicals, their associated doses, and health effects. Several models are presently available to address these different components of a health risk assessment. Existing models were reviewed and recommendations are provided for the selection of models suitable for screening and refined risk assessments. This article presents an overview of a series of seven companion articles that address the various components of health risk assessment.