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The exposure parameters used to develop the onsite indoor worker exposure scenarios at the site are <br /> conservative estimates of the true exposures Although indoor workers are present at the site, the assumed <br /> duration of exposure is likely to be much greater than the true duration For instance, an indoor onsite <br /> ' worker is assumed to be indoors 8-hours per day, 250-days per year, for 25 years In reality, based on <br /> Department of Labor statistics regarding average job tenure nationwide, this type of worker would be <br /> expected to remain in his/her fob less than 10 years <br /> Likewise, the onsite outdoor worker is assumed to have the same exposure frequency and duration as the <br /> indoor worker In reality, based on weather conditions alone, a worker will not be outdoors 250-days per <br /> year For the same reasons documented above, a worker would not be expected to remain in his/her fob for <br /> a 25-year duration Consequently, the outdoor worker scenario also overestimates the true risk/hazard, <br /> while umderestumating action levels associated with site-related COPC emissions <br /> ' 3.3.5 Toxseologieal Endpoints Several aspects of the toxicological data employed in the ASTM <br /> RBCA process contain a high degree of uncertainty that affect estimation of risk and delineation of RBSLs <br /> These uncertainties arise in two primary areas First, slope factors used in this assessment correspond to <br /> ' the 95%UCL on the low-dose portion of the chemical's dose-response curve, as extrapolated from high- <br /> dose human or animal response data using the EPA linearized multistage model (LMS) This assumption <br /> means actual risks are likely to be lower than the risk estimates calculated in this assessment <br /> Second, results of animal studies are often used to predict the potential human health effects of a chemical <br /> Extrapolation of toxicological data from animal tests is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in the <br /> human health risk evaluation process There may be important, but unidentified differences in uptake, <br /> metabolism, distribution, and elimination of chemicals between a test species and humans Animal studies <br /> are usually conducted under high-dose conditions, whereas humans are rarely exposed to such high doses <br /> ' The dose level itself may be responsible for the observed carcinogenic effects Also, animal lifetimes tend <br /> to be less than two years, while assumed human life expectancy is 70 years <br /> ' 3.3.6 Interpretation of Target Risk Levels: The excess lifetime cancer risk used to evaluate <br /> carcinogenic compounds is often misunderstood For example, a risk level of one-in-one million(l x 10-6) <br /> associated with exposure to a particular chemical is often misconstrued as an expectation that one out of <br /> ' one mullion people exposed to the chemical will be stricken with cancer In actuality the carcinogenic risk <br /> is not an actual risk, but rather a mathematical risk based on conservative scientific assumptions used in <br /> the risk assessment process The Food and Drug Administration(FDA) uses this conservative estimate to <br /> ' ensure that the risk is not understated <br /> Uncertainties from the various sources discussed above are additive, hence, the overall effect of using <br /> conservative assumptions in each step of the risk assessment process results in significant overestimation of <br /> potential risks/hazards, and an underestimation of action levels Accordingly, comparison of COPC <br /> concentrations with applicable RBSLs must be viewed with an understanding of the uncertainty and <br /> conservatism involved, and how these effect risk estimations Because of the high degree of conservatism <br /> associated with the RBCA process, findings of insignificant risk (high RBSLs) may reflect conditions close <br /> to reality, however, findings of measurable risk (low RBSLs)may reflect conditions that result from the <br /> conservative nature of the evaluation <br /> 14 i{ <br />