REFERENCE DOSE (RFD): DESCRIPTION AND USE IN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS

Notice - This site contains archived material(s)

Archive disclaimer
Archive disclaimer
Archived files are provided for reference purposes only. These files are no longer maintained by the Agency and may be outdated. For current EPA information, go to www.epa.gov. It is EPA's policy to support reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities, pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. 791. If you need assistance with accessing archived files, contact EPA's Reasonable Accommodations or submit a request using the Contact Us form.


Abstract

For many years the concept of the "acceptable daily intake" has served the toxicological and regulatory fields quite well. owever, as approaches to assessing the health significance of exposures to noncarcinogenic substances receive greater scrutiny, some difficulties with this traditional approach have become more apparent. Consequently, the concept of the "reference dose" is introduced in order to avoid use of prejudicial terms (e.g. , "safety" and "acceptable"), to promote greater consistency in the assessment of noncarcinogenic chemicals, and to maintain the functional separation between risk assessment and risk management

Citation

Barnes, D. AND M. Dourson. REFERENCE DOSE (RFD): DESCRIPTION AND USE IN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-88/310 (NTIS PB89202436), 1989.

Additional Information

Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 8:471-486, 1988