How does ATSDR determine if there is a danger to human health at a site?
ATSDR must first find out whether there is a way that people could contact a hazardous substance. Without a way to contact a hazardous substance (an exposure pathway to that substance), a person could not be harmed by the substance. Exposure can result if people contact a contaminant at its source or if the substance moves from the source to a place where people can contact it. Contaminants can move through air, soil, and water, and, at times, through food we eat. ATSDR looks at air, soil, water, or food pathways to determine if hazardous substances could reach people and cause harmful effects to their health.
