Exposure Factors Handbook

This page provides a description and a link to a "Exposure Factors Handbook" database that provides information needed when modeling exposure levels or performing exposure assessment.

Short description

This is not an actually database, but there are references and tables from several studies, which can be used for average values. Geographical area for the data is U.S. Time activity data is referred as Activity factors and there are data available at least for time spent in various activities, time spent in traffic, time spent in work and school and time spent in different locations at home. Ingestion data is divided to the following groups: Drinking water intake, soil ingestion, intake of fruits and vegetables, intake of fish and shellfish, intake of meat and dairy products, intake of grain products, intake rates of various home produced food items and breast milk intake. Physiological data included are: Body surface area, body weight and inhalation rate. Housing data included are: Volumes, surface areas, mechanical systems and types of foundations. General population data included is lifetime.

Long description

Time activity data is referred as Activity factors, and there are following information available:

- Frequency and duration of taking baths, frequency of taking showers, and on the amount of time spent in the shower or bathroom after completion of the activity

- Frequency for washing the hands in a day

- Time spent by persons working with or being near foods while being grilled or barbecued; working with or near open flames; and working or being near excessive dust in the air

- Number of times a vehicle was started in a garage or carport and if started with the door closed; and for time spent at a gas station or repair shop

- Number of times windows and doors were opened and the number of minutes they were left open at home while the respondent was at home

- Time spent in heavy traffic either running, walking, standing, or in a vehicle; and for time spent in indoor and outdoor parking lots and garages

- Time spent working for pay; working at different times of day; and for the amount of that time was spent working outdoors

- Number of times of performing household tasks in a day such as vacuuming, and washing dishes and clothes in a residence

- Number of times per day and the duration for playing in sand, gravel, and dirt; and for working in circumstances where one comes in contact with soil such as in a garden

- Frequency of swimming in a fresh water swimming pool and the amount of time spent swimming during a 1month period

- Time spent in various major categories. They are as follows: Paid Work (main job); Household Work (food preparation and cleanup, cleaning house, clothes care); Child Care (indoor and outdoor playing); Obtaining Goods and Services (car repair); Personal Needs and Care (sleeping/napping); Free Time and Education (school); and Recreation (active sports, exercise, outdoor recreation)

- Time spent in various activities

- Cumulative statistics for time spent in various indoor microenvironments such as repair shops/gas stations; bar/ night club/bowling alley; and at school

- Time spent in various outdoor locations (schoolgrounds/ playground; parking lots; construction sites; parks and golf courses; and farms)

- Time spent in various locations in the home. Data are presented for the number of minutes spent in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, garage, basement, utility room or laundry room; in the outdoor pool or spa; and in the yard or other areas outside the house

- Time spent traveling and for traveling in various types of vehicles; and for time spent walking

- Total time spent indoors at home, including all rooms; outdoors at home; traveling inside a vehicle; outdoors near a vehicle; outdoors other than near a residence; in an office or factory; in malls and other stores; in various public buildings; in bars, restaurants, etc.; and outdoor locations such as auto repair shops and laundromats.

- Number of minutes spent in an activity or microenvironment where a smoker was present

- Time spent smoking in a day

- Time spent smoking selected tobacco products such as cigars, cigarettes, and pipe tobacco

Link

http://www.epa.gov/ncea/pdfs/efh/front.pdf

Key words

time activity, time use ingestion, fish, water, soil, food, diet physiological data, bodyweight, body surface area, inhalation rate housing expectation of life, life expectancy, sex, age, race