The exposure points for sensitive residents in this case include the backyards of the residences, the vacant areas north and to the west of the church, and the vacant lot. Because the contamination has been remediated, future exposure to PCBs by children who live and play in the area has been removed. Children are at greater risk than adults from certain kinds of exposures to hazardous substances emitted from waste sites and emergency events. They are more likely to be exposed because they play outdoors and they often bring food into contaminated areas. They are shorter than adults, which means they breathe dust, soil, and heavy vapors close to the ground.
Children are also smaller, resulting in higher doses of contaminant exposure per body weight.
The developing body systems of children can sustain permanent damage if toxic exposures occur during critical growth stages. SRLs are protective of human health, including sensitive groups, over a lifetime. Residential SRLs are specifically protective of childhood exposure for systemic toxicity. Most importantly, children depend completely on adults for risk identification and management decisions, housing decisions, and access to medical care.