Inhalation we can breathe vapors from hazardous liquids or even from contaminated water while taking a shower. Ingestion we can eat fish, fruits and vegetables, or meat that has been contaminated through exposure to hazardous substances. Also, small children often eat soil or household materials that may be contaminated, such as paint chips containing lead. Probably the most common type of exposure is drinking contaminated water. Dermal exposure a substance can come into direct contact with and be absorbed by our skin.
Exposures can be either acute or chronic.
An acute exposure is a single exposure to a hazardous substance for a short time. Chronic exposure occurs over a much longer period of time, usually with repeated exposures in smaller amounts. For example, people who lived near Love Canal, a leaking hazardous waste dump, did not notice the health effects of their chronic exposure for several years. Chronic health effects are typically illnesses or injuries that take a long time to develop, such as cancer, liver failure, or slowed growth and development. One reason chronic exposure to even tiny amounts of hazardous substances can lead to harm is bioaccumulation .