For example, inhaling the benzene fumes that are given off when you pump gas into your car can increase your chances of experiencing health effects that have been associated with exposure to benzene, such as leukemia. Health risks, put simply, are a measure of the chance that you will experience health problems. Exposure to toxic air pollutants can increase your health risks. For example, if you live near a factory that releases cancer-causing chemicals and inhale contaminated air, your risk of getting cancer can increase. Breathing air toxics could also increase your risk of noncancer effects such as emphysema or reproductive disorders.
Risk assessment is one tool used in risk management.
It is the process that scientists and government officials use to estimate the increased risk of health problems in people who are exposed to different amounts of toxic substances. A risk assessment for a toxic air pollutant combines results of studies on the health effects of various animal and human exposures to the pollutant with results of studies that estimate the level of people's exposures at different distances from the source of the pollutant. While the estimates provided by these risk assessments are far from perfect, they do help scientists evaluate the risks associated with emissions of toxic air pollutants. Using risk estimates and other factors, the government can set regulatory standards to reduce people's exposures to toxic air pollutants and reduce the risk of experiencing health problems. The toxic air pollutants of greatest concern are those that cause serious health problems or affect many people.