Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:4:p13
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 13/24)
Character Range: 976298–979470

during vehicle movements). Dust generated during these scenarios may be better estimated using a dust concentration (loading) relevant to the area and nature of activity assessed or alternatively, exposure may be assessed by conducting air quality monitoring.

4.6              Exposure point concentrations  food consumption
Ingestion of contaminated food is a potential pathway for humans to be exposed to hazardous chemicals and, in some site assessments, may be a significant pathway requiring quantitative risk assessment. Guidance on how to calculate the mean daily (contaminant) intake from ingestion of contaminated food is provided in the following hierarchy of sources:
    * Environmental health risk assessment (enHealth 2012a) and Australian exposure factor guidance (enHealth 2012b)
    * Australian total diet study (formerly the Australian market basket survey), Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. Reports are accessible at
      www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/monitoringandsurveillance/australiantotaldiets1914.cfm
    * Exposure factors handbook (US EPA 2011)
    * UK contaminated land exposure assessment model: technical basis and algorithms (DEFRA and EA 2002) and updated technical background (EA 2009).
Patterns in food consumption vary between individuals and groups of individuals and therefore the likelihood exists that some groups of people will have a different diet from the population as a whole (Cross & Taylor 1996). Australian national food consumption data, including percentage of each food type or group consumed on a daily basis is available in enHealth (2012b) and has been compiled from a number of dietary surveys.

EnHealth (2012a) strongly recommends that Australian dietary survey data is used in exposure assessments, as overseas diets are likely to be of less relevance, though the algorithms from overseas guidance are applicable to Australia. When using the dietary survey data, it is important to consider the limitations of the survey conducted and the site-specific situation being addressed (particularly in relation to food consumption patterns) within a multiple-lines-of-evidence approach. Additional guidance, including contaminant intake algorithms for different produce that are also applicable to the Australian context, is available in the US EPA exposure factors handbook (US EPA 2011) and EA (2006).

When assessing contaminant intake from food consumption, it is important to consider not only the percentage of a particular food group in the diet, but also the percentage of the food group that could potentially have been grown/reared in a contaminated environment.

    4.6.1          Fruit and vegetable consumption
In circumstances where home-grown fruit and vegetable consumption is likely to be significant (for example, more than 10% of the diet), the consumption of garden vegetables grown in soil on a contaminated site is likely to represent the main potential transfer of soil contamination to adults and children. An assessment of exposure from this pathway depends on three critical factors: how much contamination is likely to be accumulated by garden vegetables from the