Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:8:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 8 (pt 1/7)
Character Range: 3038200–3041101

8                   Glossary
Acceptable daily intake (ADI) of a chemical that, during a lifetime, appears to be without appreciable risk, on the basis of all the facts known at the time. It is expressed in milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day (mg/kg/day). For this purpose 'without appreciable risk' is taken to mean that adverse effects will not result even after a lifetime of exposure.
Acceptable risk is a risk management term. The acceptability of risk depends on scientific data, social, economic and political factors, and the perceived benefits arising from exposure to an agent.
Acute exposure is contact between a chemical substance and a target occurring over a short time, generally 14 days or less, with a single or repeated dose. Other terms, such as 'short-term exposure' are also used.
Adverse effect is a change in the morphology, physiology, growth, development, reproduction, or life span of an organism, system, or population that results in an impairment of functional capacity, an impairment of the capacity to compensate for additional stress, or an increase in susceptibility to other influences.
Agent is any chemical, physical or biological substance or factor (including social factor) being assessed in the context of an environmental health risk assessment.
Aliphatic is a hydrocarbon compound that does not contain a benzene ring. Aliphatic compounds may be straight, branched or cyclic chains of carbon atoms. They may include double or triple bonds. Carbon atoms in the chain are also generally bonded to hydrogen atoms but other elements, for example, chlorine, sulphur and nitrogen can also be present.
Aromatic is a hydrocarbon compound containing one or more benzene rings.
Background concentrations means the naturally occurring, ambient concentrations of substances in the local area of a site.
Bioaccessibility is the fraction of a contaminant in an exposure medium that is soluble in the relevant physiological milieu (usually the gastrointestinal tract) and available for absorption. Generically, it is the ability for a chemical to come into contact with the absorbing surfaces in an organism. It is related to solubility and dissolution, since absorption usually can only occur from a liquid or gaseous phase and not from a solid phase.
Bioavailability is a generic term defined as the fraction of a contaminant that is absorbed into the body following dermal contact, ingestion or inhalation. It is expressed as the ratio (or percentage) of the absorbed dose (systemic dose) to the administered dose.
Cancer is a disease of heritable, somatic mutations affecting cell growth and differentiation; that is, genetic alterations incurred in the first damaged cells are acquired in subsequent cells after cell division within the same individual.
Cancer slope factor is the plausible upper-bound estimate of the probability of a carcinogen response per