CONTENTS 



Page 



CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 



Objectives 1 



Organization 2 



Background 2 



1986 EPA Risk Assessment Guidelines 3 



Regulatory Roles and Coordination of Federal, State, 



and Local Agencies 3 



Applicability of this Guidance Manual 4 



Relationship of this Manual to Other EPA Documents 5 

 Relationship of Fisheries Risk Assessment to Water 



Quality Standards 5 

 Relationship of Fisheries Risk Assessment to Monitoring 



Under the Clean Water Act 6 

 Relationship of EPA Risk Assessment Methods to FDA 



Risk Assessment Methods 7 



CHAPTER 2: Overview of Risk Assessment and Risk 



Management 11 



Major Steps in Risk Assessment 11 



Need for Risk Assessment Appproach 12 



Uses of Risk Assessment 13 



CHAPTERS: Hazard IdentiHcation 15 



Contaminants of Concern 15 



Toxicity Profiles 19 



Sources of Information 22 



CHAPTER 4: Dose-Response Assessment 23 



Exposure and Dose 23 



Dose-Response Relationships 23 



Carcinogenic Potency Factors 25 



Reference Doses 26 



Sources of Information 27 



Carcinogenic Potency Factors 27 



Reference Doses 27 



CHAPTERS: Exposure Assessment 29 



Measurement of Contaminant Concentrations in Tissues 29 



Study Objectives and General Sampling Desifft 32 



Selection of Target Species and Size Classes 36 



Sampling Station Locations 41 



Time of Sampling 43 



Kinds of Samples 44 



Sample Replication 47 



Selection of Analytical Detection Limits and Protocols 47 



QA/QC Program 48 



Documentation and QA Review of Chemical Data 50 



Statistical Treatment of Data 51 



Analysis of Sources, Transport, and Fate of Contaminants 52 



Analysis of Exposed Populations 53 



Comprehensive Catch/Consumption Analysis 54 



Assumed Consumption Rate 57 



Exposure Dose Determination 59 



Single-Species Diets 59 



