Composite hazard index for assessing limiting exposures to environmental pollutants: application through a case study

The composite hazard index assessment methodology is applied to cadmium releases from a smelter complex. The atmospheric transport model and the terrestrial transport model are used to determine cadmium dispersion through the air, cadmium deposition on soil and plants, and cadmium intake by plants, animals, and humans. A value of 200 micrograms Cd/g wet weight kidney cortex is established as the maximum acceptable level in terms of health risks. On the basis of this value an expression is derived for the maximum cadmium air concentration which will maintain this value over a 50-year period.