How is hazard assessment defined?

• A. The process of estimating economic risk.
• B. Identifies potential adverse effects and typically includes hazard identification, dose-response, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.
• C. A marketing risk analysis.
• D. A test to determine only acute toxicity.

Answer: (B)

Hazard assessment is about identifying what adverse effects a substance could cause and how those effects relate to dose and exposure. It typically follows four components: hazard identification (what adverse effects are possible), dose–response assessment (how the likelihood or severity of effects changes with dose), exposure assessment (how much, how often, and by what route people are exposed), and risk characterization (integrating hazard, dose–response, and exposure to describe overall risk and its uncertainties). This approach is broader than a single acute-toxicity test and goes beyond economic or marketing risk, focusing on the potential health hazards and how real-world exposure translates to risk.