What is the purpose of risk characterization in risk assessment?

• A. To communicate the overall risk by integrating hazard, dose-response, and exposure; inform decisions.
• B. To measure the concentration of a chemical in air.
• C. To prescribe regulatory limits without data.
• D. To perform genetic analysis.

Answer: (A)

Risk characterization brings together what we know about a substance’s hazard, how risk changes with dose (dose–response), and how much people or the environment are exposed. By integrating these pieces, it provides an overall risk estimate and clearly stated uncertainties and assumptions. This synthesis is used to communicate the level of risk to stakeholders and to inform risk management decisions, such as controls or regulatory actions. Measuring air concentrations is part of exposure assessment, not risk characterization; prescribing regulatory limits without data bypasses the evidence base; and genetic analysis isn’t a typical component of risk assessment.