In: Operations Management
The impact of Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Katrina on individuals and the environment were quite enormous and I think environmental toxicology and occupational toxicology are the two specialized areas of toxicology that would be involved in risk assessment in these stroms. This is because environmental toxicology aims at preventing individuals and the environment from adverse effects of toxic chemicals. Chemicals released into the environment as a result of the storms would be identified and analyzed by environmental toxicologists in order to assess the risk and environmental issues so that humans and the environment can be protected. Occupational toxicology would assess chemical exposures and diseases that may be found in the work environment as a result of the storms primarily by identifying the chemical hazards, limiting or preventing exposures, and treating injuries. Occupational toxicology would determine the duration of exposure, the route of exposure, and the toxic outcome as well as offer medical services like routine examinations, medical surveillance testing, evaluating and treating injuries.
The main concerns would be to identify the hazardous chemical substances and prevent exposure or development of adverse health effects. The safety of exposure to the various hazardous chemicals and the acceptable level of exposure would be determined. They would also assess the toxicity of the identified hazardous chemical substances under specific conditions of exposure. The toxicity of a chemical agent plays a very important role in the way individuals and the environment are protected from the hazards of the chemical substance as well as in the treatment of its exposures.
In conclusion, I believe environmental and occupational toxicology would be very instrumental in the risk assessment in the aftermath of the storms, however, regardless of the field of toxicology, the main goal of toxicology is to identify and assess the toxic effects of chemicals so that these harmful effects can be prevented by ensuring appropriate handling and exposure guidelines