Abstract

When an accidental chemical spill occurs in a company or during a road or railway incident, responders and others can be exposed to high concentrations of toxic materials. To plan emergency measures or an evacuation, decision-makers should have access to a tool for evaluating the dangers of acute exposure to mixtures of contaminants. With the support of the Agence française de sécurité sanitaire de l’environnement et du travail (French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety), the researchers are creating a data base on the deleterious effects and target organs of 200 of these substances. They will produce an on-line tool for calculating the index of acute exposure to a mixture of substances in relation to the limit exposure values called Acute Exposure Guideline Levels, established by the U.S. National Research Council. This tool will be capable of estimating toxicological addition based on given concentrations and exposure durations. Because of the IRSST’s support, 100 additional substances will be added to the database, thus improving this tool intended for occupational health and safety professionals.