What is the process of evaluating potential health risks from hazardous substances called?

The process of evaluating potential health risks from hazardous substances is known as risk assessment. This process involves identifying hazards, analyzing exposure pathways, assessing the dose-response relationship, and determining the overall risk of adverse health effects to humans or the environment. Risk assessment is a systematic approach that combines scientific data and observations to estimate the likelihood of harm occurring under certain conditions.

In toxicology, while toxicity testing and analysis provide crucial information on the health effects of substances, it doesn't encompass the broader evaluation of risk that considers exposure scenarios, population variability, and regulatory thresholds, which are integral to risk assessment. Environmental evaluation typically refers to examining the impacts of a project or action on the environment rather than specifically assessing health risks associated with hazardous substances. Hazard identification is a component of risk assessment but does not involve the comprehensive evaluation of risks that considers exposure and effects. Thus, risk assessment is the most accurate term for the overall process of evaluating potential health risks from hazardous substances.