NCEES FE Environmental Practice Exam – Comprehensive Prep Resource 2025

The reference concentration (RfC) is a critical value used in risk assessment to represent the safe level of exposure to a chemical in the air. It is defined as an estimate of the daily exposure to a specific chemical that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of adverse health effects over a lifetime of exposure. The RfC is derived from studies that identify adverse effects from exposure, factoring in uncertainty to reflect variability among the population or potential differences in sensitivities.

This concept emphasizes the importance of air quality for public health, particularly since inhalation is a common route of exposure to many contaminants. The determination of the RfC involves scientific evaluations that include toxicological data, epidemiological data, and often, animal studies. Such rigorous assessment aims to establish a concentration that prevents harming human health, thereby providing valuable guidelines for regulatory purposes and public health policy.

In contrast, the other given choices refer to different concepts related to environmental pollution, such as background levels and maximum allowable concentrations, but do not specifically address the meaning of RfC.