Abstract
Rapid growth and expansion of the chemical and energy industries have led
to an increase in chemical emissions and the potential for accidents, such as fires,
explosions, and spills. These potential consequences have caused concern among
industries and regulators, leading to an interest in understanding the risks associated
with these emissions into the environment and accidents. This knowledge is crucial for
complying with laws and regulations as well as for reducing adverse effects on human
health and the environment. Consequently, this chapter intends to introduce readers to
the Environmental Risk Assessment and the steps that should be accounted for the
successful results, representing an important study on understanding the risks and
minimizing the negative effects as much as possible. The first part of the chapter is
dedicated to presenting specific knowledge on Risk and Hazard, evidencing differences
between the two terms. The second section emphasizes the value of human health risk
assessment in determining the potential effects of a hazard on the health of an
individual, a group of individuals, or a community, while simultaneously outlining the
steps that must be taken for the Ecological Risk Assessment.