Definition - What does chronic exposure mean?
Chronic exposure, within the context of workplace safety, relates to prolonged exposure to toxic substances that are gradually introduced into the body by means of absorption through the skin, inhalation by the mucous membranes, or ingestion (swallowing) of food and/or drink inadvertently contaminated by physical handling. Chronic exposure typically affects organic structures, for example, the lungs and kidneys, imposing long-term damage that is oftentimes difficult to find a link between chemical overexposure and personal health effects to the body given a slow buildup over time.
SureHire explains chronic exposure
Chronic exposure, in the context of workplace safety, pertains to a sustained period of assimilating dangerous chemical properties into the body by means of direct absorption in the skin, inhalation through mucus lining, and ingestion (swallowing) of contanimated food and beverages. Depending on the individual, there are a number of variables that ultimately determine the progression of chronic exposure to hazardous antigens entering the body, including age, nutrition, sickness vulnerability, smoking/drinking habits, genetics, and the human body’s overall physiological response to attack foreign substances disposing of microbes accordingly.
In the workplace, many employees who work around noxious chemicals, or naturally occurring dangerous minerals such as coal or lead, are at a much higher risk for developing infectious lung or renal (kidney) diseases.
