1. Concentration of a substance in air, soil, water or other defined medium at which specified emergency counter-measures, such as the seizure and destruction of contaminated materials, evacuation of the local population or closing down the sources of pollution, are to be taken. 2. Concentration of a pollutant in air, soil, water or other defined medium at which some kind of preventive action (not necessarily of an emergency nature) is to be taken.

1) In the Superfund program, the existence of a contaminant concentration in the environment high enough to warrant action or trigger a response under SARA and the NCP. Action Memorandum / Removal Action Work Plan (AM/RAW) Details the selected removal action alternative and explains the rationale for the selection. Also includes responses to public comments and concerns raised during the public comment period.

Regulatory levels recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for enforcement by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture when pesticide residues occur in food or feed commodities for reasons other than direct application of a pesticide.

chemical concentration in food above which consumption of that food would pose a health risk

A predesignated level of employee exposure to an airborne contaminant or other hazard, which is equaled or exceeded requires that personal monitoring, medical evaluation, or other regulatory provisions be applied. Action levels are specified for a number of substances by State and Federal law.

The exposure level (concentration in air) at which OSHA regulations to protect employees take effect (29 CFR 1910.1001-1047); e.g., workplace air analysis, employee training, medical monitoring, and record keeping. Exposure at or above action level is termed occupational exposure. Exposure below this level can also be harmful. This level is generally half the PEL.

the numerical value that causes the decision maker to choose one of the alternative actions (e.g., compliance or noncompliance). It may be a regulatory threshold standard, such as a Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water; a risk-based concentration level; a technological limitation; or a reference-based standard. [Note: the action level is specified during the planning phase of a data collection activity; it is not calculated from the sampling data.

a guideline that FDA uses in considering whether the level of a contaminant in a food may constitute a health hazard sufficient to warrant regulatory action by FDA against the product

an airborne concentration below the PEL at which certain activities such as exposure monitoring and medical surveillance must occur

an exposure concentration at which OSHA regulations to protect employees (air analysis, medical monitoring, worker training and record keeping) take effect

The exposure level (expressed as a concentration in air) at which Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to protect employees take effect. Such regulations may require such things as workplace air analysis, employee training, medical monitoring, and record keeping. Exposure at or above the action level is termed occupational exposure. The action level is generally half the Threshold Limit Value (TLV).

Exposure to a level of airborne contamination that requires an employer to implement some, but not all, of the surveillance and control activities of an OSHA standard. The action level is usually equal to one-half of the permissible exposure level. An exception is the action level for lead, which is 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air as compared to the permissible exposure limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.

A concentration for a specific substance, calculated as an eight (8) hour time-weighted average, which initiates certain required activities such as exposure monitoring and medical surveillance. Typically it is one-half that of the PEL for that substance.

The concentration of a contaminant that determines the necessity to remediate.

The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other actions which a water system must take.

A concentration of formaldehyde of 0.5 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.5 ppm) calculated as an 8- hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration.

In the 1960s, FDA established a level for contamination of a food below which no court enforcement action was necessary. Section 306 of FFDCA permits FDA to establish action levels in implementing the adulteration provisions. In setting action levels, FDA assures food producers that it ordinarily will not enforce the general adulterated provisions of the Act if the quantity of harmful added substance in their food is less than the quantity specified by the action level. FDA also considers whether the added substance could injure health or if it is unavoidable.

Action Levels are based upon a mode-of-action approach that harmonized noncancer and cancer approaches to derive a single oral risk benchmark (RfD). The contaminant concentration expressed in terms of mg/kg/day when applied to the standard default body weight (70 kg) and water consumption (2 L/day) results in an action level expressed as the chemical concentration expressed as parts per billion (ppb). An Action Level is a regulatory level recommended by the EPA or a state health department warrant or trigger a response action under Superfund.

An established microbial or airborne particle level that, when exceeded, should trigger appropriate investigation and corrective action based on the investigation.

A qualitative limit of chemical, biological, or radiological agent at which actions are taken to prevent or reduce exposure or contact.

A specified concentration of a contaminant in water. If this concentration is reached or exceeded, certain actions (e.g., further treatment and monitoring) must be taken to comply with a drinking water regulation.

The limit at or above which the Food and Drug Administration will take legal action against a product to remove it from the market. Action levels are based on unavoidability of the poisonous or deleterious substances and do not represent permissible levels of contamination where it is avoidable.

A concentration designated in 29 CFR part 1910 for a specific substance, calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average, which initiates certain required activities such as exposure monitoring and medical surveillance.

the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow

A concentration designated in Title 8, California Code of Regulations for a specific substance, calculated as an eight (8) - hour time weighted average, which initiates certain required activities such as exposure monitoring and medical surveillance.

exposure level at which (USA) OSHA regulations take effect. This is generally one-half of the PEL.

Term used by OSHA and NIOSH to express the level of toxicant which required medical surveillance, usually one half the PEL.

The concentration of lead or copper in water specified at Code of Federal Regulations 141.80(c) which determines, in some cases, the treatment requirements contained in subpart I of this code that a water system is required to complete.

In the United States, the term action level can refer to levels recommended by EPA for enforcement by Food and Drug Administration and USDA when pesticide residues occur in food or feed commodities for reasons other than the direct application of the pesticide. As opposed to "tolerances" which are established for residues occurring as a direct result of proper usage, action levels are set for inadvertent residues resulting from previous legal use or accidental contamination.