What Risk?: Paperback edition

Front Cover
......Page 1
What Risk?......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 8
Preface......Page 11
Executive summary......Page 17
Acknowledgements......Page 19
Biographies......Page 20
PART I: Methodology......Page 26
Summary......Page 28
Introduction......Page 29
The meaning of threshold and current applicationto policy......Page 31
The scientific case for a no-threshold assumption......Page 33
Scientific evidence for the existence of athreshold......Page 37
Implications for policy......Page 46
Some science policy issues......Page 51
Conclusions......Page 54
Acknowledgments......Page 55
Appendix: How science contributes topolicy formation
......Page 56
References and bibliography......Page 58
Summary......Page 62
Statistical approaches to confounding......Page 64
Susceptibility bias......Page 65
Detection bias......Page 66
Transfer bias......Page 68
Exposure bias......Page 69
Reasons for problems......Page 70
Acknowledgement......Page 72
References......Page 73
Summary......Page 74
Introduction......Page 75
Mathematical models and risk evaluation......Page 76
Main strategies......Page 79
The case of asbestos......Page 82
A medical language exists and must be respected.Speaking more generally we must avoidpublishing in medicine that which is medicalnonsense.......Page 88
Rejection of 'everything goes' is a pressing necessity in chronic human very low dose toxicology......Page 91
References and bibliography......Page 92
PART II: Science......Page 96
Introduction......Page 98
Industrial use of benzene......Page 99
Health effects: acute exposure......Page 100
Leukaemia......Page 101
The link between benzene exposure and leukaemia......Page 103
Regulation of benzene......Page 108
Quantitative risk assessment (QRA)......Page 109
The US process of QRA......Page 111
Epidemiology of industrially exposed workers......Page 112
References......Page 117
Summary......Page 121
Introduction......Page 122
Biological plausibility of current risk estimates......Page 133
Bias and confounding......Page 139
Confounding......Page 153
Quantifying exposure......Page 159
Pooling of risk estimates......Page 161
Other potentially adverse health effects......Page 164
Non–scientific considerations......Page 165
References......Page 166
Summary......Page 176
Introduction......Page 177
The linear hypothesis......Page 178
Radiation hormesis......Page 183
Experimental evidence......Page 185
Epidemiological evidence......Page 187
References......Page 194
Summary......Page 198
Myths and facts about synthetic chemicals and human cancer......Page 199
References......Page 213
Introduction......Page 216
Selection......Page 217
Misclassification......Page 218
Confounding......Page 219
Risk identification......Page 220
Risk estimation......Page 221
Conclusions......Page 222
References......Page 223
Introduction......Page 226
The mounting fears of dioxin and the accident at Seveso......Page 227
Generation and occurrence......Page 230
Intake of dioxins into the organism and elimination......Page 231
Mode of action......Page 232
Clinical manifestations of PCDD/PCDFs......Page 233
Chronic toxicity......Page 234
Carcinogenicity......Page 235
References......Page 239
PART III: Science policy......Page 244
Introduction......Page 246
The unexpected......Page 249
AIDS......Page 253
BSE......Page 254
Perceptions and assessments of risks and uncertainties.......Page 255
Public policy and public health: an examination of blame avoidance strategies......Page 260
Conclusion......Page 262
References......Page 263
Factors influencing decisions on environmental issues......Page 267
The role of science in determining environmental policy......Page 269
Discussion of specific environmental issues......Page 274
References......Page 281
PART IV: Commentaries......Page 284
Summary......Page 286
References......Page 291
Summary......Page 292
PART V: Perception......Page 298
Summary......Page 300
References......Page 308
Summary......Page 310
Cars and the risk thermostat......Page 311
Risk: an interactive phenomenon......Page 312
Problems of measurement......Page 313
Reliable knowledge: risks perceived through science......Page 316
Virtual risk - beyond reliable knowledge......Page 320
Plural rationalities......Page 321
Coping with risk and uncertainty: the doseresponse curve......Page 322
BSE/CJD: should we follow a risk–averse environmental policy?
......Page 326
The Sydney Smith dilemma......Page 328
Appendix 15.1......Page 330
Appendix 15.2......Page 332
Appendix 15.3......Page 334
Glossary......Page 340
About ESEF......Page 343
Mission statement......Page 346
Authors' addresses......Page 348
Index......Page 352