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  • © 1987

Uncertainty in Risk Assessment, Risk Management, and Decision Making

Part of the book series: Advances in Risk Analysis (AIRA, volume 4)

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Table of contents (41 chapters)

  1. Uncertainty and Risk Assessment: Perspective from the Environmental and Health Sciences

    1. Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields and Brain Tumors

      • Ruey S. Lin, Patricia C. Dischinger, Katherine Farrell
      Pages 251-264
    2. Uncertainty in Population Risk Estimates for Environmental Contaminants

      • C. Richard Cothern, William A. Coniglio, William L. Marcus
      Pages 265-285
    3. Analysis of Uncertainties in CRAC2 Calculations: The Inhalation Pathway

      • G. G. Killough, D. C. Dunning Jr.
      Pages 287-303
    4. Auditing Waste Disposal Facilities

      • David I. Brandwein, Brian L. Murphy, Bruce D. Cowen, Mark S. Halvorsen, William W. Beck Jr., Harold C. Elston Jr.
      Pages 305-318
    5. Analysis of Uncertainties in CRAC2 Calculations: Wet Deposition and Plume Rise

      • R. C. Ward, D. C. Kocher, B. B. Hicks, R. P. Hosker Jr., J.-Y. Ku, K. S. Rao
      Pages 319-323
  2. Uncertainty and Risk Assessment: Perspectives from Engineering and Statistics

    1. Fuzzy Hierarchical Analysis

      • J. J. Buckley, V. R. R. Uppuluri
      Pages 389-401
    2. Examining the Realities of Risk Management

      • B. John Garrick
      Pages 421-433
    3. Integrated Economic Risk Management in a Nuclear Power Plant

      • R. N. M. Hunt, M. Modarres
      Pages 435-443
    4. Warning Systems: Response Models and Optimization

      • M. E. Paté-Cornell, C. Pe Benito-Claudio
      Pages 457-468
    5. An Assessment of the Risk to Plant Personnel and the Public from Petroleum Refinery Accidents

      • J. S. Arendt, D. J. Campbell, M. L. Casada, D. K. Lorenzo
      Pages 491-509

About this book

The subject of this volume--uncertainties in risk assessment and management--reflects an important theme in health, safety, and environ­ mental decision making. MOst technological hazards are characterized by substantial uncertainty. Recent examples include nuclear waste disposal, acid rain, asbestos in schools, carcinogens in food, and hazardous waste. realing with such uncertainty is arguably the most difficult and challeng­ ing task facing risk assessors and managers today. Four primary sources of uncertainty in risk assessment and management can be identified: (1) uncertainties about definitions; (2) uncertainties about scientific facts; (3) uncertainties about risk perceptions and atti­ tudes; and (4) uncertainties about values. Uncertainties about definitions derive primarily from disagreements about the meaning and interpretation of key concepts, such as probability. Uncertainties about scientific facts derive primarily from disagreements about failure modes, the probability and magnitude of adverse health or environmental consequences, cause and effect relationships, dose-response relationships, and exposure patterns. Uncertainties about risk perceptions and attitudes derive primarily from disagreements about what constitutes a significant or acceptable level of risk. Uncertainties about values derive primarily from disagreements about the desirability or worth of alternative risk management actions or conse­ quences. The papers in this volume address each of these sources of uncertainty from a variety of perspectives. Reflecting the broad scope of risk assess­ ment and risk management research, the papers include contributions from safety engineers, epidemiologists, toxicologists, chemists, biostatisticians, biologists, decision analysts, economists,psychologists, political scien­ tists, sociologists, ethicists, and lawyers.

Editors and Affiliations

  • National Science Foundation, USA

    Vincent T. Covello

  • Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

    Lester B. Lave

  • Institute for Regulatory Science, Alexandria, USA

    Alan Moghissi

  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, USA

    V. R. R. Uppuluri

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Uncertainty in Risk Assessment, Risk Management, and Decision Making

  • Editors: Vincent T. Covello, Lester B. Lave, Alan Moghissi, V. R. R. Uppuluri

  • Series Title: Advances in Risk Analysis

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5317-1

  • Publisher: Springer New York, NY

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Plenum Press, New York 1987

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-1-4684-5319-5Published: 30 March 2012

  • eBook ISBN: 978-1-4684-5317-1Published: 08 March 2013

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: 548

  • Topics: Environmental Management, Social Sciences, general, Statistics, general

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access