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Abstracts and Reviews
Scholars Publish New Book on Risk Analysis
PUBLICATIONS NEWS RELEASE Daniel Byrd and Richard Cothern recently published Introduction to Risk Analysis: A Systematic Approach to Science-Based Decision Making. [ISBN: 0-86587-696-7, Hardcover, 433 pages, Government Institutes, Rockville, MD (2000)], available at https://www.govinst.com/pubscatalog/products/696.html or at www.Amazon.com. Introduction to Risk Analysis examines risk and the structure of its analysis. The book is self-contained and suitable for either self-study or classroom use. Emphasizing prediction, the authors initially cover the qualitative nature of risk and explore quantitative topics, including graphing data, logarithmic thinking, and risk estimation. The text focuses on fundamental aspects of risk, using environmental and health risks as its primary examples. It is suitable for readers of Prima-talk who either want an entry to the fundamentals of risk or want to understand the methods of risk analysis better. It emphasizes human health risk as its primary example of risk assessment and covers exposure assessment, dosimetry, epidemiology, toxicology, and risk characterization in separate chapters and in an integrated way. Other chapters include a discussion of functions, models, and uncertainties; the regulatory process; comparative risk assessment; ecological risk assessment; risk management; and risk communication. The regulatory and risk management chapters discuss the ethical principles involved in decision-making. The book also includes several case studies and more than 50 figures. The chapters end with guides to additional information, including net sites, listservers, texts, journals, and professional societies. It will enable professionals to understand and initiate regulatory risk analyses independently. Introduction to Risk Analysis gives readers a comprehensive, integrated guide to risk analysis for regulated substances and processes. Providing a practical look at risk from a consistent perspective, the book emphasizes the policies of regulatory agencies concerned with health, safety, and environmental risks, including CPSC, OSHA, EPA, USDA, DOT, FDA, NRC, and state agencies. The regulatory chapter emphasizes the organizations involved in food safety in the U.S. Additional information is available at www.ctraps.com. |