Risk-benefit analysis for industrial and social needs

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Risk Assessment
• Public Health

Background:

• Industrial activities involving hazardous materials pose risks to human health and the environment.
• Evaluating the social acceptability of control measures requires a comprehensive approach.
• Asbestos remains a significant concern due to its widespread historical use and health impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a multiple criteria decision method for evaluating the social acceptability of industrial controls on hazardous materials.
• To assess the risk-benefit tradeoff, health risks, costs, and societal value of human life associated with control measures.
• To analyze specific control alternatives for asbestos, including manufacturing exhaust filters and substitutes in brake linings.

Main Methods:

• A multiple criteria approach integrating risk-benefit analysis, health risk assessment, cost-benefit analysis, and the implicit value of human life.
• Health risk calculation incorporating production/usage patterns, emissions, control effectiveness, dispersion, and human susceptibility.
• Economic benefit assessment including employment, trade, consumer impacts, and direct control costs.

Main Results:

• The study developed a novel decision framework for hazardous material control evaluation.
• Asbestos control alternatives, such as exhaust filters and brake lining substitutes, were analyzed.
• Preliminary results indicate that the quantified risk reductions of these asbestos alternatives may not outweigh their social costs.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiple criteria method provides a robust framework for evaluating the social acceptability of industrial controls.
• The analysis of asbestos control alternatives suggests a potential mismatch between social costs and risk reduction benefits.
• Further research and refined methodologies are needed for comprehensive hazardous material risk management and policy-making.