Risk perception contamination

This analysis might lead one to conclude that subjective views of risk are contaminants to its true and objective nature but this is not the complete picture. For activities which affect the public one could argue that people need to be assured to a level which is tolerable to society irrespective of whether the magnirnde of risk is based on scientific fact. If safety is freedom from unacceptable risk [8] (see Chap. 3) and what we consider to be acceptable is influenced by the values of society then one has to conclude that safety is itself at least partly defined by perception. 

Chemical safety Public perception of chemistry risk and contamination regulation goals... 

While public perception of risk is sometimes frustrating to expert risk assessors, it can serve a useful purpose by focusing attention on catastrophic risks that impact whole communities, not just individuals. The risk of a meltdown at a nuclear power plant is small, but the consequences are huge Witness Chernobyl and the continuing effects of radioactive contamination. In the difficult political business of managing risks, risk perception can complement expert risk assessment and help drive the regulatory process forward. 

Public perception of a risk often becomes heightened when there is a perceived lack of voluntary control on exposure scenarios and exposure levels. It follows that human exposure to chemicals via the environment as a result of pollution or contamination tends to be a particular concern and a useful lobbying focus for many environmental NGO. Social mobilisation can result in risk level attenuation rather than amplification [505]. For instance, when a chemical is perceived as being of particular value to society, the level of risk may be more acceptable to many members of the public [506]. 

Psychometric studies of public perception of risk have shown that dangers associated with radioactive contamination are considered the most dreaded and among the least understood hazards (Slovic, 1987). Fear of the risks associated with nuclear power and associated contamination has had important effects on pohcy and commercial decisions in the last few decades. In the US, no... 

Management of the risk posed by an environmental contaminant presents the final challenge in the process of solving hazardous waste problems. Once a concern has been identified and a potential risk has been estimated, reduction or removal of that risk must be addressed. The cleanup represents a fascinating political process that incorporates the public s perception of the risk, divergent social values and philosophies, legal constraints, economic considerations, and technical alternatives. 

The prevailing opinion is that bse was originally caused by feeding animal products, including those derived from sheep, to cattle. When cholesterol is extracted from spinal cords or wool, there is always a chance that it will be contaminated with trace amounts of other animal products, perhaps even the special proteins, known as prions, that scientists have implicated in BSE. The risk of anybody contracting mad cow disease from cosmetics borders on zero, but cosmetics producers have to contend with the consumer perception that animal-derived... 

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