[ RadSafe ] Purpose of Risk Assessment

[Tom Mohaupt]

Many of you may be interested in the latest BELLE Newsletter that 
addresses "What is the Purpose of Risk Assessment?".  Unfortunately, the 
newsletter has not yet been posted on the BELLE web page: 
http://www.belleonline.com/
This newsletter addresses an EPA staff document by Members of the Risk 
Assessment Task Force (EPA/100/B/001) March 2004. In Section 4.1.3 (page 
53). The EPA paper states " At present, there is no Agency-wide guidance 
from which all health assessors can draw when making a judgment about 
adversity. Therefore, various experts may have differing opinions on 
what constitutes an adverse effect for some changes. Moreover, as the 
purpose of a risk assessment is to identify risk (harm, adverse effect, 
etc.), effects that appear to be adaptive, non-adverse, or beneficial 
may not be mentioned."

The EPA conclusion is discussed in seven, brief, well-written, articles 
by experts in the field. Of particular note to Radsafers is an article 
by Feinendegen and Neumann that uses radiation as a basis for their 
argument.

Tom

-- 
Thomas Mohaupt, M.S., CHP
Radiation Safety Officer
Wright State University
937-775-2169
tom.mohaupt at wright.edu