This volume of the series Advances in Risk Analysis consists of papers
presented at the 1988 Annual Meeting of the Society for Risk Analysis,
which was held October 30 through November 2 at the Mayflower Hotel in
Washington, DC. The papers span the gamut of the increasing number of
risk assessment topics addressed by the Society since it held its fIrst
annual meeting in June 1981, also in Washington DC. Organized to promote
interdisciplinary analyses, the Society approaches risks from three
broad perspectives: (1) the impact of various risks on the health of the
world's populations and on the environment; (2) the social and political
implications of specifIc risks, and (3) the management and reduction of
risks through the development of a risk analysis methodology and
corresponding data bases. The papers included in this volume typify
these three approaches and illustrate their interdependence. For
example, both cancer and noncancer health risks are examined for a
variety of situations that exist within society. The public's perception
of risks and the correlation between that perception and the acceptance
or nonacceptance of certain risks is also addressed. In addition, the
progress to date on predicting and quantifying specifIc risks, including
the risks associated with the construction and use of large engineered
systems, is reported. Included among the papers are several dealing with
recent current issues, such as the impact of California's Proposition
65, hazardous waste disposal, and chemical accidents.
