Environmental Health and Hazard Risk Assessment Principles and Calculations

Environmental Health and Hazard Risk Assessment: Principles and Calculations explains how to evaluate and apply environmental health and hazard risk assessment calculations in a variety of real-life settings. Using a wealth of examples and case studies, the book helps readers develop both a theoretical understanding and a working knowledge of the principles of health, safety, and accident management. Learn the Fundamentals of Health, Safety, and Accident Management The book takes a pragmatic approach to risk assessment, identifying problems and outlining solutions. Organized into four parts, the text: Presents an overview of the history of environmental health and hazard problems, legal considerations, and emergency planning and response Tackles the broad subject of health risk assessment, discussing toxicology, exposure, and health risk characterization Examines hazard risk assessment in significant detail—from problem identification, probability, consequence, and characterization of hazards/accidents to the fundamentals of applicable statistics theory Uses case studies to demonstrate the applications and calculations of risk analysis for real systems Incorporate Health and Safety in Process Design The book assumes only a basic background in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, making it suitable for students and those new to the field. It is also a valuable reference for practicing engineers, scientists, technicians, technical managers, and others tasked with ensuring that plant and equipment operations meet applicable standards and regulations. A clear and comprehensive resource, this book offers guidance for those who want to reduce or eliminate the environmental health effects and accidents that can result in loss of life, materials, and property.

Part I Introductory Comments About the BookWhy Use Risk-Based Decision Making?Book ContentsDefinitionsRisk TermsFinancial Risk History of Environmental Health ProblemsFirst HumansDevelopment of AgricultureColonization of the New WorldIndustrial Revolution History of Environmental Hazard ProblemsEarly AccidentsRecent Major AccidentsMajor Accidents in the Twenty-First CenturyAdvances in Safety Features Health Risk versus Hazard RiskIntroduction to the Health Risk Assessment ProcessIntroduction to the Hazard Risk Assessment ProcessQualitative Risk ScenariosWhat Are the Differences?Uncertainty FactorsFuture Trends in Environmental Risk Assessment Environmental Regulatory FrameworkRegulatory SystemLaws and Regulations: The DifferencesRole of the StatesResource Conservation and Recovery ActMajor Toxic Chemical Laws Administered by the U.S. EPALegislative Tools for Controlling Water PollutionOil Pollution ActSuperfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (CERCLA) of 1986Clean Air ActOccupational Safety and Health ActEPA’s Risk Management ProgramPollution Prevention Act of 1990 Emergency Planning and ResponseNeed for Emergency Response PlanningPlanning CommitteeHazards SurveyPlan for EmergenciesTraining of PersonnelNotification of Public and Regulatory OfficialsPlan ImplementationOther State Regulatory InitiativesIllustrative Examples Part II Health Risk Assessment Introduction to Health Risk AssessmentHealth Risk Evaluation ProcessHealth Problem IdentificationToxicology and Dose–ResponseExposure AssessmentHealth Risk Characterization Health Problem IdentificationToxicology PrinciplesEpidemiology PrinciplesMolecular/Atomic Structural AnalysisMaterial Safety Data SheetsEngineering Problem SolvingFate of Chemicals in the Environment Related to Health ProblemsCarcinogens versus Noncarcinogens Toxicity and Dose–ResponseDefinitionsToxicologyEpidemiologyNoncarcinogensCarcinogensUncertainties/Limitations Exposure AssessmentComponents of an Exposure AssessmentDispersion in Water SystemsDispersion in SoilsDispersion in the Atmosphere Health Risk CharacterizationQualitative Health Risk ScenariosQuantitative Risk: NoncarcinogensQuantitative Risk: CarcinogensRisk Uncertainties/LimitationsRisk-Based Decision MakingPublic Perception of Risk Part III Hazard Risk Assessment Introduction to Hazard Risk AssessmentRisk Evaluation Process for AccidentsHazard IdentificationProbability and Causes of AccidentsConsequences of AccidentsHazard Risk Characterization Hazard/Event Problem IdentificationProcess EquipmentClassification of AccidentsFires, Explosions, Toxic Emissions, and Hazardous SpillsHazard Event Evaluation Techniques Hazard/Event ProbabilityAccident CausesSeries and Parallel SystemsProbability DistributionsWeibull DistributionFault Tree Analysis Hazard/Event ConsequencesAccident Minimization/PreventionConsequence EstimationFailure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA)Vulnerability AnalysisEvent Tree Analysis Hazard Risk CharacterizationRisk CharacterizationPublic Perception of RiskRisk CommunicationCause–Consequence AnalysisQualitative Hazard Risk AssessmentUncertainties/LimitationsQuantitative Hazard Risk Assessment Part IV Case Studies Case for Case StudiesCase Study Criteria: Is It Logical, Relevant, and Reasonable?Preparing a Case Study Solution Monte Carlo SimulationCase Study 1: Time to Pump FailureCase Study 2: Time to Failure of Two Electrical ComponentsCase Study 3: Nuclear Plant Temperature Gauge LifetimeCase Study 4: Bus Section Failures in ElectrostaticPrecipitators Emergency Planning and ResponseCase Study 1: Terrorist Attack of a Pharmaceutical Company’s Plant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New YorkCase Study 2: Terrorist Attack of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New YorkCase Study 3: Plans to Counter the Possibility of a Process or Plant-Related Accident at the "Wedo" Chemical Facility in Suffolk County, Long Island, New YorkCase Study 4: Dilution Ventilation Models Natural DisastersCase Study 1: HurricanesCase Study 2: FloodsCase Study 3: EarthquakesCase Study 4: MeteoritesCase Study 5: Combined Hurricanes and Flooding Industrial AccidentsCase Study 1: Nanochemical Plant AccidentCase Study 2: Caustic Tank Preliminary Hazard AnalysisCase Study 3: Transportation of Hazardous ChemicalsCase Study 4: Offshore Rig Accident Afterword Index Chapters include an introduction and references.

Theodore, Louis; Dupont, R. Ryan