Chapter 18 page 395 presents a cases study of asbestos and the dangers it causes to the environment. Direct or indirect consumption of asbestos fibers into the human body poses great dangers to body organs and tissues. Toxic chemicals produced by asbestos once inhaled stays in the lungs for a long period and cause chronic disorders like mesothelioma, lung cancer, and fibrosis. Mesothelioma forms a type of cancer only caused by asbestos. Fibrosis causes breathing difficulties on affected individuals (Chiras, 2014).
Asbestos come from natural deposits of rocks. Asbestos is used mainly in building materials, asbestos-cement products, friction products, paper products, and in gaskets making. The use of asbestos in United States has currently decreased because of its dangers to human health (United States Environmental Protection Agency (UEPA), 2013).
Acceptability of risks caused by chemicals occurs through risk acceptability tool. From a cost-benefit analysis, asbestos has many benefits like improved productivity in industries, creating business opportunities, jobs, and financial gains. On the other hand, the costs associated with risks of asbestos are considerably high compared to benefits. Asbestos chemicals cause cancer which is the most dangerous chronic illness that causes loss of many lives each year. Estimates of exposure and risks caused by asbestos chemicals are above the environmental risk management criteria making the risk not acceptable (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2008).
The cost-benefit method of risk acceptability bears the following major limitation. Most benefits that occur in cost-benefit risk assessment method are economic gains. People with powers like political leaders and the rich can easily control take advantage of their positions to influence the society ignore costs of the risk and focus on its benefits. In addition, most environmental agencies poorly document the costs of using risky chemicals paving way for organizations quantify the benefits and term the risks acceptable (Chiras, 2014).
References
Chiras, D. (2014). Principles of Toxicology and Risk Assessment. In Environmental Science (pp.
384-409). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (October 18, 2013). Asbestos.
Retrieved November 15, 2014 from
http://www.epa.gov/ttnatw01/hlthef/asbestos.html
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2008). Framework for Investigating Asbestos-
Contaminated Superfund Sites. Retrieved November 15, 2014 from
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/health/contaminants/asbestos/pdfs/framework_asbestos_guidance.pdf
