Asbestos in Commercial and Public Buildings: Risk Assessment, Technology Assessment, and Public Policy

Abstract

Managing the human health risks of asbestos presents many challenges that arise from the complexity of the problem, the uncertain degree and nature of exposure under various scenarios, the lack of animal models suitable for this purpose, and the interactions between public sensitivities and the high costs of abatement. In these circumstances, some help may be provided by two sets of approaches and techniques, known as risk assessment and technology assessment. Neither has yet been applied in optimal form in analyses of asbestos risks.