Risks!!!!
Risk is the probability of suffering harm from a hazard.
The Big 5 Killers in the U.S. (from the National Center for Health Statistics 1999)
|
All causes |
2,391,399 |
100% |
|
Diseases of heart |
725,192 |
30.3% |
|
Malignant Neoplasms |
549,838 |
23.0% |
|
Cerebrovascular |
167,366 |
7% |
|
Lower Respiratory disease |
124,181 |
5.2% |
|
Accidents |
97,860 |
4.1% |
More Causes of Death (from the National Center for Health Statistics 1993)
|
Tobacco Use |
419,000 |
|
Alcohol Use |
150,000 |
|
Automobile Accidents |
42,000 |
|
Suicides |
30,000 |
|
Hard Drug Use |
30,000 |
|
Homicides |
22,500 |
|
|
|
A poison is a chemical that has an LD50 of 50 milligrams or less per kg of body weight.
LD50 is the median lethal dose.
Some toxic chemicals show a threshold response, some do not.
mutagens, teratogens, carcinogens
immune system and endocrine system disrupters
Earthquake Risk
Factors that Shorten average life span in the U.S (from Bernard Cohen)
|
Poverty |
7-10 years |
|
Born Male |
7.5 years |
|
Smoking |
6 years |
|
Overweight (35%) |
6 years |