Featured in the February edition of the Synergist, a monthly journal published by the American Industrial Hygiene (AIHA), is a new article written by C&IH entitled, “’Miracle Mineral’ Risk Assessment: New Information and New Models Are Transforming Asbestos Risk Assessment.” The peer-reviewed article, written by a C&IH team led by Dr. Andrey Korchevskiy with technical support from Dr. James Rasmuson and Eric Rasmuson, discusses the history of asbestos risk assessment and how the application of exposure and risk assessment models are shaping the future of this scientific field. The underlying focus of the article is that to truly assess risk, an industrial hygienist must have an in-depth understanding of the newer asbestos risk assessment models, as well as the historical approaches upon which occupational exposure standards have been based. The authors also emphasize that the asbestos risk assessment approach is potentially useful for other applications involving man-made fibers, nanoparticles, and other hazardous substances.

The article, sponsored by the AIHA Risk Assessment Committee (RAC), is based on a professional development course (PDC) and roundtable organized by C&IH for the 2013 AIHce in Montreal, Canada. (Both events were jointly sponsored by the RAC and the AIHA International Affairs Committee.) This discussion will be further advanced during a PDC and roundtable being organized by C&IH for the 2014 AIHce in San Antonio, Texas.

The article was originally published in the February 2014 issue of The Synergist®, the magazine of the American Industrial Hygiene Association®.