RiskAnalysis 49effects resulting from these incidents. Assume that toxic material leaked into the soil,
air, and drinking water over a period of 5 years.
3.14 A couple with two children ages 18 months and 4 years is buying an older
house. The house has aluminum wiring, 10-ft-high asbestos ‘‘popcorn” ceilings in
which the asbestos has been painted over, and high radon readings in the basement.
The couple can only afford to mitigate one of these risks (let us assume that mitigation
costs the same for all three). Which risk should be mitigated, in your opinion? Give
reasons for your answer.
3.15 How would you rank the folIowing risks (start with highest risk):
0 smoking
0 exposure to second-hand smoke
0 riding in an automobile
0 drinking water from a mountain stream
0 technical mountain climbing
0 bicycling on bike laries on city streets
0 bicycling on city streets
0 downhillskiing
0 bungee jumping
0 flying in a commercial jet
0 flying in a small twin-engine plane
0 living 5 miles frm a nuclear power plant
0 living 5 miles from a coal-burning power plant.This problem is best done by a team or class. It is also interesting to revisit this problem
at the end of the course.