Final Program - Society for Risk Analysis

W3-B.4 Bouwknegt M, Verhaelen K, Rutjes SA, De Roda Husman AM; martijn.bouwknegt@rivm.nlNational Institute for Public Health and The EnvironmentESTIMATION OF HUMAN INFECTION RISKS FOR FOODBORNE VI-RUSES DUE TO CONSUMPTION OF FRESH PRODUCE, PORK ANDMUSSELS IN EUROPEHuman pathogenic viruses can contaminate food and thus pose a foodbornerisk to humans, especially for food items that are consumed raw or moderately cooked.These viruses can be of human or animal origin and can contaminate foods intrinsically(inside the food item), or extrinsically (on the surface). Along these lines viruscontamination was monitored in the food production chains of fresh produce (softfruits and salad vegetables), pork and mussels within the project VITAL. For mussels,virus concentrations at point-of-sale were assessed and used to estimate human exposure.For the other foods the entire production chain was studied additionally. Humanpathogenic viruses examined were norovirus (NoV) genogroup I and II, hepatitis Avirus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) by PCR. NoV, HAV and HEV can contaminatefresh produce extrinsically and mussels extrinsically and intrinsically, whereasHEV can contaminate pork products intrinsically when pigs experience a HEV-infection.Potential virus sources were identified per production chain using questionnairesfor each production site. For fresh produce these were: irrigation water, animalmanure, harvesters’ hands, conveyor belts, food handlers’ hands, cutting knives andrinsing water. For pork production, these were: pig meat, pig faeces pig liver, meatmincers. The sources were sampled longitudinally, screened for virus presence andindeed pathogenic viruses were found. Distributions of virus concentrations wereestimated for each potential source by maximum likelihood. Probabilistic risk assessmentmodels resembling the food chain were used to estimate virus contamination ofend-products and the eventual food-related exposure to viruses of humans.T2-A.3 Boyd AD, Einsiedel EF; adboyd@ucalgary.caUniversity of CalgaryENERGY SYSTEMS AND CLIMATE CHANGE: CANADIAN PERSPEC-TIVES AND EVALUATIONS OF TRADE-OFFS AND VALUESCanada is one of the largest producers and exporters of energy in the world.The country also possesses a diverse portfolio of energy resources. The extractionand consumption of these resources has resulted in increasing greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions throughout Canada. A number of strategies and policies have beenput in place to encourage the development of innovative low emitting GHG energytechnologies and climate change reductions plans. Pubic input and acceptance iscritical to the success of these plans. A nation wide survey was administered in July2010 to better understand the views and understanding of climate change and energysystems. The survey was administered via Internet and phone to a representativesample of 1,479 Canadians recruited by a market research firm. The survey was deliveredin both French and English to represent both official national languages. Resultsindicate that respondents primary considerations when making choices about energysystems include: (1) possible impacts on human health (69%), (2) level of pollution(64%) and; (3) reduced environmental impacts (62%). Less salient factors includedjob creation (23%), effects on landscape (31%), and impacts on nearby communities(36%). The majority of respondents (77%) agreed that climate change is a seriousproblem and 66% of respondents agreed that human beings are primarily responsiblefor climate change. We also explore respondents’ perceptions of risks associated withenergy systems and what sources they think generate electricity. We conclude bydiscussing various perceptions among different regions of the country and the policychallenges associated with energy developments.P.74 Boyd AB, Paveglio TB, Einsiedel EF; adboyd@ucalgary.caUniversity of CalgaryFRONT PAGE OR ‘BURIED’ BENEATH THE FOLD? MEDIA COVER-AGE OF CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGEMedia can greatly affect public views and opinions on science, policy and riskissues. This is especially true of a controversial emerging technology that is relativelyunknown to the majority of the public. The study presented here employs a mediacontent analysis of carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS), one potentialstrategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that has attracted much internationalinterest and media coverage. CCS refers to the capture of carbon dioxide emissionsfrom industrial sources and the long-term storage of these emissions in stable undergroundreservoirs. To date, there has been very little research completed on CCSrepresentations in news media, especially within North America. For that reasonthe research presented here can offer beneficial insights into the prevailing publicresponse to CCS risk and possible adoption of the technology. The authors analyzedmedia coverage from two leading Canadian national newspapers and two major westernregional Canadian newspapers as part of the study. Relevant articles were categorizedto determine the frequency and themes of media. An in-depth content analysiswas then conducted to examine factors relating to risk from CCS and if coveragewas negatively or positively biased. Results demonstrate that the majority of coverageis general news and business stories. However coverage also suggests inherent risksand economic issues associated with CCS. The number of articles about CCS hasincreased greatly, including front page stories, especially since the announcement of$2 billion in financial support for the technology from the Province of Alberta. Weconclude by discussing the possible impact of media coverage on support or oppositionto CCS adoption in Western Canada and speak broadly about the changing roleof the media in understanding risk associated with technology.65