In everyday life people face exposures to a wide array of substances, each of which may inpart their own distinctive risks to health. Some of the risks are infinitesimally small, while others appear to be quite large. Deciding on the relevance of these risks needs careful and systematic science based comparisons.
Comparisons may be among technologies such as alternative forms of fuel additives (MTBE vs. ethanol) to reduce toxic emissions from gasoline engines. Another type may compare the risks of illness or injury from pathogenic organisms in drinking water to the risk of illness from ingestion of byproducts of the disinfectants added to destroy the same pathogens. Also comparisons can be examined between the voluntary and involuntary risks; similarly, one can compare risks of consuming food grown with or without pesticides. Many of these risk-risk evaluations cannot be preformed directly or simply, but require complex procedures to assure defensible "aples to apples" comparisons.
The scientists at The Sapphire Group are experts at designing ways to compare the relative risks posed by various chemicals present in the environment and their potential to cause an adverse health outcome. Our teams of professionals develop criteria to rate and rank from highest to lowest the risks posed by those substances and circumstances.
The information developed from a comparative risk assessment allows our clients to target those pollutants and problems that pose the greatest potential risk to employees or the community. It provides the basis for prioritizing the use of limited resources, and facilitates decision-making by supplying sound scientific data. Our clients can then properly focus budgetary resources, the public gains a better understanding of the relative risks, and leaders and stakeholders are presented with a process to determine the severity and magnitude of problems, so that appropriate solutions can be developed and implemented.
Specifically, The Sapphire Group has evaluated the risks of the use and non-use of MTBE, a fuel additive and other assessments have addressed medical devices and pesticides. We also conducted a comparative assessment of the risk of consuming water with pathogenic organisms vs. water treated with chlorine that may contain chlorination by-products.
