Globalization of <i>Risk Analysis: An International Journal</i>

In the first issue of Risk Analysis: An International Journal (Vol. 1, Num. 1), every article was authored by a North American. The second issue included one article from outside North America, a contribution about the transportation of chlorine in France.1 Since that time the proportion of articles from Europe and other continents has steadily increased. During the period from 2001–2005, 67 percent of articles were from North America and 25 percent were from Europe with 8 percent from other continents. For the period from 2006 through March 2009, in comparison, only 51 percent of the articles were from North American authors, while 38 percent were from Europeans, and 11 percent were from residents of other continents. Consistent with our December 2008 editorial, we anticipate seeing more articles from outside North America and Europe and have already noticed more submissions from Australia, China, Iran, Israel, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. We will continue to track this important trend to ensure the journal's subtitle reflects its contents. In subsequent issues, we will summarize the changes in subjects published in the journal. This issue reflects both a diversity and commonality of topics one would associate with a global endeavor. In December 2008, we expected international financial problems to linger. Accordingly, we asked Timothy Earle and Alan Mazur to reflect upon risk perception and communication elements of the global economic decline, which began in the United States. Dr. Earle's perspective concentrates on trust and confidence, arguing that the two are not interchangeable but tightly intertwined with risk management in complex ways that elude simple formulas. Dr. Mazur examines media coverage of inconsistent comments by U.S. federal officials about what was happening and what they were doing about it. Eventually, Dr. Mazur predicts, the media will see the financial decline story as old and less newsworthy and move it deeper into newspapers and web sites. The majority of research articles in this issue address risks associated with food and water. Regis Pouillot et al. combine a model for the assessment of exposure to Listeria monocytogenes from cold-smoked salmon consumption with a hazard characterization model. Using France as a case study, where the number of cases is about 300 a year, the authors point to highly uncertain dose-response information and conclude that most of the serious contamination occurs because of “time–temperature abuse during the consumer step.” Funded by the Belgian Federal Government, Kaatje Bollaerts et al. examine human salmonellosis associated with consumption of fresh minced pork meat in Belgium. Their microbial risk assessment of potential exposures finds that undercooking, and to a lesser extent cross contamination, in the kitchen via cooks’ hands are the main exposure paths. With regard to water, James Englehardt et al. note that microbes, unlike many chemicals, are not homogeneously distributed in water. In a study supported by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, they present a discrete growth distribution (DGD) model for environmental media. Sanderson et al. review aquatic risks from Amine Oxides and present the results of their assessment, funded by international members of the Amine Oxide Consortium. Amine Oxides, also known as surfactants, are commonly used in liquid dishwashing soap and laundry detergents, as well as in shampoos, hair conditioners and other personal care products and have been under increasing scrutiny for their potential ecotoxicity. In an article about a different kind of water-related risk, Samuel Brody et al. examine changes in local flood mitigation policies in Florida from 1999 to 2005. The economic costs of floods have escalated markedly during the last decade. Supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, they find that many local jurisdictions have adjusted their zoning and other local management practices in response to their experiences with floods. As readers have come to expect, the remaining articles address a broad range of topics and tools. With assistance from the U.S. and Canadian governments, Denys Yemshanov et al. examine the impact of invasive species on North American forests. They simulate entry of Sirex noctili, a wood wasp native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa, where it attacks pines almost exclusively. Their three decade forecast suggests a high likelihood of appearance in Ontario, Quebec, and the northeastern United States, with further southward movement dependent on the impact of recent international treatment standards for wood packing materials. Kyoji Furukawa et al. develop a Bayesian age-period-cohort model to predict expected numbers of excess radiation disease-related cases among Japanese atomic bomb survivors. Funded by Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF), they assess its potential contribution to epidemiology and risk assessment. Sandy Helene Straus and Xiaojun Gu, who are developers and producers of online testing procedures, examined automobile collisions of millions of drivers from Arizona and California between 1991–2001. They conclude that there is a need for improved and automated driver's license testing techniques and applications, especially as these relate to the visual and cognitive abilities of drivers with age and other related limitations to detect and respond to external cues. Funded by Alpharma, Tony Cox et al. examine the potential risk associated with using penicillin and ampicillin drugs for treating, controlling, and preventing diseases in pigs and poultry. The volume concludes with a review of Social Theories of Risk and Uncertainty: An Introduction, edited by Jens O. Zinn. Our reviewer Debastmita Patra says the book is a solid introduction for scholars unfamiliar with the major theoretical trends in risk assessment and those interested in sociologically-based risk theories. Finally, we just learned that the following two papers published in our journal were chosen by the Society of Toxicology as among the “Top 10 Publications in 2008 Demonstrating an Application of Risk Assessment”: Bogen KT. 2008. An adjustment factor for mode-of-action uncertainty with dual-mode carcinogens: the case of naphthalene-induced nasal tumors in rats. Risk Anal. 28(4):1033-51; Cullen AC, Corrales MA, Kramer CB, Faustman EM. 2008. The application of genetic information for regulatory standard setting under the clean air act: a decision-analytic approach. Risk Anal. 28(4):877-90. Congratulations to the authors.

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