The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology
Abstract Hazard identification is a major scientific challenge, notably for environmental epidemiology, and is often surrounded, as the recent case of glyphosate shows, by debate arising in the first place by the inherently problematic nature of many components of the identification process. Particu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Environmental Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-017-0296-3 |
| _version_ | 1811237078238756864 |
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| author | Rodolfo Saracci |
| author_facet | Rodolfo Saracci |
| author_sort | Rodolfo Saracci |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Hazard identification is a major scientific challenge, notably for environmental epidemiology, and is often surrounded, as the recent case of glyphosate shows, by debate arising in the first place by the inherently problematic nature of many components of the identification process. Particularly relevant in this respect are components less amenable to logical or mathematical formalization and essentially dependent on scientists’ judgment. Four such potentially hazardous components that are capable of distorting the correct process of hazard identification are reviewed and discussed from an epidemiologist perspective: (1) lexical mix-up of hazard and risk (2) scientific questions as distinct from testable hypotheses, and implications for the hierarchy of strength of evidence obtainable from different types of study designs (3) assumptions in prior beliefs and model choices and (4) conflicts of interest. Four suggestions are put forward to strengthen a process that remains in several aspects judgmental, but not arbitrary, in nature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:19:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b2db29f49bd4b159eb9ff1a16e46c61 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1476-069X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:19:55Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b2db29f49bd4b159eb9ff1a16e46c612022-12-22T03:33:19ZengBMCEnvironmental Health1476-069X2017-08-011611810.1186/s12940-017-0296-3The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiologyRodolfo Saracci0International Agency for Research on CancerAbstract Hazard identification is a major scientific challenge, notably for environmental epidemiology, and is often surrounded, as the recent case of glyphosate shows, by debate arising in the first place by the inherently problematic nature of many components of the identification process. Particularly relevant in this respect are components less amenable to logical or mathematical formalization and essentially dependent on scientists’ judgment. Four such potentially hazardous components that are capable of distorting the correct process of hazard identification are reviewed and discussed from an epidemiologist perspective: (1) lexical mix-up of hazard and risk (2) scientific questions as distinct from testable hypotheses, and implications for the hierarchy of strength of evidence obtainable from different types of study designs (3) assumptions in prior beliefs and model choices and (4) conflicts of interest. Four suggestions are put forward to strengthen a process that remains in several aspects judgmental, but not arbitrary, in nature.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-017-0296-3Bayes’ theoremConflict of interestHazard identificationIARC MonographsLinearityModel assumptions |
| spellingShingle | Rodolfo Saracci The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology Environmental Health Bayes’ theorem Conflict of interest Hazard identification IARC Monographs Linearity Model assumptions |
| title | The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology |
| title_full | The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology |
| title_fullStr | The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology |
| title_full_unstemmed | The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology |
| title_short | The hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology |
| title_sort | hazards of hazard identification in environmental epidemiology |
| topic | Bayes’ theorem Conflict of interest Hazard identification IARC Monographs Linearity Model assumptions |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-017-0296-3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rodolfosaracci thehazardsofhazardidentificationinenvironmentalepidemiology AT rodolfosaracci hazardsofhazardidentificationinenvironmentalepidemiology |