Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy
There is increasing evidence that human exposure to levels of chemicals once thought to be safe--or presenting insignificant risk--are, in fact, harmful. So-called low-level exposures are now known to be associated with adverse biological effects including cancer, endocrine disruption, and chemical...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | en_US |
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Toxicology and Industrial Health
2021
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/074823379901500317 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130917 |
| _version_ | 1811074838020751360 |
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| author | Ashford, Nicholas A. |
| author_facet | Ashford, Nicholas A. |
| author_sort | Ashford, Nicholas A. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | There is increasing evidence that human exposure to levels of chemicals once thought to be safe--or presenting insignificant risk--are, in fact, harmful. So-called low-level exposures are now known to be associated with adverse biological effects including cancer, endocrine disruption, and chemical sensitivity. This requires that we change both (1) the way we design research linking chemicals and health, and (2) the solutions we devise to address chemically caused injury. The new and emerging science of low-level exposure to chemicals requires appropriate social policy responses which include regulation of toxic substances, notification of those exposed, and compensation and reasonable accommodation to those affected. Research and social policy need to be focused towards two distinct groups: (1) those individuals who could become chemically intolerant as a result of an initiating exposure, and (2) those individuals who have already become chemically intolerant and are now sensitive to chemicals at low levels. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:56:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/130917 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | en_US |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T09:56:14Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | Toxicology and Industrial Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1309172021-06-08T03:27:41Z Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy Ashford, Nicholas A. There is increasing evidence that human exposure to levels of chemicals once thought to be safe--or presenting insignificant risk--are, in fact, harmful. So-called low-level exposures are now known to be associated with adverse biological effects including cancer, endocrine disruption, and chemical sensitivity. This requires that we change both (1) the way we design research linking chemicals and health, and (2) the solutions we devise to address chemically caused injury. The new and emerging science of low-level exposure to chemicals requires appropriate social policy responses which include regulation of toxic substances, notification of those exposed, and compensation and reasonable accommodation to those affected. Research and social policy need to be focused towards two distinct groups: (1) those individuals who could become chemically intolerant as a result of an initiating exposure, and (2) those individuals who have already become chemically intolerant and are now sensitive to chemicals at low levels. 2021-06-07T20:27:03Z 2021-06-07T20:27:03Z 1999 Article https://doi.org/10.1177/074823379901500317 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130917 en_US Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ application/pdf Toxicology and Industrial Health |
| spellingShingle | Ashford, Nicholas A. Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy |
| title | Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy |
| title_full | Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy |
| title_fullStr | Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy |
| title_short | Low-level chemical sensitivity: implications for research and social policy |
| title_sort | low level chemical sensitivity implications for research and social policy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/074823379901500317 https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/130917 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ashfordnicholasa lowlevelchemicalsensitivityimplicationsforresearchandsocialpolicy |