Effects of Synthetic Chemical Exposures on Human Health

Exposure to synthetic chemicals, like any other activity, can be analyzed by using a cost-benefit framework. Rational individuals consume privafe goods if benefifs exceed costs. 

Consumers can easily calculate the benefits of chemical use. Farmers compufe how pesticides increase crop yields, and people appreci-afe fhe facf fhaf chlorination produces bacferia-free water. It is more difficult to determine the costs of chemical use because, in addition to a commodity s market price, there are less obvious costs, such as increased health risks. 

This chapter surveys the scientific liferature and explains what is known about chemical exposures and human health. 

Suppose we wanted to determine if a new drug reduces insomnia. We could conduct an experiment in which some subjects were exposed to the drug and compare their insomnia rate with that of a confrol group who were not exposed. 

Buf we could boost our confidence by increasing fhe size of the groups. If fhere were 1,076 people in each group and we observed a 5 percenf incidence difference, then we could be 95 percent certain that the drug had a positive effect.  

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Effects of Synthetic Chemical Exposures on Human Health... 

Toxicologists have only just begun to study the influence of individual synthetic chemicals at low levels on human health. Unfortunately, toxicologists know virtually nothing about the toxic effects of chemical mixtures. Given these unknowns, our exposure to complex mixtures of synthetic chemicals could be responsible for a portion of the background health effects measured in our society. 

Toxicological Sciences, the official SOT journal, is distributed monthly in print and electronically. The journal publishes premier peer-reviewed, hypothesis-driven, original research articles that are broadly relevant to assessing the potentially adverse health effects resulting from exposure of humans or animals to chemicals, drugs, natural products, or synthetic materials. Studies may involve experimental animals or human subjects, or they may focus on in vitro methods or alternatives to the use of experimental animals. Sections include original research, reviews, forum articles on policy or research issues, editorials, letters to the editor, and supplementary data guidelines. 

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