HUMAN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

The nature of hazard identification and risk assessment for human heal th of chemicals in the environment are examined. Sources of uncertaint y in the experimental approach to defining toxic hazards and risks are described and so are factors that limit the quality of many epidemiol ogical studies of population toxicity. It is important for the toxicol ogist to consider all forms of risk both as probabilities and in terms of the nature and severity of the harm done to those affected. Toxico logy, especially in its application to man and environmental hazards, may be influenced by societal and other politico-economic factors. Tox icologists must take care, therefore, to be recognised as true profess ionals, by recognising their obligations both to the proximate user of their results and their wider responsibilities to society.