How do scientists determine ES&H risks? How do these risks compare to other activities in a modern industrial society?
Many industrial health risks are discovered when workers get sick, or through detailed epidemiology studies. For example, in the 19th century, it was determined that mercury caused worker illness in the felt and hat industries (Mad Hatter’s Disease). Epidemiology studies assess large numbers of people for relationships between exposures and illness. Other risks are identified through hypotheses/observations based on scientific principles and lab experiments. Scientists started monitoring for ozone depletion when they realized specific chemicals released to the atmosphere undergo reactions resulting in ozone destruction. In an ES&H context, chemical risks to health are generally much less than the routine dangers of driving an automobile. Peer review of research data will typically result in a scientific consensus regarding ES&H risks, and actions required to reduce these risks.
