Omnia venenum sunt

摘要

There are deep differences in perception of the chemical risk among common people and the evidence of risk derived from validated studies and observations.In addition to psychological factors such as dread,perceived uncontrollability and involuntary exposure,there is the lack of credibility in scientists(or in the managers of the science)and the conviction of intrinsic hazard of all synthetic chemicals.Furthermore,it is practically ignored that each new compound undergoes a long,meticulous and expensive process to verify its safety before the introduction on the market.Much experimental work is designed to describe the toxicity of new chemicals for regulatory purposes.Equally important are the investigative studies aimed at understanding the mechanisms of toxicity either as an aid to understanding basic biological processes or as a means of improving the ability to extrapolate laboratory experimental observations to humans.