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6 Promoting and Sustaining Public Trust in Exposure Science
Pages 154-168

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From page 154...
... Those considerations illustrate that the long-term success of human and environmental exposure science requires that attention be focused on the ethical and societal issues raised by modern research practice. Although human exposure studies typically present only minor risks to research volunteers, several studies have sparked controversy.
From page 155...
... Many of the ethical considerations that should guide the conduct of observational exposure studies are discussed in the recent EPA report Scientific and Ethical Approaches for Observational Exposure Studies, which provides well-defined and documented procedures for conducting exposure-related research. That report describes two primary elements for human-subject protections: review by an impartial IRB and informed consent of research subjects.
From page 156...
... To address those possible risks, investigators should strive to ensure that data are protected and that research subjects understand any potential risks associated with their participation. The committee acknowledges in addition to observational exposure studies, there are intentional dosing studies that can involve potential increases in harmful exposures.
From page 157...
... Exposure scientists should engage members of the public in identifying and addressing relevant health concerns. To advance that goal, it is critical that members of the public be able to access information from human and environmental exposure studies.
From page 158...
... Federal and private funding agencies have been providing increased support for community-engaged exposure studies, recognizing that this contributes to improving study results through better recruitment and retention of study participants and through dissemination of study results to diverse public audiences (Brown et al.
From page 159...
... . The two neighborhoods are affected by environmental exposures.
From page 160...
... This community-driven collaboration be came known as the "ReGenesis Project". ReGenesis built an environmental justice partnership with the city of Spartanburg, the county, the EPA Region 4 Office of Environmental Justice, the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Spartanburg Housing Authority, the county's Community and Economic Development Department, local industry, and the University of South Carolina to address environmental effects on local health and adopt strategies to revitalize the Arkwright and Forest Park neighborhoods (EPA 2003, 2006)
From page 161...
... The potential for increasing private-sector involvement in this field of research may raise additional concerns about personal privacy. Future studies may seek to relate environmental exposure data to other large databases, including data on cellulartelephone use, global positioning system location, food consumption, and consumer shopping patterns.
From page 162...
... . Studying Susceptible and Vulnerable Populations Ethical issues associated with exposure studies that involve susceptible and vulnerable populations -- such as children, economically disadvantaged populations, the infirm, and workers -- will continue to present challenges for the field of exposure science and the rest of environmental health.
From page 163...
... Although budgetary pressures may make it difficult to advocate for studies of environmental exposure, advancing exposure science requires recognition of the interconnectedness of human health and ecologic health. GUIDING VALUES: THE RIGHT TO LEARN In developing practical approaches to societal challenges that will increase public support for exposure science, researchers conducting exposure studies should be mindful of the guiding values that shape their research.
From page 164...
... To the extent that exposure assessment has traditionally been driven largely by regulatory purposes, there is a need to reorient the focus of exposure as sessment to engage a more diverse set of stakeholders in decisions about the direction of human and environmental exposure science. Needs for translation of exposure science to educate citizens extends from informing people about how they can change their behaviors to improve personal health to informing those responsible for sources of harmful exposures how they can reduce harmful emissions and thereby contribute to improv ing environmental and public health.
From page 165...
... The expanding scope of exposure-assessment studies may also create opportunities to provide citizen-volunteers with exposure data that they would find useful in reducing their personal exposure to environmental stressors. Scientists conducting exposure-assessment studies and the agencies that support their work should consider how to anticipate and respond to these challenges so as to maximize the global impact of human and environmental exposure science and sustain public confidence in the integrity of this evolving field of research.
From page 166...
... 2008. Scientific and Ethical Approaches for Observational Exposure Studies.
From page 167...
... 2007. Lessons learned from the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study.
From page 168...
... 168 Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy income African-American communities in North Carolina.


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