SOCIAL RISK & TOXIC CHEMICALS
Urban & Environmental Policy & Planning
UEP 277 FALL 2008
Instructor: S. Krimsky
WED. 1:30-4PM
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Objectives:
(1) Explores how evidence about chemical risks in our environment is understood and
represented by the public, science, industry, regulators and the media; discusses the
complex factors that turn public awareness about chemical risks into policy responses.
(2) Examines the scientific and historical development of a hypothesis (called the
Environmental Endocrine Hypothesis) that links certain classes of environmental
chemicals to developmental and reproductive abnormalities and disease in humans and
wildlife and to discuss the significance of the pesticide DDT and the synthetic hormone
DES to an understanding of endocrine disrupting chemicals.
(3) Discusses and analyzes scientific and cultural views about chemical risks in the
context of risk assessment, the precautionary principle, contested science, manufactured
uncertainty.
The course will be run in a seminar format with active participation by students.
Readings for Class
Sheldon Krimsky, Hormonal Chaos. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2000 (pap).
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring. Houghton Mifflin, 1996 (pap)
T. Colborn, T. Dumanoski and J.P. Myers. Our Stolen Future. Dutton, 1997 (pap)
Stephen Breyer. Breaking the Vicious Circle, 1994.
Ancillary readings marked PDF in the syllabus will be on Blackboard.
Important Websites
e.hormone Website, Tulane University: http://e.hormone.tulane.edu
Univ. of Ottawa, endocrine disruptors and human health: http://www.emcom.ca/
EPA Site on EDCs: http://www.epa.gov/scipoly.oscpendo/index.htm
Green Facts. Org: Global assessment of the state-of-the-science of endocrine
disruptors by the International Programme on Chemical Safety:
http://www.greenfacts.org/studies/endocrine_disruptors/index.htm
Our Stolen Future Web Site: http://www/ourstolenfuture.org
Environmental Health News: http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org
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Sept. 3 : Sess. 1
Introduction
Overview of the course. Guiding questions; how does our society regulate and
control chemicals? What criteria are used to prohibit or regulate industrial
chemicals; internalist and externalist roles of science in environmental policy;
science, values and policy. Discussion of assignments and student research topics.
Contributions of Rachel Carson. Reading Silent Spring. Sources of information.
Video: Rachel Carson and her work. The American Experience series.
Discussion of video; queries about Silent Spring
Sept 10: Sess. 2.
Rachel Carson’s Legacy
Impact of Silent Spring; culture of pesticide use in the 1950s;
Role of DDT in malaria control; synthetic chlorinated pesticides; public reception
of Silent Spring.
Readings:
Book: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, Ch. 1-9.
Reviews of Silent Spring:
I.L. Baldwin, “Chemicals and pests” Science 137:1042 (September 28, 1962);
William J. Darby, “Silence, Miss Carson. Chem. & Eng. News Oct. 1, 1962, pp.
62-63.
H. Burlington and V. Lindeman, “Effect of DDT on Testes and Secondary Sex
Characters of White Leghorn Cockerels,” Proceedings of the Society for
Experimental Biology and Medicine 74:48-51(1950).
Sept 17: Sess. 3
Backlash Against Carson
Criticisms of Carson’s background, methods, predictions and balance in her
analysis.
Readings
Carson, Silent Spring, Ch. 10-17.
John Wargo, Ch. 2. “The Urgency of Malaria” Our Children’s Toxic Legacy. Yale
1996. PDF
J. Gordon Edwards. “DDT: A Case Study in Scientific Fraud.” Journal of the
American Physicians and Surgeons 9(3):83-88 (Fall 2004). PDF
New York Times articles: John Tierney, “Public perceptions, international politics,
and killers of mosquitoes, Sept. 16, 1999. Editorial, “Fighting malaria with DDT,
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Dec. 23, 2002; Sheryl Stolberg, “DDT, target of global ban, finds defenders in
experts on malaria,” Aug. 29, 1999. PDF
Sept 24: Sess. 4
Our Stolen Future: Theory of Endocrine Disruption
Readings
John A. McLachlan and Steven F. Arnold. "Environmental Estrogens."
American Scientist 84:452-461 (September-October 1996). PDF
EDCs as pathways to Illness. JAMA 294(3):291-293 (July 10, 2005). PDF
GBPSR & MASS PIRG. 1996. Generations at Risk. Ch. 1 “The Reproductive
System,” and Ch. 7 “Endocrine Disirupters.” PDF
Our Stolen Future . Prologue, Ch. 1-4.
Pete Myers and Wendy Hessler. Does 'the dose make the poison?'
http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/NEWSCIENCE/lowdose/2007/20070525nmdrc.html PDF
Assignment for Oct. 1.
Find a critical article on Rachel Carson’s work. Discuss the criticism and use
Silent Spring and the scientific literature to evaluate the criticism. On what
grounds does the criticism rest? Does it have any credibility? 3 double-spaced
pages with bibliography added. 10 pts.
Oct 1: Sess. 5 Theo Colborn’s Contributions
How Colborn discovered endocrine disruption. Comparison/contrast of Colborn
and Carson. Video on Theo Colborn, World Wildlife Fund. Currrent role of
science advocacy.
Readings:
Our Stolen Future, Ch. 5-10.
Hormonal Chaos, pp. 1-54.
Wapner, Kenneth. 1995. “Chemical Sleuth.” The Amicus Journal 17(1):1821(Spring 1995). PDF
H. Patricia Hynes. Ch. 1 The Broad Margins of Life. The Recurring Silent
Spring. Pergamon Press, 1989. PDF
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Oct 8: Sess. 6
Wildlife, Sex Ratios and Endocrine Disruption
Effects of EDCs on wildlife; implications for human health.
Readings:
Colborn, T. Vom Saal, F.S. and Soto, A.M. “Developmental effects of endocrine
disrupting chemicals in wildlife and humans.” Environmental Health
Perspective. 101:378-384 (1993). PDF
Janet Raloff. 1994. "The Gender Benders." Science News 145:24-27(January 8);
145:56-59 (January 22). PDF
Janet Raloff. 1994. That Feminine Touch Science News 145: 56-59 (Jan. 22,
1994). PDF
Retha R. Newbold. 1993. "Gender-related Behavior in Women Exposed
Prenatally to Diethylstilbestrol." Environmental Health Perspective 101(3):208213 (August). PDF
Rex Dalton. Frogs put in the gender blender by America’s favorite herbicide.
Nature 146:665 (April 8, 2002). PDF
J.J. Ryan et al. Sex ratios of children of Russian pesticide producers exposed to
dioxin. Environmental Health Perspectives 110(11):A699—A701 (2002). PDF
J.J. Nagler et al. High incidence of a male-specific genetic marker in phenotypic
female Chinook salmon from the Columbia River. Environmental Health
Perspectives 109(1):67-69 (January 2001). PDF
P. Mocarelli et al. "Paternal concentrations of dioxin and sex ratio of offspring."
The Lancet 395:1858-1839 (May 27, 2000). PDF
Oct 15: Sess. 7
Sperm Decline
Do endocrine disrupting chemicals reduce sperm production of mammals? The
problem of contested scientific evidence. Navigating through the uncertainties in
toxicological findings.
Assignment for Week 8.
Prepare a brief essay on the critics of the Environmental Endocrine Hypothesis
and/or Our Stolen Future. You may select one component of the EEH (e.g.,
sperm decline, breast cancer). Discuss the nature of the contesting evidence. 3
pages double-spaced plus bibliography. 10 pts.
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Readings:
Wright, Lawrence. 1996. “Silent sperm.” The New Yorker Jan. 15. pp. 42-55.
PDF
Richard M. Sharpe and Niels E. Skakkebaek. 1993. Are Estrogens Involved in
Falling Sperm Counts and Disorders of the male Reproductive Tract? The Lancet
341:1392-1395(May 29).
PDF
Carlsen, E., Giwercman, A. Keidings, N. Skakkebaek, N. 1992. “Evidence for
decreasing quality of semen during past 50 years.” British Medical Journal
305:604-13(September 12). PDF
Swan, Shanna, H. ; Elkin, Eric, P.; Fenster, Laura. "The question of declining
sperm density revisted: An analysis of 101 studies published 1934-1996. Env.
Hlth. Persp. 108:961-966 (2000). PDF
Shanna H. Swan. Do environmental agents affect semen quality? Epidemiology
14:261-262 (May 2003). PDF
Oct 22: Sess. 8
Neurodevelopment & Endocrine Disruptors: Brain and Behavior
Case of PCBs, Bisphenol A, and Pesticides: neurotoxicity; cognitive effects of
EDCs.
Readings:
Our Stolen Future, Ch. 8 “To the ends of the earth.”
Jacobson, J.L. and Jacobson, S.W. 1996. “Intellectual impairment in children
exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls in utero.” The New England Journal of
Medicine 335(11):783-789. PDF
Hestien J.I. Vreugdenhil, Froukje M. E. Slijper, Paul G.H. Mulder, and Nynke
Weisglas-Kuperus. Effects of Perinatal Exposure to PCBs and Dioxins on
Play Behavior in Dutch Children at School Age. Environmental Health
Perspectives 110:A593-A598. PDF
Erice Consensus Statement. Reproductive Toxicology n 24:131-138 (2007). PDF
F.S. vom Saal et al. 1995. Estrogenic pesticides: binding relative to estradiol in
MCF-7 cells and effects of exposure during fetal life on subsequent territorial
behavior in male mice. Toxicology Letters 77:343-350 (1995). PDF
Chapel Hill Bisphenol A Expert Panel. Reproductive Toxicology 24:131-138
(2007). PDF
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Oct 29: Sess. 9 Chemicals and Cancer: Theories about Cancer Causation
Theories of cancer causation; genetic vs environmental causes of cancer;
mechanism of cancer etiology; endocrine disruptors and cancer.
Readings
Murray, TJ, MV. Maffini, AA Ucci, C. Sonnenschein
and AM. Soto. 2006. Induction of mammary gland ductal hyperplasias and
carcinoma in situ following fetal bisphenol A exposure. Reproductive Toxicology
23: 383-390. PDF
Ch. 11. “Beyond Cancer” Our Stolen Future
A.M. Soto and C. Sonnenschein. The somatic mutation theory of cancer: growing
problems with the paradigm. BioEssays 26:1097-1107 (2004). PDF
S. Krimsky. Eureka! New Ideas in Cell Biology. BioScience 49:747-748
(September 1999). PDF
Nov 5 : Sess: 10
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Regulatory Responses to EDCs
Readings
S. Krimsky. 1996. Environmental Endocrine Hypothesis and Public Policy.
Comments on Toxicology 5(4-5):487-502. PDF
Executive Summary, Endocrine Disrupter Screening and Testing Advisory
Committee, (EDSTAC), EPA, Final Report, August 1998. PDF
Jason M. Vogel. Tunnel Vision: The Regulation of Endocrine Disruptors. Policy
Science 37:277-303 (2004). PDF
Selections from: National Research Council, Hormonally Active Agents in the
Environment, July 1999, pp. 1-23. PDF
Theo Colborn, “Pesticides--How research has succeeded and failed to translate
science into policy: endocrinological effects on wildlife.” Environmental Health
Perspectives 103:81-86 (Supplement 6), September 1995. PDF
Nov. 12: Sess. 11
US and European Chemical Regulatory Systems
What are the differences between the way the US and the Europeans approaches
the regulation of toxic chemicals?
Readings
GAO Report on Comparison between EU and US chemical policy. PDF
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L. Bergkamp & J.C. Hanekamp. The draft REACH regime: costs and benefits of
precautionary chemical regulation. Environmental Liability 5:1-14 (2003). PDF
Frank Ackerman, Poisoned for Pennies, Ch. 10. “The Costs of REACH” and Ch.
12 “How Should the US Respond to REACH? PDF
Nov 19 Sess. 12 Managing Chemical Risks under Scientific Uncertainty
How to explain the voluminous research on the environmental and human health
effects of synthetic chemical hormone disruptors with so little policy response.
Are the uncertainties too great? Are the chemicals too important? Are the
messages unclear?
Readings
“Studies of Toxicity and Scientific Reasoning.” In: Toxic Torts: Science, Law
and the Possibility of Justice Carl Cranor. PDF
Ch. 4 “The Policy Conundrum.” In Hormonal Chaos
Safe, Stephen H. "Endocrine disruptors and human health-Is there a problem? An
update. Environmental Health Perspectives 108:487-493 (June 2000). PDF
Breaking the Vicious Circle Stephen Breyer, Ch. 1 “Systematic Problems” and
Ch. 2. “Causes of the Vicious Circle.”
S. Krimsky “Hormone Disruptors: : A Clue to Understanding the Environmental
Causes of Disease. Environment 43:22-27 (June 2001). PDF
Nov 26: No Classes, Thanksgiving break.
Dec. 3 Sess. 13
Solutions to Managing Toxic Chemicals
Exploration of approaches to contested or limited knowledge of the human and
ecological health effects of toxic substances.
Readings
Breaking the Vicious Circle Ch. 3. “Solutions.”
“New Precautionary Approach” in Toxic Exposures, by Phil Brown. PDF
Hormonal Chaos, Ch. 4 & epilogue.
Ch. 12-14. Our Stolen Future
“A Dozen Ways to Improve Our Regulatory System” In: Doubt is Their Product
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David Michaels, Oxford University Press, 2007. PDF
S. Krimsky. “The Weight of Evidence in Policy & Law.” American Journal of
Public Health Supplement. 95(S1):129-136. PDF
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Assignments/grade points
1. Prospectus for semester paper with bibliography (10 pts)
2. Semester research paper: 25 double-spaced pages (50 pts)
4. Short essays (2 @ 10 pts)
5. Class preparedness, attendance and participation (20 pts).
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