Hello David Popham, Your discussion on "…dose makes the poison,"
was very good. My years in environmental health lead me to add a few
other dimensions to the “equation” - new technology, knowledge, and
individual response/tolerance.
As lab techniques become more accurate and detection ranges are
lowered, we now realize exposures that were not detectable even a
few years ago. Carcinogenic compounds like solvents in drinking
water were not detected at parts/million two decades ago; now their
presence is revealed at parts/billion and even parts/trillion!
Amazing.
We’ve learned about long exposures manifesting themselves in
symptoms; then medical “detective” work showing the relationship
between the exposure and symptom. Most people don’t realize that
the US EPA has not only lowered the acceptible levels for most
compounds found in drinking water, but added many new ones based on
such studies.
Individual sensitivity varies with genetics, age, and health. Your
example of smoking being a chronic exposure illustrates all the
above… as time has revealed. That individual sensitivity is the
great unknown. None of us know our tolerance until it has been
tested, and by then it may be too late.
The bottom line: avoid unnecessary exposures to even innocuous
compounds.
Judy in Kansas, where we are experiencing the most lovely Fall with
mild temperatures.
Judy M. Willingham, R.S.
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
237 Seaton Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan KS 66506
(785) 532-2936