Science, hormesis and regulation

Abstract

While hormesis is an intriguing scientific hypothesis, this paper argues that it is not yet an acceptable basis for policy-making. Two reasons are given for this assessment. First, although hormesis has suggestive explanatory power, it does not yet have the predictive successes that indicate a general reliability sufficient for policy-making. Second, the regulatory agenda for chemical exposures is usually focused, for good ethical reasons, on protecting people from involuntary and potentially harmful exposures, rather than focused on maximizing public health benefits.