In this two-part interview, Dr. Peter Thorne, University of Iowa Distinguished Chair and Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health and a leading expert in toxicology, provides an in-depth overview of how the federal government regulates chemicals in food, water, and air. Key points:

• The EPA and FDA are science-based organizations that interpret laws passed by Congress and apply the best available science to make regulatory decisions aimed at protecting human health and the environment.

• The EPA's Science Advisory Board provides independent, non-partisan oversight to ensure the agency's decisions are grounded in scientific evidence.

• Chemical regulations are dynamic, with compounds like Red Dye No. 3 and inorganic arsenic being re-evaluated as new scientific data emerges.

• The precautionary principle guides regulators to err on the side of safety when the evidence suggests a chemical may pose health risks, even in the absence of definitive human studies.

• Replacing problematic chemicals with safer alternatives can facilitate regulatory action, though the availability of substitutes should not be the primary driver of these decisions.

• Persistent organic pollutants like PCBs and PFAS pose complex public health challenges due to their ubiquity and long-lasting environmental presence, underscoring the need for continued research and policy responses.

A transcript of this episode is available at https://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/news-items/plugged-in-to-public-health-regulating-risk-dr-peter-thorne-on-epa-fda-science-part-1/

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