Summary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and other government agencies have attempted to assess the dangers certain chemicals pose to humans by giving “megadoses” of those chemicals to fish, birds, rabbits, mice, rats, and other animals. But are such studies relevant in determining whether the chemicals pose a threat to humans? Are there questions about the validity and predictive value of these experiments? In this path-breaking study, Professor Wildavsky explores such questions and how current testing procedures impact government policy.