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 will be available soon.

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