Toxicologists Say Media Is Overstating Chemical Risks

If your company sells something people can touch, wear or digest, chances are you have come under fire from consumer advocacy and environmental groups over whether your products are safe. And according to a new study by George Mason University researchers and the Society of Toxicology, the media is probably not on your side either.

The study found 80% of toxicologists believe the media overstates the risk of chemicals. Shockingly, only 15% believe leading national newspapers, news magazines, and television networks accurately portray chemical risks while 45% say citizen Joes at Wikipedia are actually accurate when it comes to the reporting of chemical safety issues.

The survey results suggest the media's problem may be an over-reliance on environmental groups for insights. 96% of toxicologists believe Greenpeace overstates the health risks of chemicals. But even more mainstream green groups like the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Center for Science in the Public Interest are believed to be overstating chemical risks by around 80% of toxicologists.

Nevertheless, the study taps into a philosophical debate that won't go away, despite the toxicologists' belief that science has become too politicized. 70% of toxicologists may oppose the precautionary principle (ban a product if there might be a chemical risk, even if the scientific consensus is still unclear) as a way to decide which products to regulate. But faced with the chance, however slight, that a product could cause harm, is it really so irrational for consumers to heed the warnings of the green groups? After all, there are already plenty of products on the market that are not made with corn syrup, Bisphenol A or Teflon.
Photo by Flickr user "neys," CC 2.0.