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For good measure: Origins and prospects of exposure science (2007 Wesolowski Award Lecture)

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 20, pages 493–502 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

Measurement is the foundation of exposure science. Associations between illness and environmental agents have been observed for millennia, but the ability to quantify exposure and dose has been possible only in the last century. Improved means of measurement and refined concepts of who, what, when, where, and why to measure have been the seminal contributions of exposure science to the study of disease causation and prevention. This paper examines critical advancements in exposure assessment associated with workplace health and safety, and the groundbreaking work of the US Public Health Service. Many of the key concepts of modern exposure science have their origin in these early studies. Occupational hygiene scientists have conducted receptor-based exposure analyses for more than 80 years, evaluating indoor air, defining microenvironments, and developing personal sampling techniques. Biological monitoring of community populations including children, dermal exposure monitoring, duplicate diet studies, and multi-pathway, aggregate exposure assessments can be traced to early public health studies. As we look to the future, we see that new technologies and techniques are expanding the scope of exposure science dramatically. We need to ensure that the highest of scientific standards are maintained, make a greater effort to include occupational hygiene scientists, microbiologists, and behavioral scientists in the field, and promote new sources of training and research support. Exposure science has a critical role to play in the prevention strategy that is central to public health.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is based on the 2007 Wesolowski Award Lecture, presented at the annual meeting of the International Society of Exposure Science in Durham, North Carolina. I express deep appreciation to society members for selecting me for this award. I especially acknowledge all of the students, research scientists, and colleagues who have worked with me over the years; they have contributed immensely to the body of work we can draw on in the exposure science field. Thanks also to the guidance provided by my doctoral studies advisor, Dr. Robert Spear, and for the mentoring I received from the late Dr. Jerome Wesolowski when I worked for a short time in his laboratory in Berkeley, California in the early 1980s.

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  1. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Richard A Fenske

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Fenske, R. For good measure: Origins and prospects of exposure science (2007 Wesolowski Award Lecture). J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 20, 493–502 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2010.26

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