The Evidence Engine
Exploring how Toxicology and Epidemiology provide the scientific backbone for protecting our environment and public health.
Two Sides of the Same Coin
Toxicology and Epidemiology are distinct yet complementary fields. Together, they build a powerful case for environmental action by linking chemical exposures to real-world health outcomes.
🔬Toxicology: The “How”
Toxicology investigates the mechanisms of harm. It studies how chemical, physical, or biological agents produce adverse effects on living organisms at the cellular level.
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Focus: Biological mechanisms, dose-response relationships.
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Question: How does this substance cause damage to the body?
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Key Principle: The Dose-Response Relationship establishes the link between the amount of exposure and the severity of the effect, helping define “safe” levels.
📊Epidemiology: The “Who & Where”
Environmental epidemiology studies the distribution and determinants of health outcomes in human populations exposed to environmental factors.
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Focus: Population-level disease patterns, risk factors.
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Question: Are people in this area or occupation getting sick more often?
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Key Principle: By comparing exposed and unexposed groups, it quantifies risk and identifies associations in real-world settings.
The Investigator’s Toolkit
Scientists use specific study designs and statistical measures to build a robust evidence base. Explore some of the core tools used to link environmental exposure to health impacts.
Core Study Designs
Cohort Studies
Follows groups of exposed and unexposed individuals over time to see who develops a disease. Powerful for establishing that exposure came before the effect.
Case-Control Studies
Compares people with a disease (“cases”) to similar people without it (“controls”) to identify past exposures that may have contributed to the illness.
Key Statistical Measures
Relative Risk (RR)
Compares the risk of disease in an exposed group to the risk in an unexposed group. An RR of 2.0 means the exposed group has double the risk.
Odds Ratio (OR)
Represents the odds that an outcome will occur given a particular exposure, compared to the odds of the outcome occurring in the absence of that exposure.
Landmark Case Studies
Explore how pivotal epidemiological studies have provided the evidence needed to enact major environmental policies and protect public health. Click a card to see the details.
Minamata Disease
Harvard Six Cities
Bhopal Disaster
DDT Ban
Chernobyl
Select a Case Study Above
Details about the selected case will appear here. Each case demonstrates the powerful link between scientific research and public health policy.
Key Finding
Quantitative results will be highlighted here.
Policy Impact
The resulting policy changes will be described here.