Phil Brown
Search for other papers by Phil Brown in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
Vanessa De La Rosa
Search for other papers by Vanessa De La Rosa in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
Alissa Cordner
Search for other papers by Alissa Cordner in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Toxic trespass
Science, activism, and policy concerning chemicals in our bodies

This chapter situates issues of environmental contamination and contested knowledge within the history of environmental justice and popular epidemiology, focusing on the social and scientific discovery of environmental contaminants and responses by science, government, and social movements. The authors examine the “toxic trespass” of chemicals that violate our bodies and environment without permission, drawing on the case study of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) as contaminants of growing public, regulatory, and scientific concern. The problem of toxic trespass highlights disputes between laypeople, professionals, and governments in addressing the contested and uneven health consequences of environmental exposures. The chapter discusses how environmental health campaigns typically involve local communities discovering a toxic threat and then galvanizing regulatory action. The research argues that local communities have a right to know the findings of academic research and stresses the importance of making those results accessible to communities.

  • Collapse
  • Expand

All of MUP's digital content including Open Access books and journals is now available on manchesterhive.

 

Toxic truths

Environmental justice and citizen science in a post-truth age

Editors: and

Metrics

All Time Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 392 103 4
PDF Downloads 672 122 5