Environmentally Induced Illnesses: Ethics, Risk Assessment and Human Rights
Kerns noticed a metallic taste in his mouth when he was 51. He consulted various doctors but got no diagnosis until a doctor experienced in environmental medicine identified it as multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS). Kerns, then working on a master's in public health, began the research and reasoning that eventuated in this thoroughly documented, closely argued book on the problems of long-term exposure to low doses of chemicals. Kerns is trying to increase awareness of MCS, which leads to much more than just cancer and which lack of government regulation and labeling, the ubiquity of the substances causing MCS (found in artificial fragrances, furniture, carpeting, pesticides, and many other products), and the political and financial power of chemical companies make a widespread debilitating condition. Kerns describes the body systems that can be damaged by MCS and relates many aspects of the problem to human rights. Readers who stick with the book or use it as a reference will learn much about a frequently hidden or casually dismissed malady that affects millions.William BeattyCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved