History and Trends in Industrial Toxicology

Abstract

The first recognition of occupational diseases along with long working hours, poor ventilation, and use of child labor was in 1835. Recognition of relationship between workplace chemical agents and disease evolved rapidly in Europe, stimulated by 1885 Germany's Bismarck Workingmen's Insurance Law, establishing insurance fund for contribution from both employers and employees for free medical care and compensation for injuries. By the 1930s, three of the largest U.S. chemical companies (Dow, DuPont, Union Carbide) established in‐house laboratories specializing in toxicology to handle exposures and occupational toxicity. Walsh‐Healey Public Contracts Act was passed in 1936 mandating government contractors to meet standards for sanitation and safety. ACGIH and AIHA were founded in 1939. In 1958, Congress amended the FDCA of 1938 requiring proof of safety from lifetime exposures. The Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology began publication in 1923 and joined the Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Medicine in 1950. First edition of Patty's Toxicology and Industrial Hygiene was published in 1948. SOT was established in 1961 and launched journal, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. Cancer is of great concern in industrial toxicology and historically, some of the most relevant research in carcinogens has come from the industries based on human and experimental studies. Short‐term tests and MOA ( in silico , in vitro , and/or in vivo ) are now commonly used to determine potential hazards. U.S. EPA is furthering the use of all existing and emerging technologies for risk assessment through NAMs to reduce animal testing. This chapter covers trends in industrial toxicology from observational toxicology to present.