title: Eggshell skulls and loss of hair from fright: some moral and legal principles that protect susceptible subpopulations.
abstract: Some of the legislation authorizing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulation of toxic substances, principles deeply embedded in our legal system, and some moral principles tend to support the claim that all of us, even the most susceptible, have equal standing to be protected from harms from toxic substances. Information about susceptible subpopulations should be part of risk assessment, either as default considerations or as a result of empirical research. Risk assessment is the step in a regulatory process where higher risks to sensitive subpopulations should be recognized regardless of the statute authorizing agency action. If we do not acknowledge susceptible subpopulations in risk assessment, this suggests that they do not have sufficient standing to be protected. Such a view would be unacceptable. However, because full protection for susceptible subpopulations might be costly, risk managers may have to be imaginative in finding regulatory options to provide these protections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Philosophy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Cranor