ARLINGTON, VA--(Marketwire - Oct 11, 2011) - Ewire -- Global health and environmental consultancy ENVIRON is pleased to announce that the just-released third edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence, a publication of the National Academies of Science (NAS), features a new chapter on exposure science contributed by ENVIRON founder and Principal Joseph V. Rodricks, Ph.D. Rodricks also served for three years on a panel of five federal judges and five scientists/engineers/physicians appointed by NAS to guide content development and production of this third edition, which is a joint undertaking of NAS and the Federal Judiciary Center.
A critical work for anyone involved in litigation, the Manual sets forth the legal and scientific bases for admission of expert testimony. It is intended to assist judges with the management of cases involving complex scientific and technical evidence. The Manual elucidates the criteria for admission of expert testimony in different areas of science, medicine and engineering, which should be understood by all who are asked to offer such testimony.
The panel asked Rodricks to author the exposure science chapter that he recommended for this edition. According to Rodricks, "Because exposure science is not yet a clearly recognized academic discipline, the panel judges were at first reluctant to include this subject in the work." He believes that personal experience may have turned the tide. Several judges on the panel had encountered difficult courtroom situations involving exposure assessment, in cases in which disease causation or regulatory risk assessments were at issue. "Ultimately, they recognized its critical importance in tort litigation and agreed to its inclusion in the final volume," relates Rodricks.
Entitled Reference Guide on Exposure Science, the chapter is written for non-experts. It begins with an exposition of the many ways exposure assessments figure into litigation, including the need for "reconstruction" in tort litigation. The chapter deals, first in a purely descriptive way, with the basic elements of exposure assessment, and then moves to the quantitative. It deals with exposure up to the level of body burden, which marks the interface between exposure science and the disciplines of medicine, epidemiology and toxicology (each covered in other chapters). The concluding sections are guides to judges on what they should be thinking about as they evaluate the admissibility of expert testimony on exposure. The 1000+-page Manual is available as a free pdf download or for purchase from the National Academies Press.
An international consultancy, ENVIRON works with clients to help resolve their most demanding environmental and human health challenges. Clients around the world benefit from our unique ability to bring clarity to issues at the intersection of science, business and policy. The firm's interdisciplinary network of more than 1000 consultants operates from over 80 offices in 18 countries.
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Jeanne Bezerra
Marketing Communications Director
ENVIRON Holdings, Inc.
+1 609 243 9840