Exposure science

Exposure science is the study of the contact between humans (and other organisms) and harmful agents within their environment – whether it be chemical, physical, biological, behavioural or mental stressors – with the aim of identifying the causes and preventions of the adverse health effects they result in.^[1][2] This can include exposure within the home, workplace, outdoors or any other environment an individual may encounter.^[3] The term 'exposure' is the umbrella term for many different types, ranging from ultraviolet exposure,^[4] exposure to the chemicals in the food we eat,^[5] to exposure to long working hours being the occupational factor most attributable to the burden of disease.^[6]

The need for the field arises from the expansive range of exposures which have resulted in negative health outcomes for humans and other organisms, and mainly focus on the relationship between external exposure, internal exposure and dose.^[2] By tightly integrating the fields of epidemiology, toxicology, biochemistry, environmental science and risk assessment, holistic comprehension of an exposure is achieved to protect human and ecosystem health on an individual, community and global levels.^[1] Though the history of exposure science had an initial slow start, developments have significantly accelerated in the past three decades,^[7] including the beginnings of the formation of the "exposome".^[8] However, there is still much unknown and research in the field is only expanding to cover the increasing amount of identified exposures.