Chemophobia

Chemophobia literally means "fear of chemicals" and may be used in various ways. It is most often used to describe the assumption that 'chemicals' are bad and that 'natural' things are good.

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Definition

The most usual use of the term 'chemophobia' is analogous to 'homophobia' - a prejudice against something rather than an irrational fear. See Non-clinical uses of 'phobia' and Prejudices described as phobias. In this sense, chemophobia is akin to technophobia.

Other uses of the term

Some^[2] define 'chemophobia' as a full-blown psychological phobia - a 'specific phobia' - but most mainstream sources such as the Oxford Dictionary of Psychology do not recognise chemophobia as a psychological condition. Websites which use the specific phobia definition (such as this) typically sell cures for a very wide range of specific phobias, and seem to include 'chemophobia' simply to enlarge the range of conditions they claim to treat. The National Institute of Health does not list chemophobia as a rare condition.^[3]

Another definition of 'chemophobia' is that it is a concern about learning chemistry as an academic subject.^[4]

Characteristics

Research^[5] shows that people are primarily afraid that 'chemicals' will cause cancer and that they are reassured when they learn how rigorously pesticides are tested and the unfeasibly high levels of pesticides a human would need to accumulate before coming to harm.

Causes

"[The chemical industry's] reputation with the general public, once extremely high, has fallen to an all-time low as a result of accidents such as Bhopal and Seveso, and health scares fed by campaigns by environmental groups, and encouraged by a sometimes gullible media. "But where does this lack of trust [between society and business] originate? According to Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, ...the present situation originated in the 'fabulous fiction' of Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, which portrayed chemistry as a blind and brutal enemy of birds and other living creatures."^[6]

A contributory factor to chemophobia is due to increasing sensitivity of analytical techniques which can now detect extremely low levels of chemicals. The levels are so low as to be harmless, but the media report the fact that the chemical can be detected in such-and-such a place, and that it is harmful. What is unreported is the levels which cause harm and the levels at which it was detected.

"Away from the high doses of occupational exposure a whole host of unwanted chemicals finds their way into our bodies all the time, [but the] chemical baggage we carry is very small. It is only because of the great advances in analytical chemistry that we are able to detect it’s there at all." ^[7]

"you cannot lead a chemical-free life, because everything is made of chemicals." "we can detect some chemicals in the body in parts per billion. A part per billion is equivalent to one grain of sugar in an Olympic swimming pool; or one blade of grass on a football pitch." "To understand whether the presence of a chemical is a problem, we need to know how much of it is present and to look at what kind of effect, if any, it is having."^[1]

See also

• Dihydrogen monoxide hoax

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Making Sense of Chemical Stories by Sense About Science.
2. ^ Includes NIH definition of chemophobia.
3. ^ NIH listing of rare diseases.
4. ^ Roberta M. Eddy (2000) Chemophobia in the College Classroom: Extent, Sources, and Student Characteristics. Journal of Chemical Education, v77 n4 p514-17 Apr 2000 [1]
5. ^ University of Nebraska, Lincoln, article on chemophobia.
6. ^ [www.soci.org/SCI/general/2005/html/ge539.jsp How industry must win back the public’s faith in chemicals (Joint SCI/CEFIC Global Chemicals Industry Convention) report by By Neil Eisberg, Editor of Chemistry & Industry]
7. ^ Dr John Hoskins – Toxicologist, quoted in Science For Celebrities by Sense About Science

References

• Chemophobia-the irrational fear of chemicals by Dr. Robert E. LaPointe (Chemist)
• ChemoPhobia & EcoHysteria by Dr. Robert D. Athey Jr. (Chemist)
• Chemophobia cleans up. by Elizabeth Whelan, President of the American Council on Science and Health.
• An antidote to chemophobia. by James M. Taylor (Environment News, July 1, 2002) - Review of Dr. Alan Sweeney's book, Happy & Healthy in a Chemical World (1stBooks, 2001).
• Let's Put An End to "Chemophobia" (Commentary) by Ronald Breslow, The Scientist 22 March 1993, 7(6):12
• Causes Of "Chemophobia" (Letter in reply to Breslow's commentary) by George Baggett, The Scientist 26 July 1993, 7(15):12
• A look at Chemophobia. by Christian Thorsten.
• Molecules at an Exhibition by John Emsley - a critic of chemophobia.