The precautionary principle remains one of the most contested strategies in both risk assessment and risk management. Its most common definition, as found in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, states that: “In order to protect the environment, the precautionary approach shall be widely applied by States according to their capabilities. Where there are threats of serious or irre...

The Precautionary Principle provides a framework for action to protect human health and the environment in the face of uncertainty. The central premise of the precautionary principle is that when an activity poses threats of serious, irreversible harm to human health or the environment, we should act to prevent that damage – even if science has not fully worked out the details of the relevant c...

Introduction Exactly how bad for human health is dioxin? Decades of technical research have not brought closure to this crucial question, with fundamental disagreement continuing among the participants in the debate. The precautionary principle is designed for circumstances like this, calling for protective action even in the face of continuing uncertainty. But the principle often remains abstr...

Clinical trials of nanotechnology medical products present complex risk management challenges that involve many uncertainties and important risk-risk trade-offs. This paper inquires whether the precautionary principle can help to inform risk management approaches to nanomedicine clinical trials. It concludes that prudent precaution may be appropriate for ensuring the safety of such trials, but ...