by Bill Schlesinger
When you believe in things that you don’t understand
Then you suffer
Superstition ain’t the way
Stevie Wonder, 1972
I marvel at the contradictions that now rule in the Trump administration. On the one hand, Bobby Kennedy, Jr. believes we should not be exposed to exogenous chemicals in the environment. Some prohibitions, including artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives in food, should make environmentalists happy.
Then, of course, just across town, Lee Zeldin, is relaxing the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of chemicals emitted to the air and water, in hopes that the chemical industry will have an easier time in its manufacturing process. Many of these can end up in food and water. The EPA has also significantly reduced its research funding on chemical effects. Rather than less EPA-funded research, we could certainly use more study of many chemicals, such as the weedkiller glyphosate, before any declaration that they are safe for widespread use. Studies have shown unequivocally that perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have harmful effects on humans and other species in nature. With forever chemicals, such as PFAS, the early lessons learned from other persistent chemicals, such as DDT, seem to have been forgotten.
Meanwhile, the President seems unaware that these two agencies have contradictory philosophies.
One can only wonder how the scientific process, which searches for reasons to reject the null hypothesis that a substance has no effect in the environment, has been abandoned. Science should be accompanied by formal risk assessment. In areas where measles vaccinations have been curtailed, largely on grounds of personal philosophies, the cases of measles have skyrocketed, when just a few years ago this disease was nearly extirpated in the United States. The risk of a measles or COVID vaccination is far less than the risk of these diseases, which can kill millions. No robust studies have shown a link between vaccinations and autism. The American Medical Association is strongly in favor of measles vaccination.
Removal of fluoride from drinking water, where it is widely recognized as dramatically reducing dental decay, will leave a substantial portion of the U.S. population prone to poor dental health. Studies relating fluoridated drinking water to poor neurodevelopment in young children are widely regarded as equivocal and inadequate. Within carefully prescribed limits, fluoride is known to be harmless. The American Dental Association is strongly in favor of fluoridated water in regions without natural fluorine sources.
Donors with deep pockets promote rogue science, which exposes all of us to the impact of political decisions with no fundamental scientific basis.
References
Baluja, R., B. Guo, et al. 2025. PFAS-contaminated drinking water harms infants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122: doi: 10.1073/pnas/2509801122
DeStafano, F., and T.T. Shimabukuro. 2018. The MMR vaccine and autism. Annual Reviews of Virology 6: 585-600.
Do, L.G., A. Sawyer, et al. 2025. Early childhood exposures to fluorides and cognitive neurodevelopment: A population-based longitudinal study. J. Dental Research 104: 243-250.
Miranda, G.H.N., M.O.P. Alvarenga, et al. 2021. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between fluoride exposure and neurological disorders. Scientific Reports 11(1).
Taylor, B., E. Miller, et al. 1999. Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: No epidemiological evidence for a causal association. Lancet 353: 2026-2029.
