Arsenikprocessen : Debatt och problemperspektiv kring ett hälso- och miljöfarligt ämne i Sverige 1850-1919

• This thesis covers a revolutionary phase in the hazardous substances debate, when an industrial anchored problem picture gradually replaces an older view of the poisons question. Arsenic was by far the most discussed substance pertaining to harmful substances in 19th century Sweden. The origins of such dominance can be found in older, criminally orientated problems which promoted improvements in forensic chemistry methods, -not least in the area of analytical chemistry. Such analytical methods in turn proved to be an important instrument when it was a case of discovering and measuring number of newly experienced arsenic problems related to the occurence of arsenic in trade commodities. The original relevant arsenic problems were eventually seen to be clearly exaggerated and were therfore written off to a large extent during the 1920's. A factor whichcontributed for a long time to perpetuate the problem picture was the authority of medical science. Medicine's a priori-acceptance of the danger of arsenic could first be tested with the improved quantitative analysis methods which chemists developed around 1900. It could then be shown that arsenic contained in the human body which was thought to derive from trade commodities and other anthropogenesources, in fact reflected a number of natural and undangerous sources of arsenic (e.g. food). During the actual time period in question a regulation guideline was constructed upon which todays environmental laws build and further, a row of approaches and methods, which form essential elements in todays environmentalproblemizing. Such applies for example to the principally interestingquestion of limits/standards, as a method of formalizing risks and converting scientific knowledge into practical workable regulations in public administration.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

Keyword

INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AREAS

TVÄRVETENSKAPLIGA FORSKNINGSOMRÅDEN

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

dok (subject category)