Beyond samplism: Rethinking the field in exposure science

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Sociology of Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Industrial capitalism has led to widespread environmental pollution, necessitating robust toxicity assessments for human and nonhuman populations.
• Current scientific methods for assessing environmental toxicity have critical limitations, hindering their ability to protect vulnerable groups.
• Exposure science aims to understand and mitigate the health impacts of environmental contaminants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze the methodologies used in environmental pollution assessments.
• To reveal the shortcomings of current field assessment practices, termed 'samplism'.
• To propose more comprehensive approaches for exposure science fieldwork.

Main Methods:

• Ethnographic analysis of two field campaigns focused on assessing polluted sites in northern Chile.
• Examination of the 'samplism' phenomenon in environmental fieldwork.
• Qualitative assessment of how field practices influence scientific knowledge production.

Main Results:

• Field campaigns often exhibit 'samplism,' reducing complex environments to simplified, lab-focused sample collection.
• This simplification leads to the neglect of critical field phenomena relevant to pollution assessment.
• The limitations of samplism significantly reduce exposure science's capacity to inform protective measures.

Conclusions:

• Samplism represents a critical flaw in current environmental pollution assessment strategies.
• Exposure science requires a paradigm shift towards more ecologically informed fieldwork.
• Developing capacious engagement with field complexity is essential for accurate pollution assessment and public health protection.