Outline to the investigation of an environmental exposure

There is ever increasing concern whether potentially toxic environmental conditions are adversely impacting the health of the human population at risk of exposure. Traditional methods of epidemiology and other health related research disciplines have the reverse orientation, as they start with the occurrence of an epidemic, or a certain rate of disease in the population, and then seek the causes of that disease incidence. Traditional study designs offer much in the methods of disease/epidemic investigation, but less is available in the methods of exposure investigation. An introductory outline is offered here detailing the nature of the steps to be taken and their rationale in consideration of the health consequences of an environmental exposure.