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Updated: Aug 31, 2026

Collection and Extraction of Occupational Air Samples for Analysis of Fungal DNA
Published on: May 2, 2018
Individual susceptibility and prevention of occupational diseases: scientific and ethical issues
K Van Damme1, L Casteleyn, E Heseltine
1European Trade Union Technical Bureau for Health and Safety, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Genetic testing of employees is controversial; objections have been raised with regard to privacy, right to work, and the relevance of the tests. A study is being conducted on "the ethical, social, and scientific problems related to the application of genetic screening and genetic monitoring for employees in the context of a European approach to health and safety at work." A conceptual model is proposed of the complex interactions between exposure, acquired and inherited susceptibility, and risk for disease. The validity of tests for determining genotype and phenotype and their relevance for disease must be evaluated critically to provide an objective basis for ethical discussions. The acceptability of such tests is related to a number of issues, which are identified and discussed.
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