Deadly Hazard Without Risk? How Toxic Exposure Has Been Downplayed in Transnational Conflicts Over Carcinogen Assessment

In contemporary carcinogen identification systems, a key distinction is made between “hazard”– the inherent potential of an exposure to cause cancer – and “risk” – the probability of cancerarising from that exposure. Drawing on an unpublished set of archives from the InternationalAgency for Research on Cancer, this article traces the origins of this distinction. Contrary to theprevailing institutional narrative, the distinction emerges not from a straightforward scientificor regulatory consensus, but from a complex jurisdictional struggle among expert groups, eachseeking to define and prioritize different methods of assessing carcinogens. Bringing togethera range of actors from scientific, economic, and regulatory spheres, this distinction has enabledsome stakeholders to challenge expert assessments and delay political decision-making.