Unpacking the Fallacy of "Intrinsic" Chemical Hazards
Atanu joins Rob Mitkus, a PhD toxicologist with 25 years’ experience across pesticides, industrial chemicals, vaccine components, medical devices, and consumer products, to discuss how toxicology underpins Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and HazCom/GHS compliance. Rob defines toxicity as harm under specific conditions and emphasizes SDS content and precautions should be evidence-driven and understandable to downstream users including workers, consumers, and first responders. They discuss reliance on animal “sentinel species,” the rise of new approach methodologies (in vitro, in silico, machine learning), and validation/acceptance via bodies such as OECD and ICCVAM, noting limits for complex endpoints like carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Rob critiques GHS concepts like “intrinsic toxicity,” the definition of sensitization, and hazard-only/binary classifications, stressing dose-response and exposure. He highlights the psychology of threat perception from pictograms and calls for better training and toxicologist involvement in future standards.
Toxicologist
Rob Mitkus has worked as a toxicologist for the past 25 years (outside of graduate school where he earned a PhD in toxicology from the University of Maryland at Baltimore). His career in toxicology and risk assessment has spanned multiple sectors, including industry, government, and consulting, as well as classes of agent, including traditional and nontraditional pesticides, industrial chemicals, vaccine components, medical devices, and consumer products. Rob is certified as a toxicologist by the American Board of Toxicology and is a European Registered Toxicologist and SDSRP. He currently works at ITG Brands. Rob also recently completed an MS in industrial and organizational psychology from St. Leo University. His empirical thesis examined relationships among cognitive leadership schemas, preferred behavioral leadership style, personality traits, and gender in a sample of ~90 Western respondents.