{"id":55002,"date":"2026-08-18T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=55002"},"modified":"2026-08-17T23:59:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T21:59:56","slug":"hazardous-chemicals-agents-of-risk-and-change-1800-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=55002","title":{"rendered":"Hazardous Chemicals: Agents of Risk and Change, 1800-2000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Edited by Ernst Homburg and Elisabeth Vaupel<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>422 pages, 18 illus., bibliog., index<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hb \/ Published (August&nbsp;2019)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pb \/ Published (March&nbsp;2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reviews<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cHomburg and Vaupel provide an excellent review of the industrial development of eight chemical substances that have emerged as problematic agents to global public health and the environment since the dawn of the industrial revolution\u2026the language here is non-technical, and each chapter provides extensive footnotes and references\u2026Recommended\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Choice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cOverall, the edited collection offers scholars an excellent set of biographical chemical histories\u2026 the scholarship is superb.\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Technology and Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cErnst Homburg and Elisabeth Vaupel make an outstanding contribution to historical toxicology by assembling an impressively varied but closely interconnected collection of essays that focus on a number of industrially produced chemical substances. They do so, too, by their own introductory overview of toxicological concepts and developments across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and by a conclusion that addresses the overarching question of periodization in the historiography of the regulation of hazardous chemicals.\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Isis Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThis collection is an important addition to the literature and will help the field take the now overdue step from national to global research.\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Labour History Review<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201c<\/em>Hazardous Chemicals <em>hopefully also encourages medical doctors to stay alert to signs of toxicity, to conduct good research, and to formulate conclusions so clearly that industry, legislation and the public can actually do something with it.\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Medisch Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cThese very rich investigations into the history of poison, hazard and regulation contain new insights and empirical findings.<\/em> Hazardous Chemicals <em>is a very substantial addition to the literature in the field.\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Carsten Reinhardt<\/strong>, University of Bielefeld<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201c<\/em>Hazardous Chemicals <em>is a bold contribution to the blooming field of historical studies on toxic products. It includes many excellent chapters that approach the topic from many different perspectives, covering a broad range of harmful substances, geographical contexts, and stakeholders while giving insightful analyses of relevant cases and offering comparative perspectives on toxic risk regulation.\u201d<\/em> <strong>\u2022 Jos\u00e9 Ram\u00f3n Bertomeu S\u00e1nchez<\/strong>, Universitat de Val\u00e8ncia<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Description<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Although poisonous substances have been a hazard for the whole of human history, it is only with the development and large-scale production of new chemical substances over the last two centuries that toxic, manmade pollutants have become such a varied and widespread danger. Covering a host of both notorious and little-known chemicals, the chapters in this collection investigate the emergence of specific toxic, pathogenic, carcinogenic, and ecologically harmful chemicals as well as the scientific, cultural and legislative responses they have prompted. Each study situates chemical hazards in a long-term and transnational framework and demonstrates the importance of considering both the natural and the social contexts in which their histories have unfolded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ernst Homburg<\/strong> is Professor of History of Science and Technology Emeritus at Maastricht University. His scholarly work has included the co-editorship of two multivolume book series on the history of technology in the Netherlands, as well as of <em>New Dictionary of Scientific Biography<\/em> (2007), and <em>Solvay: History of a Multinational Family Firm<\/em> (2012, with Kenneth Bertrams and Nicolas Coupain).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Elisabeth Vaupel<\/strong> studied chemistry, biology and history in Mainz, Freiburg\/Breisgau and Munich. She is a historian of chemistry in the research institute of the Deutsches Museum, where she was previously head of the chemistry department. She also teaches the history of chemistry at Stuttgart University. She is co-editor of <em>Das Deutsche Museum in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus: Eine Bestandsaufnahme<\/em> (2010, with Stefan L. Wolff).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>List of Figures and Tables<br>Abbreviations<br>Acknowledgements<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Introduction:<\/strong> Hazardous Chemicals, 1800\u20132000: A Conceptual and Regulatory Overview<br><em>Ernst Homburg and Elisabeth Vaupel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PART I: FROM ACUTE TO CHRONIC POISONING: REGULATING OLD POISONS IN THE INDUSTRIAL AGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 1. <\/strong>Schweinfurt Green and the Sanitary Police: The Fight Against Copper Arsenite Pigments<br><em>Joost Mertens\u2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 2.<\/strong> The Banning of White Lead: French and International Regulations<br><em>Laurence Lestel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 3.<\/strong> Old Situations, New Complications: Lead and Lead Poisoning in a Changing World<br><em>Christian Warren<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PART II: DISCOVERING NEW HEALTH IMPACTS: CARCIOGENESIS, MUTAGENESIS AND MORE IN TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY AND NON-KNOWLEDGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 4.<\/strong> Discovering Chemical Carcinogenesis: The Case of the Aromatic Amines<br><em>Heiko Stoff and Anthony S. Travis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 5.<\/strong> Cyclamates: A Tale of Uncertain Knowledge (1930s\u20131980s)<br><em>Alexander von Schwerin<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 6.<\/strong> Cadmium Poisoning in Japan: The Itai-itai Disease and Beyond<br><em>Masanori Kaji\u2020<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 7.<\/strong> Dioxins: The \u201cTotal Poison\u201d<br><em>Stefan B\u00f6schen<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>PART III: NEW PRODUCTS, NEW EFFECTS. THE DISCOVERY OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE LONG SHADOW OF THE 1960S<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 8.<\/strong> Organophosphates<br><em>Frederick R. Davis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 9.<\/strong> A Tale of Two Nations: DDT in the USA and the UK<br><em>Peter J. T. Morris<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 10.<\/strong> War and Peace: The Phenoxy Herbicides<br><em>Amy M. Hay<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chapter 11.<\/strong> Raising a Stink: The Short Happy Life of MTBE<br><em>John K. Smith<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Conclusions<\/strong><br><em>Ernst Homburg and Elisabeth Vaupel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Index<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/title\/HomburgHazardous\">https:\/\/www.berghahnbooks.com\/title\/HomburgHazardous<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a842437aea6e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a842437aea6e\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"597\" data-attachment-id=\"55004\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?attachment_id=55004\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HomburgHazardous.jpg?fit=400%2C597&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"400,597\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"HomburgHazardous\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HomburgHazardous.jpg?fit=400%2C597&amp;ssl=1\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HomburgHazardous.jpg?resize=400%2C597&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-55004\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HomburgHazardous.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/HomburgHazardous.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Uve\u0107aj\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":55004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-knjige","category-novosti"],"acf":{"facebook_opis":"\"Although poisonous substances have been a hazard for the whole of human history, it is only with the development and large-scale production of new chemical substances over the last two centuries that toxic, manmade pollutants have become such a varied and widespread danger. 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