Hormesis: how it could affect the risk assessment process.

If the hormetic dose-response were accepted as the default dose-response model for risk assessment, it could have important implications for environmental exposure standards for noncarcinogens and especially for carcinogens. Most notably it would lead to the recognition that carcinogens act via a threshold process rejecting the concept of linearity at low doses. The hormetic concept also provides agencies with a broader range of toxicologically based exposure options, which permit a consideration for avoiding harm, as well as possibly enhancing benefits for both normal and high-risk segments of the population. By dismissing hormesis, regulatory agencies such as EPA deny the public the opportunity for optimal health and avoidance of disease.