Gina Solomon

About the author: Gina Solomon is a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Testing chemicals on animals helps protect human health. For example, studies have indicated that frogs and rats suffer adverse effects from pesticides such as atrazine, diazinon, and Dursban. Animal test results led to the banning of these products by the Environmental Protection Agency. Without adequate testing, humans are at risk from unknown chemical agents in the environment. Whenever possible, animals should not be used for testing, but there are no alternatives available to test how chemicals might be related to birth defects or neurological and reproductive problems.

Afew years ago, a pregnant woman came to see me in my clinic. She worked in a laboratory...