Technopathogenology: Technology and Non-evident Risks : a Contribution to Prevention

774 Pages·2012·4.276 MB·English

by  Guillermo M. Eguiazu, Alberto Motta

This book deals with the prevention of potential non-evident risks
on human health associated with technology which encloses
G
the general knowledge of developing processes used to achieve
.
either goods or services. The voids in technological knowledge M
used in the development of new technologies are responsible
.

for hidden defects in the same. The authors suggest that hidden E
g
defects in technologies are accountable for hazards in genera-
u
tions of environmental factors that they call technopathogens.
i
a
These factors can cause adverse effects to human health which
z
are expressed not immediately but over years or even genera- u

tions. This phenomenon is defined as technopathogeny. Since &
technopathogeny cannot be framed within existing disciplines
A
related to the phenomenon such as risk assessment, risk man-
.

agement, technology assessment, technological genesis, envi- M
ronmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment or ecology, o
the authors coin a new term for this specific discipline called t
t
Technopathogenology. a Guillermo Miguel Eguiazu & Alberto Motta
Guillermo M. Eguiazu is a retired professor at the National Univer- T TECHNOPATHOGENOLOGY
E
sity of Rosario, former researcher at the National Research Council
C
and a retired research referee category 1 of the incentives Program
H
of the Ministry of Education in Argentina. He studied Agronomy N TECHNOLOGY AND NON-EVIDENT RISKS –
at the University of Rosario and began his teaching and research O
activity in 1973, following a doctorate at the Stuttgart Hohenheim A CONTRIBUTION TO PREVENTION
P
University in Germany. His research area is the study of Tech- A
nopathogeny. He founded the Program PROCABIE and the Institute T
H
INCABIE and chair of Technogeny at the University of Rosario.
O
G
Alberto Motta studied Agronomy at the University of Rosario and
E
began his research activity in 1977 and two years later his teaching
N
activity. He was a teacher and a researcher category B at the
O
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences University of Rosario, Argentina. His
L
field of research is the study of Technopathogeny. He founded the O
Program PROCABIE, Institute INCABIE and chair of Environmental G
Technogeny at the University of Rosario. Since 2004 he is a member Y
of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global
Responsibility.
ISBN 978-3-0343-0612-6
Peter Lang
www.peterlang.com
This book deals with the prevention of potential non-evident risks
on human health associated with technology which encloses
G
the general knowledge of developing processes used to achieve
.
either goods or services. The voids in technological knowledge M
used in the development of new technologies are responsible
.

for hidden defects in the same. The authors suggest that hidden E
g
defects in technologies are accountable for hazards in genera-
u
tions of environmental factors that they call technopathogens.
i
a
These factors can cause adverse effects to human health which
z
are expressed not immediately but over years or even genera- u

tions. This phenomenon is defined as technopathogeny. Since &
technopathogeny cannot be framed within existing disciplines
A
related to the phenomenon such as risk assessment, risk man-
.

agement, technology assessment, technological genesis, envi- M
ronmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment or ecology, o
the authors coin a new term for this specific discipline called t
t
Technopathogenology. a Guillermo Miguel Eguiazu & Alberto Motta
Guillermo M. Eguiazu is a retired professor at the National Univer- T TECHNOPATHOGENOLOGY
E
sity of Rosario, former researcher at the National Research Council
C
and a retired research referee category 1 of the incentives Program
H
of the Ministry of Education in Argentina. He studied Agronomy N TECHNOLOGY AND NON-EVIDENT RISKS –
at the University of Rosario and began his teaching and research O
activity in 1973, following a doctorate at the Stuttgart Hohenheim A CONTRIBUTION TO PREVENTION
P
University in Germany. His research area is the study of Tech- A
nopathogeny. He founded the Program PROCABIE and the Institute T
H
INCABIE and chair of Technogeny at the University of Rosario.
O
G
Alberto Motta studied Agronomy at the University of Rosario and
E
began his research activity in 1977 and two years later his teaching
N
activity. He was a teacher and a researcher category B at the
O
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences University of Rosario, Argentina. His
L
field of research is the study of Technopathogeny. He founded the O
Program PROCABIE, Institute INCABIE and chair of Environmental G
Technogeny at the University of Rosario. Since 2004 he is a member Y
of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global
Responsibility.
Peter Lang
TECHNOPATHOGENOLOGY

guillermo Miguel eguiazu & alberto Motta
TECHNOPATHOGENOLOGY
teCHnOLOgY anD nOn-eVIDent rISKS –
a COntrIBUtIOn tO PreVentIOn
Peter Lang
Bern · Berlin · Bruxelles · Frankfurt am Main · new York · Oxford · Wien
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bibliografie ; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet
at ‹ http://dnb.d-nb.de ›.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:
a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library, great Britain
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
eguiazu, guillermo M.
technopathogenology : technology and non-evident risks : a contribution to
prevention / guillermo Miguel eguiazu & alberto Motta.
p. ; cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBn 978-3-03-430612-6
I. Motta, alberto. II. title.
[DnLM: 1. environmental exposure–adverse effects. 2. technology.
3. Hazardous Substances–adverse effects. 4. Hazardous Substances.
5. risk assessment. 6. risk Management. Qt 140]
614.4–dc23
2012004459
the text was originally written in Spanish and translated for this publication
by Lucila Cordone.
the translation was meticulously revised and corrected by the authors in
collaboration with Prof. armin tenner. the authors guarantee that the text at
hand corresponds to the original Spanish version.
Cover design : Didier Studer, Peter Lang ag
ISBN h b . 9 7 8 ­ 3 ­ 0 3 4 3 ­ 0 6 1 2 ­ 6 I S B N e B o o k 9 7 8 ­ 3 ­ 0 3 5 1 ­ 0 3 6 3 ­ 2
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Printed in Hungary
To our parents

Acknowledgements
This book could not have been possible had it not been for the
recognition, trust and committment of three honourable persons who
supported our work.
Should our discipline contribute to protect human beings from non-
evident technological risk, it will not be our credit alone but their’s too.
These persons are:
 Professor Dr. Heinrich Beck, who, through his work and personal
charisma has given us the intellectual thrust needed to understand
the essence of Technique in our object of study. We thank him
for his encouragement and support, for his commitment in the
dissemination of our work and for his devotion in the evaluation
of the manuscript. (*)
 Dr. Günter Emde, founder and first director of the INESPE pro-
ject, for his moral support, but especially for the continuous ma-
terial support given through the years to A. Motta after he was
expelled from the University due to the whistleblower nature of
our work. Had it not been for Dr. Emde’s integrity and generos-
ity we wouldn’t have been able to carry out this work.
 Professor Dr. Armin Tenner, member and former Chairman of
the INES network, for his moral support, for encouraging us to
write this book, for his dedication during the writing process and
meticulous revision and correction of the translation of the chap-
ters and especially, for financing its publication.

We would also like to thank:

 Katrin Forrer, for her excellent disposition and unconditional and
essential support in the text typesetting.
 Peter Lang AG, for trusting in our work.
 Marta Taborda de Eguiazu, for her kind support in the writing of
this book.
 Andrés Guillermo Eguiazu, for his good disposition and com-
puter technical support.
 Bolsa de Comercio de Rosario, whose uninterrupted and unsel-
fish support since 1976 allowed us to be the first to detect afla-
toxins in local corn.

(*) Prof. Beck’s report on our work is included in the Annex.

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