Statistical problems in environmental research

Growing concern about the health effects of exposure to pollutants and other chemicals in the environment has stimulated new research to detect and quantify environmental hazards. This research has generated many interesting and challenging methodological problems for statisticians. One type of statistical research develops new methods for the design and analysis of individual studies. Because current research of this type is too diverse to summarize in a single article, we discuss current work in two areas of application: the carcinogen bioassay in small rodents and epidemiologic studies of air pollution. To assess the risk of a potentially harmful agent, one must frequently combine evidence from different and often quite dissimilar studies. Hence, this paper also discusses the central role of data synthesis in risk assessment, reviews some of the relevant statistical literature, and considers the role of statisticians in evaluating and combining evidence from diverse sources.