ABSTRACT
The term susceptible is being applied increasingly to individuals who are more responsive to the adverse effects of chemical exposure. It has been suggested that such individuals should be considered to have a predisposition or an unusual susceptibility to environmental exposure. This predisposition usually relates to specific agents. Individuals who are unusually susceptible to a certain pollutant may show little susceptibility to other chemicals. The importance of individual susceptibility for public health policy is appreciated readily when a group of people receive similar exposure to an agent but only some individuals show symptoms and signs of effect (Figure 14.1).
