Recommended permissible levels for occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in various parts of the world sometimes differ by a factor of ten or more. Threshold limit values, permissible doses, or maximum allowable concentrations, as these levels are variously called, have been established on over 700 airborne contaminants and physical chemical agents; but these standards vary between North American, western European and eastern European versions. Lack of agreement on research findings, and use by some authorities of time-weighted values as opposed to maximum values, obstructs progress in setting universally regarded safeguards for workers exposed to chemical hazards.
Although the American Pentagon's research on chemical and germ warfare has increased more than fivefold under the Reagan administration, more than 60% of those funds are awarded to universities, biotechnology firms and large corporations which are not subject to federal safeguards.