Genetic screening and the space work environment: An assessment of the ethical considerations regarding the implementation and use of genetic screening at NASA

Advances in medical science have recently resulted in the complete sequencing of the human genome. One of the proposed benefits of this accomplishment is the ability to investigate the effects that environmental and genetic interactions have on human health. This is of particular importance to the workplace where workers are routinely exposed to hazardous toxins. In terms of the workplace, the ability to screen employees enables the mitigation of individual health risks as well as the objective assessment of capability for hazardous duty.; Even though genetic screening may represent the latest in medical technology, genetic information is much different from traditional medical information because it results in information regarding an individual's future health risks as well as those of his or her family. As a result, special considerations as well as special protections are required in advance of the implementation of this technology in order to prevent misuse of the obtained information. Extended human space operations are inherently hazardous to the individual in that it combines exposures to known terrestrial workplace toxins as well as exposure to the human physiologic alterations imposed by microgravity operations. A medical tool, such as genetic screening, assuming it reports valid and reliable information, would provide invaluable predictive information about an individual's response to this hazardous environment. The purpose of this analysis is to identify issues of ethical concern regarding workplace genetic screening, review historical precedents and societal misuse of genetic information, and summarize consensus statements and legal protections on the use of genetic information with respect to implementation of genetic screening in the space work environment.