Basic Traditional Toxicology
A nontechnical popularization of traditional toxicology is available in the book the Dose Makes the Poison.
Factors that influence chemical toxicity:
- Dosage
- Both large single exposures (acute) and continuous small exposures (chronic) are studied.
- Route of exposure
- Ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption
- Other factors
- Species
- Age
- Sex
- Health
- Environment
- Individual characteristics
Foods safe for humans are not necessarily safe for pets. A young healthy pregnant woman in a supportive environment has a different set of chemical sensitivities than an aged homeless male drug addict. Chemicals safe to drink may not be safe to inject. Eating a peanut is life-threatening for some.
The classic experimental tool of toxicology is animal testing. Alternative tests have been and are being developed. Separate test protocols are used for acute and chronic toxicity, irritation, sensitization (allergies), reproductive toxicity and carcinogenesis (cancer).
Few antidotes to poisons exist. Treatment usually consists of removing the poison, repairing damage and providing life support.
The testing of one chemical for its cancer-causing properties took 5 years, cost more than $6.5 million in 1980 and utilized 24,000 mice.
The field is under pressure to simultaneously eliminate the human risks of chemical exposure while reducing time, cost and animal testing.
Read more about this topic: Toxicology
Famous quotes containing the words basic and/or traditional:
“When you realize how hard it is to know the truth about yourself, you understand that even the most exhaustive and well-meaning autobiography, determined to tell the truth, represents, at best, a guess. There have been times in my life when I felt incredibly happy. Life was full. I seemed productive. Then I thought,”Am I really happy or am I merely masking a deep depression with frantic activity?” If I don’t know such basic things about myself, who does?”
—Phyllis Rose (b. 1942)
“There are two kinds of fathers in traditional households: the fathers of sons and the fathers of daughters. These two kinds of fathers sometimes co-exist in one and the same man. For instance, Daughter’s Father kisses his little girl goodnight, strokes her hair, hugs her warmly, then goes into the next room where he becomes Son’s Father, who says in a hearty voice, perhaps with a light punch on the boy’s shoulder: “Goodnight, Son, see ya in the morning.””
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin (20th century)