Toxicology

In this article we will discuss about toxicology, toxicants, toxicity, toxic hazard, what should chemical engineers know about toxicology, how toxicants enter biological organisms, how toxicants are eliminated from biological organisms, toxicological studies etc.

Toxicology:

Toxicology is more adequately defined as the qualitative and quantitative study of the adverse effects of toxicants on biological organisms. A toxicant can be a chemical or physical agent, including dusts, fibers, noise, and radiation. A good example of a physical agent is asbestos fiber, a known cause of lung damage and cancer.

A fundamental principle of toxicology is-

There are no harmless substances, only harmless ways of using substances.

Toxicity:

The toxicity of a chemical or physical agent is a property of the agent describing its effect

on biological organisms.

Toxic hazard:

Toxic hazard is the likelihood of damage to biological organisms based on exposure resulting from transport and other physical factors of usage.

The toxic hazard of a substance can be reduced by the application of appropriate industrial hygiene techniques. The

toxicity, however, cannot be changed.

What should Chemical Engineers know about Toxicology:

Chemical engineers must be knowledgeable about-

1. The way toxicants enter biological organisms,
2. The way toxicants are eliminated from biological organisms,
3. The effects of toxicants on biological organisms, and
4. Methods to prevent or reduce the entry of toxicants into biological organisms.

The first three areas are related to toxicology. The last area is essentially industrial hygiene.

How Toxicants Enter Biological Organisms:

Toxicants enter biological organisms by the following routes:

1. Ingestion: through the mouth into the stomach,
2. Inhalation: through the mouth or nose into the lungs,
3. Injection: through cuts into the skin,
4. Dermal absorption: through skin membrane.

Entry Routes for Toxicants and Methods for Control have been listed in the following picture -

How Toxicants Are Eliminated from Biological Organisms:

Toxicants are eliminated or rendered inactive by the following routes:

1. Excretion: through the kidneys, liver, lungs, or other organs;
2. Detoxification: by changing the chemical into something less harmful by biotransformation;
3. Storage: in the fatty tissue.

Various Responses to Toxicants have been listed in the following picture-

Toxicological Studies:

A major objective of a toxicological study is to quantify the effects of the suspect toxicant on a

target organism.

Before undertaking a toxicological study, the following items must be identified:

1. The toxicant,
2. The target or test organism,
3. The effect or response to be monitored,
4. The dose range,
5. The period of the test.

Note:

We have to work hard and invest a lot of time for managing this website (Chemical Engineering Spot) and bringing every article in front of you. So we are requesting our visitors to leave your valuable comments and share the post with your friends in different social networking sites. This will encourage us to write better articles for you.

You can also read:

Risk Assessment Methods for the workplaces

All About Fire

The Manufacturing Process of Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

Chemical Engineering Related Questions and Answers

Hydrogen (H2) Generation Technique

The Manufacturing of Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4) By Contact Process

River Water Treatment Process

Details About Membrane Technology

Details About Pump

Study on Adsorption of Hexavalent Chromium onto Water Hyacinth

References:

Chemical Process Safety Fundamentals with Applications (2nd Edition)-Chapter-2, Link-ftp://ftp.feq.ufu.br/Luis_Claudio/Books/Chemical%20Process%20Safety_%202nd%20ed_%20Daniel%20A.%20Crowl_Joseph%20F.%20L.pdf