Effect The Foundation of Toxicological Science

Common sense tells us that coming in contact with a toxic chanical— touching it, inhaling it, ingesting it— makes us sick. The more contact, the sicker people are likely to get. For example, if a student spills acetone in his organic chanistry class, or if a homeowner spills paint thinner in her garage, those nearest the spiU inhale the most fumes, and they are more likely to feel nauseous or dizzy than those at a distance who inhale less fumes. At the same time, some people who are farther away and inhale less fumes may be particularly sensitive and end up feeling just as sick as those nearest the spill. 

The key to managing toxic chemicals judiciously is the dose-effect relationship. This relationship correlates degrees of exposure with manifestations of toxicity. It shows the percent of exposed individuals who get sick as a function of their degree of contact with a toxic chemical. The dose-effect relationship has the potential to serve as a toxicological road map for how to use chemicals to improve the quality of life while lowering to acceptable levels the risk of making people sick. 

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