Mutagen-exposed population

The risk characterization is carried out by quantitatively comparing the outcome of the hazard (effects assessment) to the outcome of the exposure assessment, i.e., a comparison of the NOAEL, or LOAEL, and the exposure estimate. The ratio resulting from this comparison is called the Margin of Safety (MOS) (MOS = N(L)OAEL/Exposure). This is done separately for each potentially exposed population, i.e., workers, consumers, and man exposed via the environment, and for each toxicological endpoint, i.e., acute toxicity, irritation and corrosion, sensitization, repeated dose toxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, and toxicity to reproduction. 

Studies report toxicity data for animal populations in various units. One unit of measure is lethal concentration (LC), which applies to airborne concentrations. Another unit of measure is lethal dose (LD), which involves ingestion, injection or other means of applying a substance. Reported effects are often the portion of the exposed population that dies as a result of the controlled exposure. A subscript indicates the portion that died. For example. LD50 means that 50% of a test population died from a dose. LCio means that 10% died from an inhaled concentration. Another measure is TCL. It is the lowest published lethal concentration in air. Similarly, TDL is the lowest published lethal dose. Other notations in toxicity tables indicate effects on skin, blood, nervous system, muscles, or other tissue and organs. Notations also indicate whether a substance produces particular effects. Examples are irritation, or mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, or other effects. 

Bloom, A.D., Ed. (1981). Guidelines for Studies of Human Populations Exposed to Mutagenic and Reproductive Hazards, (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, New York). 

Bloom AD (1981) Guidelines for reproductive studies in exposed human populations. Guideline for studies of human populations exposed to mutagenic and reproductive hazards. Report of Panel II. White Plains. New York, March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, pp 37-110. 

Evans HJ. 1982. Cytogenetic studies on industrial populations exposed to mutagens. In Bridges BA, Butterworth BE, Weinstein IB. Indicators of genotoxic exposure. Banbury Report 13. 325-336. 

Escobar P, Sicard DM, Alfonso E, et al. 1998. the comet assay and DNA damage in a human population exposed to chromium compounds. Environ Mol Mutagen 31(Suppl. 29) 72. 

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