Toxicology definition

Hodgson E, Smart RC. Biochemical toxicology definition and scope. In Hodgson E, Smart RC, eds. Introduction to Biochemical Toxicology. 2nd ed. New York Wiley, 2001. 

Aerosol technology may be defined as involving the development, preparation, manufacture, and testing of products that depend on the power of a hquefied or compressed gas to expel the contents from a container. This definition can be extended to iaclude the physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of both the finished aerosol system and the propellants. 

Toxicology. The acute oral and dermal toxicity of naphthalene is low with LD q values for rats from 1780—2500 mg/kg orally (41) and greater than 2000 mg/kg dermally. The inhalation of naphthalene vapors may cause headache, nausea, confusion, and profuse perspiration, and if exposure is severe, vomiting, optic neuritis, and hematuria may occur (28). Chronic exposure studies conducted by the NTP ia mice for two years showed that naphthalene caused irritation to the nasal passages, but no other overt toxicity was noted. Rabbits that received 1—2 g/d of naphthalene either orally or hypodermically developed changes ia the lens of the eye after a few days, foUowed by definite opacity of the lens after several days (41). Rare cases of such corneal epithelium damage ia humans have been reported (28). Naphthalene can be irritating to the skin, and hypersensitivity does occur. 

In the context of the above definition, adverse health effects are taken to mean those which are detrimental either to the survival or to the normal functioning of the individual. This definition is intended to highlight the following points with respect to phenomena investigated in toxicology. 

This subject will receive additional trcahiient in die next chapter an extensive section is devoted to toxicology. Tecluiical details and definitions are provided in that material. 

Before proceeding to some of the more technical aspects of toxicology and the general subject of dose-response, several important definitions used by the profession and appearing in the literature are provided below (in alphabetical order). 

Rosenblatt DH, Miller TA, Dacre JC, et al. 1975a. Problem definition studies on potential environmental pollutants. I. Toxicology and ecological hazards of 16 substances at the RMA. Technical Report 7508. U.S. Army Medical Bioengineering Research and Development Laboratory, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD. 

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