Toxicology-species extrapolation toxicologic interactions

Animals, particularly mammals, engage in a wide variety of social, sexual, and maternal (or paternal) behaviors that are multidimensional and extremely complex. Despite the obvious importance of social behavior in humans, very little research has been focused on the effects of toxicants on social interactions, and the utility of such interactions in behavioral toxicology is unknown. The reason for this may be the enormous number of variables, which necessitates focusing on only a few parameters to the exclusion of all others. Moreover, many of these behaviors are specific to certain species (e.g., grooming, pup retrieval, and submissive gestures), raising the question of the validity of extrapolation to human behavior. 

So far, we have discussed various aspects of toxicology. This discipline identifies the manner in which chemicals exert toxicity, and the potency of chemicals of various species. The majority of toxicology studies are conducted under controlled conditions in the laboratory. This is necessary to establish cause and effect relationships and to develop dose-response information on specific chemicals. However, as discussed in the last chapter, humans are not typically exposed to concentrations tested in these laboratory studies. We learned about the uncertainty in trying to extrapolate toxicity information to humans or other species. In spite of this uncertainty, we are ultimately concerned with the potential impact of chemicals released into the environment. This issue concerns all of us because of the myriad ways we might interact with these chemicals. They can be present in our water, air, soil, or food. Estimating the likelihood of toxicity from exposure to chemicals in the environment is the focus of the discipline of risk assessment. 

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