Acute toxicity

Acute toxicity describes the adverse effects of a substance that result either from a single exposure^[1] or from multiple exposures in a short space of time (usually less than 24 hours).^[2] To be described as acute toxicity, the adverse effects should occur within 14 days of the administration of the substance.^[2]

Acute toxicity is distinguished from chronic toxicity, which describes the adverse health effects from repeated exposures, often at lower levels, to a substance over a longer time period (months or years).

It is widely considered unethical to use humans as test subjects for acute (or chronic) toxicity research. However, some information can be gained from investigating accidental human exposures (e.g., factory accidents). Otherwise, most acute toxicity data comes from animal testing or, more recently, in vitro testing methods and inference from data on similar substances.^[1][3]

Measures of acute toxicity

Regulatory values

Limits for short-term exposure, such as STELs or CVs, are defined only if there is a particular acute toxicity associated with a substance.

• Short-Term Exposure Limit, STEL; Threshold limit value-short-term exposure limit, TLV-STEL
• Ceiling value, CV; Threshold limit value-ceiling, TLV-C

Experimental values

• No observed adverse effect level, NOAEL
• Lowest observed adverse effect level, LOAEL
• Maximum tolerable concentration, MTC, LC₀; Maximum tolerable dose, MTD, LD₀
• Minimum lethal concentration, LC_min; Mimimum lethal dose, LD_min
• Median lethal concentration, LC₅₀; Median lethal dose, LD₅₀; Median lethal time, LT₅₀
• Absolute lethal concentration, LC₁₀₀; Absolute lethal dose, LD₁₀₀

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "The MSDS HyperGlossary: Acute toxicity". Safety Emporium. Archived from the original on 16 October 2006. http://www.ilpi.com/msds/ref/acutetoxicity.html. Retrieved 2006-11-15. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Nic, M.; Jirat, J.; Kosata, B., eds. (2006–). "acute toxicity". IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology (Online ed.). doi:10.1351/goldbook.{{{file}}}. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8. http://goldbook.iupac.org/AT06800.html. 
3. ^ Walum E (1998). "Acute oral toxicity". Environ. Health Perspect. (Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 106) 106 (Suppl 2): 497–503. doi:10.2307/3433801. JSTOR 3433801. PMC 1533392. PMID 9599698. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1533392. 

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