Section 3 Flashcards
is the study of the adverse effects of substances on living organisms. a discipline which makes use of information developed by a wide range of chemical, physical, biological and medical sciences in order to predict the likely adverse effects on man of an ever-increasing range of substances to which he is exposed.
toxicology
concerned with the adverse effects on workers of substances handled in the workplace, although interest usually extends to adverse effects of products on consumers and of workplace effluents on the general public.
industrial toxicology
the innate ability of substances to injure living things.
toxicity
the prediction of the toxic effects that will be evident under defined conditions of exposure.
hazard assessment
is the prediction of the probability that defined toxic effects will occur under defined conditions of exposure in a single person or a defined population.
risk assessment
covers a wide range of materials including single chemical compounds or mixtures of these, simple or complex naturally occurring or synthetically produced substances and micro-organisms. may be chemically pure or contain additives or impurities and may be in the form of solids, liquids, gases, dusts, fibres, fumes or aerosols
substance
toxic effects of a substance depend upon:
Its physical form.
The dose.
The route of entry.
Its absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion.
When ground or crushed, dusts result and can be inhaled, ingested or contaminate the skin.
solid
Can be swallowed or contaminate the skin
liquids
Can be inhaled or contaminate the skin.
Gases Vapours Fumes Mists Aerosols
Exposure Concentration x Time
dose
the product of the concentration of the substance the worker is exposed to and duration of exposure.
dose
is the least significant route of entry in industry while in environmental toxicology it is the most.
ingestion
accounts for approximately 90% of industrial poisoning.
inhalation
The three main routes of entry of toxins into the body are
via inhalation, the skin and ingestion.