The Different Types of Toxicology
- Chemical Toxicology Chemical toxicology focuses on the structure of chemical agents and how they affect living organisms. ...
- Forensic Toxicology The average person with little knowledge of toxicology is likely most familiar with forensic toxicology. ...
- Regulatory Toxicology ...
- Occupational Toxicology ...
- Clinical Toxicology ...
- Environmental Toxicology ...
- Veterinary Toxicology ...
- Aquatic Toxicology ...
What are the different types of toxicology?
What are the types of toxicology?
- Analytical toxicology.
- Applied toxicology.
- Clinical toxicology.
- Veterinary toxicology.
- Forensic toxicology.
- Environment toxicology.
- Industrial toxicology.
What are some of the branches of toxicology?
Branches of Toxicology 1. Mechanistic—cellular, biochemical and molecular mechanisms by which chemicals cause toxic responses 2. Forensic—cause of death, legal aspects 3. Clinical—treatments for poisonings and injuries caused by xenobiotics 4. Environmental—environmental pollutants, effects on flora and fauna 5.
What are the types of Epidemiology and toxicology?
Epidemiology and toxicology make fundamental contributions to research and policy development in occupational health and safety. Epidemiology—population focused The two categories of epidemiologic studies are descriptive and analytic studies. Toxicology—assesses the effects of potentially toxic exposures on living organisms.
What is included in a toxicology report?
- The list of samples being tested i.e. ...
- The methods used for testing the samples.
- The patient data including any relevant medical information such as medical conditions or prescribed medication.
- Laboratory results which indicate which drug or chemical was tested for and whether or not the drug or chemical was present in the given toxicology sample. ...
What is toxicology and its types?
Definition Toxicology The traditional definition of toxicology is "the science of poisons." As our understanding of how various agents can cause harm to humans and other organisms, a more descriptive definition of toxicology is "the study of the adverse effects of chemicals or physical agents on living organisms".
How many different types of toxicology are there?
About 35 years ago, however, T.A. Loomis divided the science of toxicology into three major subdivisions: environmental, economic, and forensic. These subdivisions were in large part based on how humans would come in contact with potentially harmful chemicals.
What are the main fields of toxicology?
Nowadays toxicology has many sub-disciplines such as environmental toxicology, genetic and reproductive toxicology, occupational toxicology, pharmaceutical toxicology, food toxicology and medical / forensic toxicology.
What type of chemistry is toxicology?
Toxicology is an interdisciplinary science, integrating information from biology and virtually all of its subspecialties (e.g., genetics, endocrinology and molecular biology) as well as math, physics and chemistry and its subspecialties (e.g. analytical, organic, and clinical chemistry).
What are the 3 types of toxicology?
These include:Toxicogenomics.Aquatic toxicology.Chemical toxicology.Clinical toxicology.Ecotoxicology.Environmental toxicology.Forensic toxicology.Medical toxicology.More items...
What are 2 types of toxicology?
Types of ToxicologyAnalytical toxicology: This includes the detection and evaluation of toxic chemicals.Applied toxicology: Applied toxicology is concerned with the application of modern technology in the early detection of toxicants.More items...•
What is the purpose of toxicology?
What is toxicology? Toxicology is a field of science that helps us understand the harmful effects that chemicals, substances, or situations, can have on people, animals, and the environment.
Who is father of toxicology?
Mathieu Orfila is also considered the modern father of toxicology, having given the subject its first formal treatment in 1813 in his Traité des poisons, also called Toxicologie générale.
What is an example of toxicology?
For example, in agriculture, toxicology determines the possible health effects from exposure to pesticides or herbicides, or the effect of animal feed additives, such as growth factors, on people. Toxicology is also used in laboratory experiments on animals to establish dose-response relationships.
What methods do toxicologists use?
The five primary methods of analysis include spectrophotometry, chromatographic methods, immunologic methods, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and special methods for metal analysis. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry is one of the most common methods employed for drug analysis.
What is General toxicology?
General toxicology studies explore the potential of your chemical to cause adverse health effects after single or repeated exposure, be that accidental or deliberate.
What are the 6 types of toxins?
Classes of Toxic SubstancesFluorinated Chemicals. Fluorinated chemicals are used in cookware, clothing, outdoor apparel, carpeting, and food packaging to provide oil and water resistant properties. ... Anti-microbials. ... Flame Retardants. ... Plasticizers & Endocrine Disruptors. ... Solvents. ... Heavy Metals.
What are the 5 different types of chemical toxins?
For the purposes of this Strategy, toxic compounds have been grouped into five categories: atmospherically- deposited compounds; organic and inorganic contaminants that result from industrial, manufacturing or other point and non-point discharges from facilities; pesticides; contaminants of emerging concern (CECs); and ...
What are the 5 categories of poisons?
Poisons are classified by such uses as pesticides, household products, pharmaceuticals, organic solvents, drugs of abuse, or industrial chemicals.
What are 5 areas of forensic toxicology?
The field of forensic toxicology involves three main sub-disciplines: postmortem forensic toxicology, human performance toxicology, and forensic drug testing. All of these sub-disciplines measure substances in biological matrices for a given purpose.
Why are toxicologists important?
In this case, toxicologists are employed to help determine operational and product safety for all involved. For businesses whose work directly affects the environment or chemical production, toxicologists work to keep the company in line with compliance and safety measures.
What is the role of forensic toxicology?
By bringing the scientific methods of toxicology together with research in legal contexts, forensic toxicologists play an integral role in criminal cases and are often used to help determine a cause of death or more generally to examine the role that substances played in a crime or death.
What is the role of toxicologists in medical research?
Through exploring the effects that drugs and medical procedures have on humans, medical toxicologists uncover the adverse effects of medical treatment s and establish proper dosage and exposure guidelines for substances.
Why do we need toxicologists?
Public health practitioners rely on toxicologists to measures what we cannot see and inform us of the hidden dangers that pose serious threats to health and well-being. Toxicology is critical in determining the materials, substances, and ingredients that can and cannot be used across a variety of sectors, including medicine, construction, ...
How many years of schooling do toxicologists need?
The level of education required for toxicologists depends on the individual’s career goals. With two to four year degrees, graduates are qualified to work in laboratories, research environments, and animal care settings.
What is the study of the effects of chemical, biological, and physical agents on living organisms?
Toxicology is the study of the effects of chemical, biological, and physical agents on living organisms, particularly humans. Scientists and researchers working in this field measure and analyze substances, particles, pollutants, and bacterium to determine the potential threats they pose to humans and other living organisms.
Where do toxicologists work?
Some toxicologists work in local, regional, or federal government agencies to aid in the regulation of substances in relation to the greater public. In this setting, they work with lawmakers to create legislation and methods for minimizing exposure to harmful substances.
History
Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the court of the Roman emperor Nero, made the first attempt to classify plants according to their toxic and therapeutic effect. Ibn Wahshiyya wrote the Book on Poisons in the 9th or 10th century. This was followed up in 1360 by Khagendra Mani Darpana.
Basic principles
The goal of toxicity assessment is to identify adverse effects of a substance. Adverse effects depend on two main factors: i) routes of exposure (oral, inhalation, or dermal) and ii) dose (duration and concentration of exposure). To explore dose, substances are tested in both acute and chronic models.
Testing methods
Toxicity experiments may be conducted in vivo (using the whole animal) or in vitro (testing on isolated cells or tissues), or in silico (in a computer simulation).
Dose response complexities
Most chemicals display a classic dose response curve – at a low dose (below a threshold), no effect is observed. : 80 Some show a phenomenon known as sufficient challenge – a small exposure produces animals that "grow more rapidly, have better general appearance and coat quality, have fewer tumors, and live longer than the control animals".
Types
"Clinical toxicology" redirects here. For the journal, see Clinical Toxicology.
Toxicology as a profession
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Why do doctors do toxicology tests?
A toxicology screen may be done for various reasons. The test is often ordered to determine if someone has taken drugs that could endanger their health. Doctors will perform a toxicology screen if they suspect a person is taking illegal drugs and that person is showing the following symptoms: confusion. deliriousness.
What is a toxicology screen?
A toxicology screen is a test that determines the approximate amount and type of legal or illegal drugs that you’ve taken. It may be used to screen for drug abuse, to monitor a substance abuse problem, or to evaluate drug intoxication or overdose.
What does a positive toxicology test mean?
The results of a toxicology screen are usually positive or negative. A positive test result means that a drug or multiple drugs are present in the body. Once your doctor identifies the presence of a drug by screening, a more specific test may be done that can show exactly how much of the drug is present.
Why do employers need a toxicology screen?
Employers who want to make sure their workers abstain from using illegal substances may also order a toxicology screen. In some cases, the test may be a normal part of the application process for certain jobs. It can also be used to check athletes for the use of performance-enhancing drugs, such as steroids.
What is urine collected in?
The urine is collected in a small cup. In some cases, law enforcement or medical personnel are present to prevent tampering. You may be asked to remove outerwear such as a jacket, hat, or sweater and to empty your pockets as a precaution against tampering. A blood sample may also used to screen for drugs. This type of test involves drawing blood ...
How accurate is a blood test?
Compared with a urine test, a blood test is more accurate in determining the concentration of a particular drug. In some cases, a toxicology screen might be performed using a saliva or hair sample. The contents of the stomach can also be screened ...
What drugs can be detected by toxicology?
Common classes of drugs that may be detected by toxicology screens include: alcohol, including ethanol and methanol. amphetamines, such as Adderall. barbiturates. benzodiazepines. methadone.
How did toxicology evolve?
Actually the evolution of toxicology began with the work on poisons used as drugs. Paracelsus, father of toxicology, reported that it is the dose which determines the toxicity and not the drug by itself. The chemical would become a drug only if the side-actions are not significant in comparison to the major desired effect.
What is environmental toxicology?
To sum up, environmental toxicology is the qualitative and quantitative study of injurious effects of chemical and physical agents. 2. Forensic Toxicology: Detection of causes of mortality due to any toxicant (poison) via medical examination is an allied aspect of toxicology and referred as Forensic Toxicology.
What is economic toxicology?
In other words, economic toxicology is directly or indirectly related to the economics of the nation. It deals with the harmful effects of chemicals which are intentionally administered for the purpose of achieving a specific effect in the biological system.
What are the divisions of toxicology?
The principal divisions and branches of toxicology are: 1. Environmental Toxicology: The environmental degradation due to the presence of various pollutants is referred as environmental toxicology. Thus environmental toxicology is the study of causes, conditions and effects of such chemicals on the living system and biosphere.
What are the four main disciplines of toxicology?
Modern toxicology is regarded as a multidisciplinary science. It is subdivided into four principal disciplines — Environmental, Economic, Clinical, and Forensic toxicology. However, Loomis (1968) refers only three basic subdivisions of toxicology, i.e., Environmental, Economic, and Forensic toxicology. He refers clinical and medicolegal aspects of toxicology under the head ‘Forensic Toxicology’.
What is xenobiotics study?
It deals with the study of deleterious effects of xenobiotics, if any, on chromosomes and, more specifically, upon the genetic constitution of individuals. It is closely related to the mechanistic as well as biochemical toxicology.
How many classes of poisons are there?
For practical purposes, in toxicology, ‘Poisons’ may be divided into four classes:
What is the branch of toxicology that deals with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of various toxic compounds present in the?
4. Veterinary Toxicology . It is the specialised branch of toxicology which deals with the study, diagnosis and treatment of various toxic compounds present in the animal kingdom. 5. Environmental Toxicology. It deals with the ill-effects of environmental toxicants on human, animal, plants and on the environment itself.
What poisons are used to procure abortion?
The poisons which are used to procure abortion are known as abortifacient poisons for example Quinine (alkaloid), Calotropis, croton, oleander, marking nut etc.
What are some examples of ceberal poisons?
These poisons affect the different parts of central nervous system such as Cerebral Poisons (alcohol, opium, barbiturates , and benzodiazep ines) are the examples of Ceberal poisons and are the Central Nervous System depressing agents, Spinal Poison, the most common example and important example of spinal poison in Strychnine, which is the active constituent that is derived from the seed of strychnux nuxvomica, Peripheral Poisons, these are the poisons which affects the peripheral nerves of the brain such as Curare.
What is the definition of poison?
1. Based on Intention. (A) Homicidal Poisons. The poisons which are used to kill the other person are known as homicidal poisons such as aconite, abrus precatorius, arsenic, etc. (B) Suicida l Poisons. Those poisons which are used for self-killing such as opium, barbiturate, agricultural poisons etc.
What are the bases of method?
Bases of Method. (A) Volatile and Gaseous Poisons. Isolated by distillation are categorised into this group. And the volatile substances can be separated from gaseous. Volatile substances are methanol, ethanol, benzene, toluene, acetone, chloroform, chloral hyderate etc. Gaseous Poisons are ethane, butane etc.
Which category of poisons affects the cardiac system?
The poisons which affects the cardiac system, for example Digitalis, tobacco etc. 5. Asphyxiate Poisons. This category of poison which cause asphyxia to the cells or tissues.Asphyxia is a condition of two sufficient supply of oxygen which results into shelter.
What is environmental toxicant?
Environmental toxicants are the compounds which are released into environment from various industries, hospitals, domestic wastage, etc, which may be degradable or non-degradable.
What is non-ionizing radiation?
The radiations which do not possess ionizing effect are called non-ionizing radiation.
How does noise pollution affect hearing?
The most immediate and acute effect of noise pollution is impairment of hearing. Long exposure to loud noise can cause some hearing loss that may become permanent. Generally, hearing loss is a result of neural damage involving injury to the hair cells. Two theories are offered to explain noise-induced injury.
What is toxicology?
In simple words, a toxicant may be defined as an agent that causes an adverse effect or response in a biological system, seriously damaging its structure or function or producing death. The adverse effect or response may be defined in terms of a measurement that is outside ...
What is the term for the atoms that undergo spontaneous nuclear disintegration?
The atoms of certain elements are known to undergo spontaneous disintegration with the emission of atomic particles, i.e. radiation. Such elements or substances that emit radiations due to spontaneous nuclear disintegration are termed radioactive substances.
What is a toxicant?
In view of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health a toxicant may be defined as “a substance which demonstrates the potential to induce cancer, produces long term disease or bodily injury; affects health adversely; produces acute discomfort; or endangers the life of man or animals through exposure via the respiratory tract, skin, eyes, mouth, or the other routes.”
What are the two parameters of sound?
There are two important parameters for describing sound: 1. The Sound Wave Frequency: As sound waves travel through air, the air undergoes periodic increase and decrease in density (compression and rarefaction). The number of compressions and rarefactions per unit time is known as the sound wave frequency.
How fast does sound travel?
When there are no molecules, as in a vacuum, sound cannot travel. Sound travels faster in solids than in air. The speed of sound in air, at 20°C, is nearly 344 m/s, while the speed of sound in wood is 3,962 m/s and in steel 5,029 m/s.
Overview
Types
Medical toxicology is the discipline that requires physician status (MD or DO degree plus specialty education and experience).
Clinical toxicology is the discipline that can be practiced not only by physicians but also other health professionals with a master's degree in clinical toxicology: physician extenders (physician assistants, nurse practitioners), nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals.
History
Dioscorides, a Greek physician in the court of the Roman emperor Nero, made the first attempt to classify plants according to their toxic and therapeutic effect. A work attributed to the 10th century author Ibn Wahshiyya called the Book on Poisons describes various toxic substances and poisonous recipes that can be made using magic. A 14th century Kannada poetic work attributed t…
Basic principles
The goal of toxicity assessment is to identify adverse effects of a substance. Adverse effects depend on two main factors: i) routes of exposure (oral, inhalation, or dermal) and ii) dose (duration and concentration of exposure). To explore dose, substances are tested in both acute and chronic models. Generally, different sets of experiments are conducted to determine whether a substance causes cancer and to examine other forms of toxicity.
Testing methods
Toxicity experiments may be conducted in vivo (using the whole animal) or in vitro (testing on isolated cells or tissues), or in silico (in a computer simulation).
The classic experimental tool of toxicology is testing on non-human animals. Example of model organisms are Galleria mellonella, which can replace small mammals, and Zebrafish, which allow for the study of toxicology in a lower order vertebrate in vivo. As of 2014, such animal testing pro…
Dose response complexities
Most chemicals display a classic dose response curve – at a low dose (below a threshold), no effect is observed. Some show a phenomenon known as sufficient challenge – a small exposure produces animals that "grow more rapidly, have better general appearance and coat quality, have fewer tumors, and live longer than the control animals". A few chemicals have no well-defined safe level of exposure. These are treated with special care. Some chemicals are subject to bioac…
Toxicology as a profession
A toxicologist is a scientist or medical personnel who specializes in the study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments and detection of venoms and toxins; especially the poisoning of people.
To work as a toxicologist one should obtain a degree in toxicology or a related degree like biology, chemistry, pharmacology or biochemistry. Bachelor's degree programs in toxicology cover the chemical makeup of toxins and their effects on biochemistry, physiology and ecology. After intr…
See also
• Aquatic toxicology
• Automatism (toxicology)
• Certain safety factor
• Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) (in the US)