BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL

TOXICOLOGY
“What is there that is not poison? All
things are poison and nothing without
poison. Solely the dose determines a
thing is not a poison.”
Paracelsus
1500 AD
(from: Philosophia Magna
Brickmann, Cologne, 1567)
DOSE - RESPONSE
RELATIONSHIP
What is DOSE?
- The total amount of the hazard that
actually enters the body relative to the
individual’s body weight
 The right dose differentiates a poison and a
remedy
 The body’s response to chemicals depends
on the dose received
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONCENTRATION OF TOXICANTS
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCENTRATION
 Is the concentration of an agent in an
environmental medium
 Refers to the agent’s presence in that
particular medium expressed quantitatively

2 Major Concepts:
 Bioaccumulation
 Biomagnification
BIOACCUMULATION

YOUNGER OLDER

The green fill represents contaminants

 

The cellular mechanism which

involves absorption and storage of
molecules within an organism
FACTORS AFFECTING
BIOACCUMULATION
Tendency of a chemical to bioaccumulate
depends on:
 physical & chemical properties, including solubility
in water & fat, molecular weight, & ease of
metabolism (biotransformation & bioactivation) or
degradation (transformation in the environment)
Environmental conditions, including water quality
(hardness, dissolved & particulate organic carbon
content, pH, etc)
FACTORS AFFECTING
BIOACCUMULATION
Tendency of a chemical to bioaccumulate
depends on:
 nature of the organism, including its ability to
metabolise the chemical and its fat content.
e.g. animals with higher fat content such those
living in cold climates, tend as to result to have
higher body burdens of “fat-loving” chemicals
BIOMAGNIFICATION
Ex. DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-
trichloroethane)

is defined as
accumulation &
transfer of
substances via the
food web, with an
increase of
concentration in
organisms at
successive trophic
levels.
 CLASSIFICATION OF TOXIC
CHEMICALS

1. IRRITANTS - Corrosives; damages tissues or materials

2. ASPHYXIANTS - Interferes with Oxygen uptake & distribution
3. NARCOTICS or ANESTHETICS - Depresses the CNS
4. NEUROTOXINS - specifically attacks the nerve cells; extremely
toxic & fast acting
5. MUTAGENS - Alters genetic material in cells
6. TERATOGENS - Specifically causes abnormalities during embryonic
growth & development
7. CARCINOGENS - Induces cancer & malignant tumors
8. SYSTEMIC POISONS - Produces internal damages to organs