Hazards associated with Toxic chemicals

Many chemicals commonly used in laboratories are toxic. Laboratory employees must be thoroughly familiar with toxic properties of the chemicals they work with in order to minimize their risk. The risk of developing a toxic effect is related to both the extent of exposure as well as the inherent toxicity of a chemical. Since we can not change the inherent toxicity of a chemical (except by substitution), we must minimize exposure to reduce the risk. Fortunately the modern laboratory incorporates many features which assist in minimizing exposures.

Reviewing the following toxicology concepts will assist you in understanding the toxic properties of chemicals, how to recognize toxic responses, and how to minimize your risk:

The dose makes the poison — dose response
Routes of entry into the body
Acute and Chronic Health Effects
Local vs Systemic Health Effects
Measures of Toxic effect
Physiological classification of toxic responses