The easiest way to describe toxicology is that it is the scientific study of what happens to living things when they’re exposed to something they shouldn’t be. Toxicology combines many different sciences including biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and environmental science. This multi-discipline style is what originally drew me to studying toxicology.
History
Toxicology dates back to early humans who would experiment with plant extracts and animal venom for hunting, war, and medicine. The ancient Ebers Papyrus from 1500 BC was an Egyptian medical text that already recognized poisons like hemlock, lead, and opium! There are also many examples of Greek philosophers such as Hippocrates, Theophrastus, and Dioscorides writing of poisons and their use.
Toxicology slowly evolved over centuries to include descriptions of how these poisons worked. In the middle ages, many assassinations accompanied the growth of knowledge on these poisons. It was during this time that Paracelsus (who is known as the father of toxicology) said, “the dose makes the poison.”
Modern day toxicology has developed as a result of advances in medicine, biology, chemistry, and physics. Today, toxicologists are responsible for understanding the risk a chemical, substance, or situation has on all living things (1).
Important Terms
There is some unique vocabulary in toxicology. In order to explain what a toxicologist does, here are a few important terms –
- Dose – The concept of dose is important in toxicology. Dose refers to how much of a substance you come into contact with. When Paracelsus said the dose makes the poison, he meant that the amount of a substance you are exposed to can change its effect. For example, most people drink a cup of coffee or two during the day. However, caffeine in excess can cause headaches, dizziness, dehydration, and in rare cases, death (2).
- Exposure – Exposure refers to how you come into contact with a substance. For example, when you get a sunburn, your skin is exposed to the sun by absorbing its harmful rays. Acute exposure means that the exposure only happened for a short period of time. Here, you only stayed in the sun for a few hours. Chronic exposure means that the exposure happened over a long time. Here, you stayed in the sun for months!
- Risk – Risk refers to the chance that a substance or situation can cause harm. If you build your house next to a river for example, there is a greater risk that your house will flood when it rains. Toxicologists use data on dose and exposure to determine how much of a risk that a substance can cause.
Types of Toxicology
Toxicology has many branches. Most common of these branches include environmental toxicology, ecotoxicology, and regulatory toxicology.
Environmental toxicologists study the effects of chemicals and other toxins on human health and the environment. Scientists in this branch of toxicology may study things like the effects of pollution on a community or the effects of a drug on a person’s heart and brain. Environmental toxicologists are important for understanding how you can live a healthy and safe life.
Ecotoxicologists study the effects of harmful substances on organisms in the environment and how this changes the ecosystem. Scientists in this branch of toxicology may study things like how an oil spill effects the ocean habitat or how pesticides can effect eagle populations. Ecotoxicologists are important for understanding how the toxicity of a substance can effect whole communities and not just one organism.
Regulatory toxicologists use data from other toxicology studies to develop regulations to keep the population safe. Scientists in this branch of toxicology work in government and industry organizations to pass legislation and rules to keep the public safe. For example, regulatory toxicologists develop restrictions on the amounts of chemicals that are allowed in your food. Regulatory toxicologists are important for developing laws that keep us all safe.
Why Do I Study Toxicology?
While there are many more branches of toxicology, these three encompass a large portion of what I am studying in school for my PhD.
When I was still doing my bachelors degree, I completed an internship with the National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). NCTR is the research branch of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It wasn’t until then that I learned of how much of a difference toxicology has on the well being of people and the environment. This experience pushed me to pursue my graduate degree in toxicology because I want to make in our quality of life.
At the end of the day, the goal of a toxicologist is to make the world a healthier and safer place.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out these websites and scientific articles linked below!
- History of Paracelsus – P. Grandjean (2016)
- Toxicology overview – NIEHS
- Casarett and Doull’s Toxicology
- Toxicology Tutorials – ToxLearn
- Careers in Toxicology – Society of Toxicology
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