3/27/22

CHEMICAL HAZARD AND

INTRODUCTION &
FUNDAMENTAL OF
TOXICOLOGY
Safety And Health Officer Certificate
Course

INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
Learning Objectives

• State the definition of toxicology

• Explain the basic concepts of toxicology
• Explain the relationship between dose and
effect
• Explain the concept of toxicokinetics

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO TOXICOLOGY

Study of chemical or physical agents that

produce adverse responses in the biological
systems with which they interact.
The basic concept in toxicology include;

1. Routes of entry
2. Toxicity & Dose-response
relationship
3. Toxicokinetics
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
HOW DO CHEMICAL GET
INTO YOUR BODY?

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
HOW DO CHEMICAL GET
INTO YOUR BODY?

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
INHALATION
In industry, inhalation is the most
significant route of entry. The
respiratory system consists of;
1. The upper respiratory tract
(nose, mouth and throat),
2. The air passage ways
(trachea, bronchi,
bronchioles, and respiratory
bronchioles) and;
3. The gas exchange area
(alveoli).
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
INHALATION

FACTORS AFFECTING INHALATION EXPOSURE

The intensity or magnitude of exposure at the route of entry

can be estimated by looking at the various parameters that
contributes toward the accumulation or build-up of the
chemical substance assessed at the boundaries of exposure
(e.g. breathing zone for inhalation exposure).

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
INHALATION
FACTORS AFFECTING INHALATION EXPOSURE
DEGREE OF RELEASE
1. Contaminant Release Rate
• Physical form of chemical, size and density
whether gas, vapour ,airborne particulate – gas & vapour
more easily to be released to environment
• Volatility & evaporation rate
more volatile (high vapour pressure & low boiling point)
more easily vapour will be released into the air.
high evaporation rate means faster release
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
INHALATION
FACTORS AFFECTING INHALATION EXPOSURE
DEGREE OF RELEASE
2. Quantity Used or Handled
more used, more will be generated

3. Air Contamination
contamination of surrounding air, clothing or work
surfaces presence in air (visually, odour, sensation)
contamination of work clothing or on work surfaces
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
INHALATION
FACTORS AFFECTING INHALATION EXPOSURE
DEGREE OF RELEASE
4. Type of release
hot or cold process – hot process usually high releases batch or
continuous process- batch process usually higher releases

5. In Vicinity of Source / closeness to source

source/contamination within or outside breathing zone
direct handling

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
ABSORBTION
• Absorption through the skin is another
important route of chemical entry, especially for
chemicals that are lipid soluble such as
pesticides.
• These chemical penetrated the intact skin and
get into the blood stream. Other chemicals may
enter the body through cuts or damaged skin.
Different parts of the body have different skin
structure and thickness and hence different
resistance to chemical penetration.

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
ABSORBTION
Example;
Penetration of organophosphates and carbamate insecticides
through human skin:

*Using the forearm as a frame of reference, i.e. penetration potential of 1

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
ROUTES OF ENTRY
INGESTION

Ingestion does not constitute a significant route of

exposure of industrial chemicals because:
• Fewer chemicals can enter via this route.
• The duration of exposure via ingestion is
usually shorter than by any other routes
• For many chemicals oral toxicity is lower than
inhalation toxicity or skin penetration
• The hazard can be significantly reduced by the
prohibition of eating or drinking in the
workplace and good personal hygiene.

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

HOW BAD IS THE

ADVERSE EFFECT IF
THE CHEMICALS GET
INTO YOUR BODY?

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

Science of the capacity of a chemical

to harm or injure a living organism
by other than mechanical means.

• Degree to which a substance is toxic.

• Degree to which something is able to
produce illness or damages
• Toxicity entails a definite dimension
(quantity or amount);

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
FACTORS

CHEMICAL HUMAN

• Physical & chemical • Age

properties • Sex
• Route of exposure • genetic make-up
• The length of exposure • immunological status
• Concentration of • nutritional status
exposure
• concurrent disease
• Dose
• Toxicokinetics

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
Dose

1.The amount / volume of substance /

agent in question that comes into contact
with a (or some part of ) living organism
2.Body weight of living organism
3.(period of time) Time

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
Chemical effect

1.Acute vs Chronic
2.Immediate vs Delay
3.Local vs Systemic

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
Chemical effect

1.Acute vs Chronic
Acute effect Chronic effect
Occurs immediately Toxic effect is only
after single exposure in apparent after repetitive
high dose and / or prolonged
exposure

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
Chemical effect

2. Immediate vs Delay
Immediate effect Delayed effect
Occurs immediately Toxic effect is only
after exposure apparent after a certain
duration after exposure
(sometimes workers are
unaware of when
exposure happened)
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
Chemical effect

Local vs Systemic
Local effect Systemic effect
Effect occurs at location Effect occurs at a
of exposure / point of location away from the
contact place of chemical entry /
point of contact

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY
DOSE RESPONSE
• All toxicological considerations are based on the
dose-exposure relationship. This relationship
states that as the dose of the chemical
increases the response or effect increases.
• The response of interest varies and could be
death (in case of lethal doses), cancer or altered
enzyme levels.
• In practice, test populations of animals are used
and the data extrapolated to humans.
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

Lethal Concentration (LC)

• The concentration of a chemical in air which
is estimated to produce / cause death

“LC-50” means a concentration of a

chemical in air which is estimated to produce
death in 50% of an experimental animal
population on inhalation for a short period of
time; CPL Reg. 1997; Schedule 1
ACUTE EFFECT

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

Lethal Dose (LD)

• The mass of substance administered per
unit mass of test subject, such as grams of
substance per kilogram of body mass.

“LD-50” means a dose of a chemical

applied either through ingestion, injection
or application to the skin which produces
death in 50% of an experimental animal
population;

ACUTE EFFECT

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

For example, LD50 and LC50 for dichlorvos, an

insecticide commonly used in household;
• Oral LD50 (rat): 56 mg/kg
• Dermal LD50 (rat): 75 mg/kg
• Inhalation LC50 (rat): 1.7 ppm (15 mg/m3); 4H
exposure
• Oral LD50 (rabbit) 10 mg/kg
• Oral LD50 (pigeon:): 23.7 mg/kg ACUTE EFFECT

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health

(IDLH)
• An airborne concentration that is
immediately dangerous to life and
health.

ACUTE EFFECT

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

• LD / LC / IDLH is ways to measure the short-

term poisoning potential (acute toxicity) of a
material.

• This classification was of limited use because it

did not provide information on health effects
other than death. Serious health effects such
as damage to organs or cancer are not
considered.
ACUTE EFFECT

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICITY

• LD / LC / IDLH is ways to measure the short-

term poisoning potential (acute toxicity) of a
material.

• This classification was of limited use because it

did not provide information on health effects
other than death. Serious health effects such
as damage to organs or cancer are not
considered.
ACUTE EFFECT

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICOKINETICS

AFTER ENTERING OUR

BODY WHERE DOES THE
CHEMICAL GOES TO?
CAN OUR BODY
ELIMINATE THE TOXIC
SUBSTANCES?

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICOKINETICS

Science on the process of the;

1. Uptake (absorption) of potentially
toxic substances by the body,
2. Biotransformation they undergo,
3. Distribution of the substances in the
tissues, and
4. elimination (excretion) of the
substances from the body.

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICOKINETICS

EXAMPLE; LEAD
Bone
25 years

Blood Other-tissue
days to week weeks to months

Urine Bile, sweat,

hair

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICOKINETICS

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL

Inhalation Skin Absorption Swallowing

Blood and
lymphatic Liver
Lung systems

Bile
Bone Fat
Kidney

Expired air Urine Faeces

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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICOKINETICS

METABOLISM
• The process by which a substance absorbed into
the body changed into one or more chemically
different substances (metabolites)
• Two outcomes
• Bioactivation
• detoxification
• Toxicity occur if detoxification pathway fails or
becomes saturated
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INTRODUCTION AND FUNDAMENTAL OF

TOXICOLOGY
TOXICOKINETICS

METABOLISM

Toxicant metabolite

e.g
Benzene phenol
Toluene hippuric acid

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THANK YOU
ANY QUESTION?

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