What is toxicology?Once a field that focused on studying poisons, toxicology has evolved into a broader discipline dedicated to evaluating potential risks of various exposures and promoting the safety of humans, animals, and the environment.These exposures include many chemicals, of which two examples are , and . Potentially harmful chemicals and metals, such as lead and arsenic, can be found in environmental agents, such as traffic-related air pollution. In consumer products, chemicals such as are found in many items, including some food packaging, toys, and medical device tubing.By discovering the ways in which environmental exposures can affect our health, toxicology research can point to strategies for preventing disease, birth defects, and other adverse conditions, and for improving the well-being of people.What factors play a role in toxicology studies?Dose-response relationship: Toxicologists study the relationship between the amount of a substance and its effects on an organism. This analysis helps determine the level of exposure (dose) at which a substance may become harmful and pose a health risk to humans. All substances have the potential to be toxic under certain conditions or at certain doses.Exposure pathways: Understanding how chemicals enter the body is crucial for assessing risk and developing safety measures. Routes of exposure include inhalation, ingestion, or direct skin contact.Susceptibility factors: Individual differences, such as age, sex, genetics, and health status, influence how a person responds to an environmental exposure. Just because someone is exposed to a harmful substance does not mean they will get sick from it.Critical windows of exposure: During certain life stages, like pregnancy, early childhood, and adolescence, people are generally more sensitive to chemical exposures. Toxicologists tend to focus on these critical periods for studies. Even low-dose exposures that may seem insignificant could have biological effects or lead to an adverse health effect if the exposure happens during a critical window of development, such as when the brain and reproductive tract are forming.How does the science of toxicology improve people’s lives?Toxicology provides critical information that regulatory agencies, decision makers, and others can use to develop programs and policies that limit our exposures to toxic substances. These advances are intended to help prevent or reduce the likelihood of diseases or other adverse health outcomes. For example, the used federal research findings to establish a drinking water standard for . Data from NIEHS studies was also been used by the Environmental Protection Agency to set . These standards will help reduce people’s exposure to these persistent toxicants.Other benefits of toxicology include:Government agencies have a sound scientific basis for establishing regulations and policies aimed at protecting and preserving human health and the environment from toxic pollution.Companies, such as those in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries, are able to develop safer products, drugs, and workplaces.Consumers have access to information that helps them make decisions about their own health and prevent diseases.How is federal toxicology research coordinated?NIEHS is headquarters for the (NTP), an interagency partnership that includes the National Center for Toxicological Research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Researchers at NIEHS support NTP through toxicology testing, laboratory research, and literature-based assessments. They also oversee NTP databases, advisory groups, and peer review of draft reports., Environmental Toxicology is an international journal addressing the toxicity & toxicology of environmental pollutants such as soil contamination and air & water pollution., [1] [2] Ecotoxicology is a subdiscipline of environmental toxicology concerned with studying the harmful effects of toxicants at the population and ecosystem levels. Rachel Carson is considered the mother of environmental toxicology, as she made it a distinct field within toxicology in 1962 with the publication of her book Silent Spring , which .