What is Toxics Epidemiology?
Are there many toxic agents in Los Angeles County?
How are we exposed to toxins in the environment?
How do we know which chemicals are harmful?
How much of a chemical can I be exposed to before it becomes toxic?
- What is Toxics Epidemiology?
Answer: Toxics Epidemiology is a Public Health program that investigates how toxic agents in the environment affect the health of Los Angeles County residents.
- Are there many toxic agents in Los Angeles County?
Answer: There are over 70,000 chemicals approved for use in the United States, and another 2,000 chemicals introduced every year. There are many sources of potential toxic exposures in urban environments in general, and Los Angeles County is a large and diverse industrial center with the potential for many types of toxic emissions.
- How are we exposed to toxins in the environment?
Answer: Toxins can enter the body through three main routes (routes of exposure):(1) Inhalation - through the lungs
(2) Dermal Absorption - through the skin
(3) Ingestion - by being swallowedToxins may have serious effects by one route, and minimal effects by another.
- How do we know which chemicals are harmful?
Answer: To better understand the toxic potential of agents in the environment, the Toxics Epidemiology Program studies the scientific literature, consults with medical and scientific experts, and conducts studies when necessary. This information is used to determine which agents are truly hazardous and at what level they pose a real threat to the community's health.
- How much of a chemical can I be exposed to before it becomes toxic?
Answer: The beneficial and harmful effects of a chemical (response) depend on the:(1) Amount of the chemical that gets into the organism (dose),
(2) Amount of chemical in the body compared with the body size (concentration),
(3) Length of exposure to the chemical, and
(4) Route of exposure.The measure of dose in toxicology is important; a large dose of a beneficial chemical can have a harmful effect, and a small dose of a harmful chemical can have no adverse effect. In the words of the 16th-century physician Paracelsus, "All substances are poisons; there is none which is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy."
