Toxicity

The degree to which a substance can harm humans or animals.</P> Toxicity can be acute, subchronic, or chronic: > >Acute toxicity involves harmful effects in an organism through a single or short-term exposure.

>Subchronic toxicity is the ability of a toxic substance to cause effects for more than one year but less than the lifetime of the exposed organism.

>Chronic toxicity is the ability of a substance or mixture of substances to cause harmful effects over an extended period, usually upon repeated or continuous exposure, sometimes lasting for the entire life of the exposed organism.</LI></UL> See also: Radiation toxicity.