The branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms.
Questions tagged [toxicology]
169 questions
33
votes
8 answers
Is there anything that is completely non-toxic to humans at any dose?
Lately I have seen a number of unrelated "scientific" debates over whether certain substances should be outlawed because they are toxic to humans. My initial, informal reaction is usually to respond that anything is toxic to humans if you give them…
KutuluMike
- 440
- 1
- 4
- 8
21
votes
3 answers
Why is hydrofluoric acid so dangerous if it is a weak acid?
I've read that hydrofluoric acid (HF) is extremely dangerous to touch, but what exactly makes it so toxic? It's a weak acid ($K_a = 7.2 \times 10^{–4}$) and dissociates approximately 1/1000 as much as hydrochloric acid does in water, so why is it so…
Gordon Gustafson
- 3,663
- 4
- 27
- 29
5
votes
1 answer
What makes white phosphorus toxic?
What makes white phosphorous toxic?
I mean it causes liver and kidney damage, and altered blood coagulation, but it is hard to find anything about what biochemical mechanism this poison uses to kill liver and kidney cells and why the liver is not…
inf3rno
- 4,460
- 1
- 22
- 35
5
votes
1 answer
Is funnel web spider venom poisonous?
Does the venom of the Sydney funnel web spider have to be injected into the bloodstream to have an effect? If the venom was swallowed (e.g. if a spider was eaten), would it still have an effect? Or wouldn't it be able to pass through the gut lining,…
naught101
- 269
- 2
- 13
3
votes
1 answer
Why don't macaws get selenium poisoning from brazil nuts
Google research has indicated macaws love or eat a lot of Brazil nut. These are highly toxic to humans in somewhat small quantities due to their selenium content.
Given the mass difference between a human and macaw, lets say 80kg and 2kg, if…
Joshua D'Alton
- 131
- 2
3
votes
1 answer
What happens if someone with mutations to alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) drinks alcohol?
ethanol then doesn't get converted to acetaldehyde.
in fact, could someone KO'ed for ADH be resistant to methanol poisoning?
InquilineKea
- 2,309
- 2
- 17
- 27
2
votes
2 answers
Why is gastric lavage considered to be helpful only if a patient comes to a hospital within 1 hour of a toxic ingestion?
Why is gastric lavage considered to be helpful only if a patient comes to a hospital within 1 hour of a toxic ingestion? How severe would the effects be if a patient came to the hospital after the recommended 1 hour time frame?
braves5293
- 199
- 1
- 8
2
votes
0 answers
Is Mallow toxic to livestock or is it only Parviflora that is?
Thank you for your time. I have a question about toxic plants.
Mallow plants. Specifically, my horse (while up in North Central Arizona for the Summer) had access to (and ate, unsure how much), Malva Neglecta (identified in a fb plant…
Lyn Chambers
- 21
- 1
1
vote
0 answers
Is pure (100% H20, (near to no) solutes) water toxic to living organisms?
Possible Duplicate:
Death because of distilled water consumption
I know about the effects and myths about drinking distilled and/or deionized water. I'm not asking about such substances.
I wonder if a semi-immediate effect of drinking, say 1L…
rubenvb
- 111
- 4
1
vote
0 answers
Is there any evidence ethylene (gas) has any detrimental impact on human health?
Is there any evidence ethylene (gas) has any detrimental impact on human health? The only thing I was able to find is that the IARC doesn't consider it a carcinogen. But carcinogenesis is not the only way a substance can afflict human health, is it?…
Sergey Zolotarev
- 173
- 5
0
votes
1 answer
Non toxic low melting point alloy
I am looking for an alloy with low melting temperature (< 350°C) which is not toxic when in direct constant contact with skin, food and overall in domestic environment. My application is a solder that can be used for soldering a ring.
tig
- 101
- 2