Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Toxicity Testing in Animals

Toxicity Testing in Animals

Toxicity tests in animals are grounded on two main assumptions: first, the effects observed in laboratory animals can be extrapolated to humans, especially when adjusted for body surface area; second, high-dose exposure in animals is essential to identify potential human hazards from lower doses. This is based on the quantal dose-response concept, which faces the challenge of extrapolating results from relatively few test animals to much larger human populations. For example, a 0.01% incidence...

Toxic Reactions: Overview

Toxic Reactions: Overview

When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
Toxicity falls into two primary categories: local and systemic.
Local toxicity appears at the exposure site, such as protein denaturation caused by caustic substances.
In contrast, systemic toxicity requires the toxic agent's absorption and distribution,...

Types of Toxins

Types of Toxins

Humans continually engage with an environment rich in potentially harmful chemicals. These are introduced to our bodies through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. These chemicals exist in various forms, such as air and environmental pollutants, agricultural chemicals, organic solvents, and heavy metals.
Air pollutants, primarily gases, pose significant threats to respiratory health, leading to conditions like hypoxia, lung cancer, and in extreme cases, death.
Environmental pollutants like...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Waterborne toxicity of several dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane congeners to Hyalella azteca and its implications for contaminated sediment assessment.

Environmental toxicology and chemistry·2025

Same author

Review of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) bioaccumulation in earthworms.

Environmental advances·2024

Same author

Dietary Uptake of Highly Hydrophobic Chemicals by Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss).

Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology·2023

Same author

Review of DDT, DDE, DDD, DDMU and DDMS Toxicity Data for Organisms Used in Estuarine and Marine Sediment Toxicity Tests.

Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology·2023

Same author

Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factors for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances.

Environmental toxicology and chemistry·2022

Same author

Bioaccumulation of Bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate and Mono-(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate by Lumbriculus variegatus.

Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey

Published on: August 29, 2014

Toxicity equivalency values for polychlorinated biphenyl mixtures.

Lawrence P Burkhard¹, Marta T Lukasewycz

¹Mid-Continent Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, Minnesota 55804, USA. burkhard.lawrence@epa.gov

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

|October 31, 2007

Summary

Dioxin equivalency values (TEQs) were calculated for various polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures. The contribution of dioxin-like compounds varied significantly, impacting aquatic species the most.

More Related Videos

In Silico Modeling Method for Computational Aquatic Toxicology of Endocrine Disruptors: A Software-Based Approach Using QSAR Toolbox

In Silico Modeling Method for Computational Aquatic Toxicology of Endocrine Disruptors: A Software-Based Approach Using QSAR Toolbox

Published on: August 28, 2019

Assessment of the Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Airborne Particles by Exposing Cultivated Human Lung Cells at the Air-Liquid Interface

Assessment of the Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Airborne Particles by Exposing Cultivated Human Lung Cells at the Air-Liquid Interface

Published on: February 23, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey

Laboratory Estimation of Net Trophic Transfer Efficiencies of PCB Congeners to Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Its Prey

Published on: August 29, 2014

In Silico Modeling Method for Computational Aquatic Toxicology of Endocrine Disruptors: A Software-Based Approach Using QSAR Toolbox

In Silico Modeling Method for Computational Aquatic Toxicology of Endocrine Disruptors: A Software-Based Approach Using QSAR Toolbox

Published on: August 28, 2019

Assessment of the Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Airborne Particles by Exposing Cultivated Human Lung Cells at the Air-Liquid Interface

Assessment of the Acute Inhalation Toxicity of Airborne Particles by Exposing Cultivated Human Lung Cells at the Air-Liquid Interface

Published on: February 23, 2020

Area of Science:

Environmental Chemistry
Toxicology
Ecotoxicology

Background:

Commercial polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures are complex formulations.
Assessing the toxicological impact of these mixtures requires understanding the contribution of individual congeners.
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are highly toxic compounds often found as contaminants in PCB mixtures.

Purpose of the Study:

To compute dioxin equivalency values (TEQs) for various commercial PCB mixtures.
To determine the contribution of PCDDs and PCDFs to the total TEQs in different PCB products.
To compare TEQs across different PCB product lines and species.

Main Methods:

Utilized World Health Organization toxicity equivalency factors (TEFs).
Employed compound-specific compositional data for PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs.
Calculated TEQs for aquatic, avian, and mammalian species.

Main Results:

TEQs were comparable among PCB mixtures with similar chlorine content.
The proportion of total TEQs contributed by PCDD/Fs ranged from 0% to 96%, depending on the mixture.
The influence of PCDD/Fs on TEQs was most pronounced for aquatic species (fish).
Limited data exist for PCDD/Fs in commercial PCB products compared to dioxin-like PCBs.

Conclusions:

The toxicological profile of commercial PCB mixtures is highly variable due to differing PCDD/F contamination levels.
Aquatic organisms may be disproportionately affected by the PCDD/F content in PCB mixtures.
Further research on PCDD/F levels in commercial PCBs is warranted to accurately assess environmental risk.