Pure and Applied Chemistry

Abstract: The objective of the “Explanatory Dictionary of Key Terms in Toxicology” is to give full explanations of the meaning and usage of toxicological terms chosen for their importance and complexity with regard to the merging of chemistry into toxicology. This requires a full description of the underlying concepts, going beyond a normal dictionary definition. Often linguistic barriers lead to problems in obtaining a common understanding of terminology at an international level and between disciplines. The explanatory comments should help to break down such barriers. This dictionary is a follow-up and continuation of part I published in 2007. It consists of a collection of terms chosen from the IUPAC “Glossary of Terms Used in Toxicology”. These terms are organized under 19 main headings. The authors hope that this explanatory dictionary will be helpful to chemists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, risk assessors, regulators, medical practitioners, regulatory authorities, and everyone with an interest in the application of chemistry to solving toxicological problems. It should be of particular value to those involved in risk assessment and management.