toxicology
noun
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Even though most of us are aware of toxicology primarily from crime shows on TV, toxicologists actually do most of their work in other fields. Many are employed by drug companies, others by chemical companies. Many work for the government, making sure the public is being kept safe from environmental poisons in the water, soil, and air, as well as unhealthy substances in our food and drugs. These issues often have to do with quantity; questions about how much of some substance should be considered dangerous, whether in the air or in a soft drink, may be left to toxicologists. But occasionally a toxicology task may be more exciting: for instance, discovering that what looked like an ordinary heart attack was actually brought on by a hypodermic injection of a paralyzing muscle relaxant.
Examples of toxicology in a Sentence
Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Her toxicology report is still being conducted to determine the official cause of death.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 28 Dec. 2024
Police said officers at the scene found a white powdery substance that looked like fentanyl, but the results of a toxicology report remain pending.
—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
The toxicology study is currently underway, and the team plans to start human clinical trials in the fall of 2025, Hong said.
—Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Toxicology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicology. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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toxicology
noun
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