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
Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
Authorities believe Singh may have died of natural causes, given his history of health issues, though his cause of death is pending a toxicology report, law enforcement sources told TMZ.
—Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
It’s not known whether the Weld County coroner has ruled on the cause and manner of the 16-year-old’s death or completed a toxicology report, which can take weeks or even months.
—Sam Tabachnik, The Denver Post, 5 Dec. 2024
The consulting firm produced a report about the product and tapped three university professors with expertise in pharmacology, toxicology and food science to weigh in.
—Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Toxicology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxicology. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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toxicology
noun
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