Pesticides are required by law to be labled and ranked according to their toxicity. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require the containers of pesticides to be labelled Danger, Warning or Caution. The label is determined by Lethal Dose. Lethal Dose 50 (LD50) is the most common method of assesing dose-response. The '50' represents 50% of the test population. This means the dose that results in the death of 50% of the test population in a given time. Lethal Concentration (LC50) is the measurement of toxicity for inhalation. The more toxic substances have a smaller amount of toxicant per kilogram of body weight.
The following tests are carried out to determine pesticide toxicity:
oral (LD50)
dermal (LD50)
inhalation (LC50)
eye irritation
skin irritation
The most toxic pesticides are labelled 'danger' and only a taste would kill an adult. The least toxic are labelled 'caution' and an ounce to a pint would be needed to kill an adult.
