(Created 12/02)
UNL Environmental Health and Safety · (402) 472-4925 · http://ehs.unl.edu
Uses of Toxicity Information
Comparison of Toxicity Data. Comparing the LD
50
of chemicals in animals gives a relative
ranking of potency or toxicity of each. For example, DDT (LD
50
for rats = 113 mg/kg) would be
considered more toxic than ethyl alcohol (LD
50
for rats = 14,000 mg/kg). Using the LD
50
(mg/kg) for a test species and multiplying by 70 kg (average mass of man) gives a rough
estimate of the toxic potential of the substance for humans, assuming that humans are as
sensitive as the subjects tested.
Because the extrapolation of human data from animal studies is complex, this value should only
be considered as an approximation for the potency of the compound and used in conjunction
with additional data
(Tables 3 and 4).
