Toxicologist

Toxicologists plan and carry out laboratory and field studies to identify, monitor and evaluate the impact of toxic materials and radiation on human and animal health, the environment, and the impact of future technology.

Toxicology is described by the British Toxicology Society (BTS) as 'the study of how harmful effects may occur - in humans, other animals, plants and the environment - and how they can be avoided or minimized. Careers in toxicology are divided into eight broad areas: university, clinical, forensic, regulatory, occupational, eco-toxicology.

Depending on the specific career area, typical work activities may include: planning and conducting laboratory or field experiments or observations of plants and animals in the field, and on in vivo (use of laboratory animals) and in vitro (use of bacterial and cell culture) biological systems, analyzing and evaluating statistical data and researching scientific literature.

In the pharmaceutical industry, any newly-prepared material must, for safety's sake, be considered to have a toxic potential until proven otherwise. Work activities may include: conducting risk assessments on potential new drugs to determine whether they are safe to test on humans, carrying out in vivo and in vitro tests, using experimental data to assess a drug's toxicity and create a safety profile, and balancing potential benefits against any risks.

Toxicologists in The National Health Service NHS Careers are responsible for the scientific identification, measurement and study of the effects of harmful chemicals, biological agents and drug overdoses on the human body. They plan and carry out investigations to determine the impact of toxic materials, and advise on the treatment of affected patients.