ABSTRACT
There is a flourishing interest in dermal toxicology because of environmental and
occupational exposures and the development of novel transdermal drug delivery
systems. Skin is one of the largest organs of the body and is the primary barrier
to absorption from the environment. Because of its accessibility and continuous
exposure to a myriad of chemicals, both accidentally and deliberately (cosmetics),
it is a common target for toxic chemicals. This requires that substantial testing
occur to assess both the rate and extent of dermal absorption as well as to charac-
terize the dermatotoxic potential of chemicals.
