ABSTRACT
Table 3.1 represents the most important factors inuencing the intensity of the response to the contact with toxic substances.
Every organism has its own sensitivity to the toxic eects of various substances. However, the following groups of people are at a higher than medium toxic risk:
• Children and adolescents up to age 18, especially newborns (up to 6 months)
• Elderly people • Pregnant women • Enthusiastic smokers • People suering from the following diseases:
• Chronic nonspeci c pulmonary diseases • Organic CNS diseases and recurrent diseases of peripheral nervous
system (PNS) • Blood diseases • Clinically established hepatic diseases • Nephritis, nephrosis, and nephrosclerosis • Hypertonia and the coronary arterial diseases (CHD) • Active forms of tuberculosis • Ulcer of stomach or duodenum • Diseases of the endocrine system
• Established diseases of the vegetative nervous system • Mental diseases • Hereditary allergic diseases
3.2 PHYSIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION OF TOXIC RESPONSES
3.2.1 General Principles
According to the physiological extent in the organism, the response to a toxic eect can be
• Local-occurring only at the site of exposure of the organism to the toxic substance, for example, on the skin, in the lungs, or in the digestive tract. Except for the skin, the eect is preceded by absorption into the blood.
