ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates the importance of using benchmarked inhalation exposure systems to expose rats to chemical warfare agents under highly controlled conditions. To characterize the hazards that may arise from any given exposure to chemical warfare agents, predictive animal models have to be established. The exposure of experimental animals or humans to sulfur mustard, nitrogen mustard, and chlorine elicits toxicity, characterized by both acute effects and chronic effects, which are generally considered as major determinants of mortality and long-term morbidity. The use of common laboratory animals for inhalation toxicity studies continually supplements the data base and furthers the understanding of toxicity data in experimental animals and their relevance for man. Comparison of different species is sometimes difficult to perform, since the mode of exposure used for small rodents and for larger laboratory animals such as dogs, pigs, or non-human primates is different.
