Toxicologist : Job description

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 minimised.'

Careers in toxicology are divided into eight broad areas:

• industrial;
• pharmaceutical;
• academic/university;
• clinical;
• forensic;
• regulatory;
• occupational;
• ecotoxicology.

Typical work activities

Depending on the specific career area, typical work activities may include:

• isolating, identifying and quantifying toxic substances or radiation and/or any harmful effect they have on biological materials, animals, plants or ecosystems;
• 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;
• analysing and evaluating statistical data and researching scientific literature;
• carrying out risk analyses, assessing toxicity and creating safety profiles;
• writing reports and scientific papers, presenting findings and, in the case of forensic work, giving evidence in court;
• developing models to predict the long-term fate and effect of chemicals within an ecosystem;
• advising on the safe handling of toxic substances and radiation, in production or in the event of accident;
• working collaboratively in multidisciplinary project teams with other scientists, technicians and other colleagues;
• liaising with regulatory authorities to ensure compliance with local, national and international regulations.

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, as well as using biochemical, immunological, molecular biological or specialised microscopic techniques to help assess safety;
• 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 (see 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.