General Toxicology

Toxicology
    Toxicology is the science that deals with poisons and their effect on living organisms.

Toxicity
    Toxicity is the inherent ability of a pesticide to cause harm to a specific organism.
    Some pesticides are more toxic than others and present higher risks to users,
    nontarget organisms, and the environment.
    The effect of the pesticide (the toxic reaction) is related to the amount of pesticide
   (the dose) applied.
    Toxicity is often measured in LD-50, the Lethal Dose to kill 50% of exposed individuals,
    or LC-50,
    the Lethal Concentration in water or air to kill 50% of exposed individuals of a species.
    LD-50 does not provide information about long-term (or chronic) effects such as cancer,
    sterility, and permanent nerve damage that can result from repeated low level exposures.

Half-life

    The half-life is the length of time it takes for a pesticide to lose half of its
    toxicity in a given environment.
    Pesticides that break down rapidly are less likely to cause harm.