Open AccessFundamental aspects of dose--response relationships and their extrapolation for noncarcinogenic effects of metals.
Author(s) -
Gunnar F. Nordberg,
Per Strangert
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
environmental health perspectives
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.257
H-Index - 282
eISSN - 1552-9924
pISSN - 0091-6765
DOI - 10.1289/ehp.782297
Subject(s) - extrapolation , confidence interval , econometrics , biological system , statistics , mathematics , statistical physics , biology , physics
Fundamental differences in dose--response relationships between "stochastic" and "nonstochastic" effects of chemicals are identified and discussed. The difficulties in extrapolating into the low-dose region of dose--response curves are pointed out. In some instances of nonstochastic effects, observations concerning interindividual variability in biological half-time and threshold body burden for symptoms may be used for such extrapolation. An example based on data from the literature concerning effects of methyl-mercury on the nervous system is given. The confidence intervals of the extrapolated risk-values are computed and discussed in relation to assumptions concerning the mathematical model to be used in the extrapolation process.