Toxicokinetics: an analytical tool for assessing chemical hazards to man.

The Toxic Hazards Division has pioneered the development of toxicokinetic analysis for the study of the toxicity of various chemicals of importance to the U.S. Air Force. Toxicokinetic analysis permits calculation of tissue exposure based on biochemical, physiological, and physical chemical properties of the animal-chemical system. This paper describes the application of toxicokinetic analysis in the study and control of chemical hazards. Physiological models for both carbon tetrachloride and methylene chloride are discussed in relation to their ability to predict human kinetics and their use in estimating the risk of these chemicals to exposed humans. The emerging use of the toxicokinetic approach to analyze the mechanistic basis of chemical carcinogenesis is also discussed.