LD50

LD50, or lethal dose 50, is a standard measure used in toxicology to indicate the amount of a substance required to kill half of a test population, typically laboratory animals, within a specific period. It’s expressed in milligrams of substance per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg). This value helps scientists assess the toxicity of chemicals, drugs, and pollutants, guiding safe exposure levels. A lower LD50 indicates higher toxicity, meaning that smaller amounts of the substance can be lethal, while a higher LD50 suggests that larger doses are needed to cause death.