Definition
An adverse effect on any living organism in which severe symptoms develop rapidly and often subside after the exposure stops.
See also:
Acute Toxicity
Adverse effects that result from a single dose or single exposure of a chemical; any poisonous effect produced within a short period of time, usually less than 96 hours. This term normally is used to describe effects in experimental animals.
Chronic Effect
An adverse effect on any living organism in which symptoms develop slowly over a long period of time or recur frequently.
Dose
In terms of monitoring exposure levels, the amount of a toxic substance taken into the body over a given period of time.