LD50 and LC50
- LD50 = dosage of a chemical substance that kills half the tested population.
- LC50 = concentration of a chemical substance that kills half the tested population. Concentrations at which a significant killing effect on an organism is observed.
- These values are often expressed in milligrams/kilogram.
- For a substance to be considered highly toxic, it needs to be around or above 43mg/kg
- Due to the fact that a lot of pesticides run off into the water due to spraying ad/or crop runoff, these values often represent aquatic animals and bodies of water.
- Low LD50 values are popular for pest control because then less pesticide is required to control the outbreak.