What types of injuries are caused by toxic chemicals?
Injuries caused by exposure to toxic chemicals are quite varied. However, lung disease, blood disease, and cancer are among the most serious toxic injuries. Toxic injuries can be acute or chronic, depending on the toxin’s properties and the nature and extent of exposure. Chemicals can enter the human body in a number of ways. Chemicals can be inhaled, absorbed through the skin or eyes, can be ingested, and can be injected into the human body. Exposure to a large number of chemicals can cause various types of cancer. For example, asbestos exposure causes lung cancer and mesothelioma, exposure to vinyl chloride causes angiosarcoma of the liver, and exposure to benzene causes leukemia and other cancers. Many toxic injuries result from the inhalation of toxic chemicals. The respiratory system is especially at risk of toxic injury, because it is fragile and is the only internal organ system that is directly exposed to the environment. Examples of respiratory toxic injuries include reactive
