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AP®Environmental ScienceCollege BoardStudy GuidesUnit 8: Aquatic & Terrestrial PollutionLethal Dose 50%Lethal Dose 50%

Lethal Dose 50% (College Board AP® Environmental Science) : Study Guide

Jacque Cartwright

Written by: Jacque Cartwright

Reviewed by: Alistair Marjot

Updated on

What is lethal dose 50%?

  • Lethal dose 50% (LD50) is the amount of a material, given all at once, that causes the death of 50% (half) of the population of a particular species

  • It is used to measure the short-term toxicity of a substance

  • The standard unit of measurement is milligrams of substance per 100 grams of body weight (mg/g)

What does LC50 mean?

  • LC means 'lethal concentration'

  • The LC50 value relates to chemical concentrations in water or air that kill 50% of test animals in a specific time period

What is the difference between LC50 and LD50?

  • LD50 refers to one dose of a toxic substance that has been ingested

  • LC50 refers to the exposure of a toxic substance in the air or water after 4 hours for inhalation and 96 hours in water

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Jacque Cartwright

    Author: Jacque Cartwright

    Expertise: Geography Content Creator

    Jacque graduated from the Open University with a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography before doing her PGCE with the University of St David’s, Swansea. Teaching is her passion and has taught across a wide range of specifications – GCSE/IGCSE and IB but particularly loves teaching the A-level Geography. For the past 5 years Jacque has been teaching online for international schools, and she knows what is needed to get the top scores on those pesky geography exams.

    Alistair Marjot

    Reviewer: Alistair Marjot

    Expertise: Biology & Environmental Systems and Societies Content Creator

    Alistair graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Biological Sciences. He has taught GCSE/IGCSE Biology, as well as Biology and Environmental Systems & Societies for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. While teaching in Oxford, Alistair completed his MA Education as Head of Department for Environmental Systems & Societies. Alistair has continued to pursue his interests in ecology and environmental science, recently gaining an MSc in Wildlife Biology & Conservation with Edinburgh Napier University.