[2] To be described as acute toxicity, the adverse effects should occur within 14 days of the administration of the substance.
It is widely considered unethical to use humans as test subjects for acute (or chronic) toxicity research.
These limits are set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), based on experimental data.
This is the concentration of substance which resulted in the death of 50% of test subjects (typically mice or rats) in the laboratory.
When a person has been exposed to an acutely toxic dose of a substance, they can be treated in a number of ways in order to minimize the harmful effects.