11 Which of the following toxicological principles best expl

11) Which of the following toxicological principles best explains why cancer-causing water contaminants are much more likely to have a Maximal Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) of zero compared to contaminants associated only with non-cancer effects. a) Differing toxicokinetics b) Inorganic versus non-organic effects c) Shape of dose-response curve d) Differential absorption

Solution

a) Differing toxicokinetics

The Maximal Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) for cancer-causing contaminants is set at zero because the presence of cancer-causing toxicants at the possible minimum concentration can cause the risk of cancer. In contrast, the presence of non-cancer contaminants do not cause the risk below certain limits.