How to Become a Toxicologist

Individuals in the toxicologist jobs are professionals whose primary job is to study various toxic materials such as radioactive material or biotoxins or even chemical compounds in order to determine the risks they pose to the natural environment and humans. Toxicologists carry out various controlled experiments to find out how potent a particular toxic is. In their career as toxicologists, they use analytical and scientific techniques to identify toxins such as chemicals, biological substances, and radiation, and to assess the potential risks and harmful effects posed by them. They often work as forensic toxicologists as well to help authorities solve crimes.

Collection

A toxicologist’s job begins with collection. He or she gathers and prepares samples of harmful substances for testing and analysis. A toxicologist may dissect dead animals and examine organs for signs of toxic materials. He or she takes tissue and blood samples from living animals for microscopic investigation. To gather details on toxins’ effects on living tissues, toxicologists apply cosmetics or other substances to skin and report inflammation, irritation or other abnormal responses.

Research work

To understand how toxins affect people and animals, toxicologists conduct research. They design studies on toxicological properties and perform laboratory analysis on samples to observe cellular, biochemical and molecular responses to toxins. Once they’ve identified harmful compounds, toxicologists research treatments for exposure. To help protect public health, toxicologists also determine safe levels of contact. Research specialties include cancer-causing chemicals, reproductive and developmental toxicology, neurotoxins, inhaled toxins and immunotoxicology.

Experimentation

Toxicologist designs, plans, and experiments to test the effect of toxins. He or she carries out many trials to investigate the toxic materials and their effect on the environment and living beings. A toxicologist is responsible for identifying the characteristics of toxins and evaluating their properties. A toxicologist uses scientific equipment and analytical techniques to assess the effects of toxins.  A toxicologist spends his or her most of the time experimenting in the laboratory. A toxicologist has to carry out many trials in order to investigate the various toxins and their different properties.

Assessment

A toxicologist carries out an assessment of various toxic materials to interpret its long term impact on animals, humans, and other living beings. A toxicologist interprets data after assessing and identifying toxins to reach conclusions and prepare reports for documentation. A toxicologist is responsible for evaluating the impact of the medicines and radiation on the environment and its living beings such as animals, and humans.  A toxicologist carries out different assessments to analyse about the long term impact of the toxic substances on all living beings.

Providing information

There are several cases where a victim was taking the dosage of drugs prescribed by his or her doctor. The long term intake of such drugs results in the victim’s death. Similarly, criminals use several toxic drugs or poison to murder the victim. In such cases, a forensic toxicologist carries out the investigation and provides the evidence in the documented reports in court proceedings. In certain cases, a forensic toxicologist has to appear in court proceedings to provide evidence in a documented report.

Advisory

A toxicologist is responsible for advising people on the safe handling of toxic substances. He or she also advises on methods of minimizing the effects of toxic substances. He or she prescribes the methods of safe use of toxins or drugs that could turn harmful for patients for long term intake of dosage. A toxicologist treats the patients who have come in direct contact with toxic substances. He or she prescribes the methods to his or her family members to neutralize the effect of the toxin on time.  

There are several types of toxicologists. We have provided below toxicologist job descriptions with varying toxicology specialisations and titles.

Applied toxicologist: It focuses on the actual interaction of the toxicant or its metabolites on cellular structures. Applied toxicology is concerned with the use of chemicals outside the laboratory (the real world). Applied toxicologists attempt to determine the physiologic effect or safety of an administered product.

Analytical toxicologist: It is the detection, identification, and measurement of foreign compounds (xenobiotics) in biological and other specimens. Analytical toxicology can assist in the diagnosis, management, prognosis, and prevention of poisoning. Using a number of different techniques they analyze complex patient samples, such as body fluids. They evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic use of investigations and their results. They implement new tests or change existing tests to allow new medicines or other substances to be added.

Veterinary Toxicologist: A veterinary toxicologist specialises in veterinary toxicology. It is the speciality of veterinary medicine dealing with the study, diagnosis, and treatment of effects of natural and man-made chemicals, forms of energy, and gasses in the animal kingdom.

Forensic Scientist: A forensic scientist specialises in forensic toxicology. It is the use of toxicology and disciplines such as analytical chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical chemistry to aid medical or legal investigation of death, poisoning, and drug use. To classify any medications or contaminants found in the body, forensic toxicologists conduct analytical testing on body fluids and tissue samples. A forensic scientist can detect and classify any chemicals in the body that would have initially caused, such as alcohol, as part of a group investigating a crime.

Clinical toxicologist: This discipline within toxicology is concerned with the toxic effect of agents whose intent is to treat, ameliorate, modify, or prevent disease states, or the effect of drugs that, at one time, were intended to be used as such. Many clinical toxicologists operate in hospitals and have strong connections to the departments of clinical pharmacology at the institution. Clinical toxicologists are able to offer guidance about how to either unintentionally or intentionally diagnose patients who have been contaminated with a drug or some other substance.

Environment Toxicologist: An environment toxicologist specialises in environmental toxicology. It is a multidisciplinary field of science concerned with the study of the harmful effects of various chemical, biological and physical agents on living organisms. Environmental toxicology is the study of the effects of both organic and inorganic substances on the environment. Environmental Toxicology is the study of the consequences on health and ecosystem by man-made and natural compounds. This involves analyzing the impact of chemical compounds on species in the environment and in the ecosystems to which they belong to.

Industrial Toxicologist: An industrial toxicologist specialises in industrial toxicology. It is the study of the harmful effects on humans by chemicals used in the workplace, the products produced by companies, and the wastes created in manufacturing. Industrial toxicology is a branch of the larger toxicology science that addresses the harmful impact of all types of chemical compounds, physical agents, and processes, like drugs. Toxicology was initially defined as the theory of poisons, an emphasis that has distinguished this discipline from its initial conception.

Chemist:  A chemist is a research professional who studies and analyses the properties, physical and chemical structures of various molecules and compounds. He or she utilises his or her knowledge and develops new products or compounds by modifying the existing properties and chemical structure of various molecular compounds. 

Biochemist: Biochemists are biologists and chemists who study the principles of both the sciences and apply them in their field of study. Biochemist education requirements involve studying the chemical and physical principles of living things and of biological processes, such as cell development, growth, heredity, and disease. Biochemists study DNA, heredity and cell development. 

Also read - Career as a botanist

The work in a career as a toxicologist is not as stressful as other science-based jobs. However, this really depends on what field of toxicology one is working in. Forensics, for instance, is regarded to be a very stressful industry, due to the subject matter of the possible jobs here. However, most toxicology jobs are research-based, and toxicologists tend to work on specific projects one at a time. While you will mostly be based in a lab, there is the possibility of occasional travel, especially when the research calls for it.

Does Toxicologist require travelling?

Not Likely

Toxicologists work in offices or labs, with regular nine hours shifts. But if an individual works as an occupational toxicologist, he or she might be required to travel to different workplaces to carry out risk assessments.

Employment Shifts

Full Time

The working hour for the toxicologist career is full-time in nature. A full-time academic researcher in the toxicologist must put in at least 50 to 60 hours a week to stay competitive. The job of a toxicologist is mostly nine- five one in nature. They might work extra hours depending on the requirement. They are supposed to work from Monday to Friday. Weekends are supposed to be off.

Employment Nature

Permanent, Contractual

The nature of employment when it comes to a career as toxicologists can be both permanent as well as contractual in nature.

Work Place

Office, Laboratory

Career as toxicologists requires them to work in labs run by law enforcement agencies, medical examiners or private drug testing facilities. They often must sit or stand for long periods of time. The tests, toxicologists perform require very fine motor skills and a dogged commitment to following rigorous scientific protocols.

Presence in Geographical Area

Rural, Semi-urban, Urban

Toxicologists can work in urban, semi-urban as well as rural settings. It depends on the requirement.

Time Pressure

Likely

Time pressure is considered moderate in the case of a career as a toxicologist. Most toxicologists put in 50 to 60 hours a week. Individuals working in the medical profession usually are not exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions.

Overtime Details

Working overtime is quite common in a career as a toxicologist. They are required to stay for long hours and finish daily assessments which involve paperwork also. Apart from this, they might be required to work on weekends if the situation demands.

Weekly Hours of Work

Min 50 Hours

In a career as toxicologists, they are required to put in 50 to 60 hours a week. Individuals working in the medical profession usually are not exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions.

You probably want to know how to become a toxicologist. As a result, in this section, we will address the most frequently requested question: how to become a toxicologist. The following are some of the skills required by a toxicologist:

Sense of Urgency: Urgency is the speed that drives businesses fast in order to keep them from disconnecting from what they are aiming to achieve but pursuing it with a sense of urgency. Individuals in the toxicologist career need to create a sense of urgency in the business by helping the staff see the need for change by taking advantage of the presented opportunities or by dealing with any issue that is holding them back.

Result Oriented: Results Orientation is knowing and focusing on outstanding results and working hard to achieve them because they are significant. Individuals in the toxicologist jobs must understand and make it clear to the employees how important results are and the competitive and results-driven market that the company is facing while encouraging them to remain focused on the results that every project bears without fail.

Interpersonal Management: Cooperation is the process of working with groups or teams for a common mutual benefit as opposed to working in competition or for selfish ambition. Individuals in the toxicologist career should learn the art of creating a mutually beneficial exchange among the employees that dwells much on cooperation for the same mutual benefit with adequate resources for all to use rather than creating a spirit of competition.

Stress Tolerance: Handling Stress is the skill to balance the requirements of the job and your abilities or available resources in performing it. A Toxicologist needs to creatively learn how to schedule work according to the abilities of different individuals to ensure a balance that will not put an unsustainable level of pressure on the employees and cause them to accumulate work-related stress.

Giving Feedback: Giving feedback is one of the most powerful tools to develop employees and improve performance through honest feedback of the work done best and areas that need improvement. A Toxicologist should be skilled in giving out both praise and criticism in a wise way to occasionally show workers where they need to improve and provide them with an observer's insight into the progress of their performance.

Practical Thinking: Practical Thinking is the skill to think creatively about projects or work that requires your full attention to be completed and to bring great results. Toxicologists must ensure the decisions he makes are well sought after using professional characteristics for employees with high-level responsibilities to feel included and to allow growth for everyone in a constantly changing world that requires creativity.

Research Skills: Research is the ability to stay updated on the latest trends in different fields as per your concern or the concern of your company or business. Individuals in the toxicologist jobs, ought to stay up to date on the latest trends in hiring, leading, retention, technology and much more by using the newest research methods that allow them to make better decisions and improve productivity.

Self-Discipline: Self-Discipline and Sense of Duty is an active effort that helps in developing set ways for your thoughts, actions, and habits empowering you to stick to your decisions. Individuals in the toxicologist career, need to learn the secret of fostering the development of self-discipline amongst the employees by clearly defining the expectations, staying in sync with the work-related events and propagating results yielding ideas that employees suggest.

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Individuals may enrol themselves in the certification courses mentioned below to upgrade their skills and knowledge for career in toxicology. 

Toxicologists may also be classified as biochemists; the expected growth rate for biochemists, along with biophysicists, was faster than average from 2018 to 2028. At present, organisations in India are unable to meet the demand because most toxicologists are attracted by lucrative positions and better research facilities in other countries. Toxicologists work as consultants in companies that deal with food, chemical, or cosmetic products. Numerous career avenues for toxicologists exist in chemical, food, pharmaceutical, and environment-related industries; in teaching and research, and in government organisations dealing with regulation of chemical usage. 

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are the largest employers of toxicologists. Pharmacovigilance (monitoring and preventing harmful effects of medicines), which is gaining prominence in India, is expected to absorb more toxicologists.

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