Stubby wrote:


Lar wrote:

....

The toxicity of chemicals are compared to each other by a measurement
called an LD50...the lower the number the more toxic the product. The
LD50 of boric acid for rats is around 2660, relatively safe to be around.


My exposure to "LD50" considerations was when the US Military was trying
to get volunteers to take anthrax vaccination shots. They wanted to
impress people with just how deadly anthrax is. "LD50" is the Leathal
Dose (in grams????) which will kill 50% of the population. [I seem to
remember a gram of anthrax will kill sheep a mile away!]

it's measured in milligrams per kilograms of body weight...boric acid
for example with the oral of 2660 for rats would be if 50 rats all
weighing exactly 1 kilogram (2.2 lbs) and you fed all 2660 milligrams of
BA, 25 of them would die from that feeding

not sure what the oral ld50 for anthrax would be, but believe the
inhalation ld50 for it is measure in a number of spores...