The Low Dose Extrapolation Problem: A Review and A New Model

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACT

Chemicals are tested for carcinogenicity by exposing animals to levels that are high fractions of the toxic dose. In order to use these data to estimate risk to humans, the results must be extrapolated to low levels. We review several non-threshold models in wide-spread use. Risk estimates obtained from these are compared with threshold values estimated from the new “filter model”.

Key Words and Phrases:

• risk estimation
• low dose extrapolation
• hit-models
• multistage models
• Weibull-distribution
• probit model
• Langrangian Poisson distribution
• filter model
• threshold