Toxicologist Job Description

In the recent past, concerns about environmental pollution have reached to alarming levels. Everyday, tons of toxic wastes are discharged into the environment through various sources like chemical plants, metal works, oil refineries, and power stations. Toxic metals like mercury or cadmium discharged into the rivers and seas are extremely harmful for the human and marine life. The increasing threat of toxicity in the air, water and soil is an issue that needs scientific study, so that the menace caused by them can be effectively curbed. Understanding the effects of toxic substances on the health of human beings, animals and plants, forms the basic duties of a toxicologist's job.

A toxicologist job is the top preference of students who pursue courses in the field of environmental engineering or similar subjects. Moreover, it is also popular as a career option for people who are passionate about doing their bit for safeguarding our atmosphere against pollution. There are great career opportunities for toxicologists in various sectors like pharmaceuticals, clinical studies, and forensic science, to just name a few.

Job Description
Scientific analysis of the presence of toxic substances in the environment is the most important part of a toxicologist's job. Simply stated, they are expected to carry out research works related to the potential threat of harmful radiations and toxic substances on the health and environment. They also study the effects of growing dangers of radiation in our environment due to the unprecedented rise in the number of technological products. After studying the harmful effects of external agents like chemicals, they find possible ways to reduce the risk of these threats. Some of their duties are as follows:

• To identify harmful substances posing threat to animals and plant life. The identification can be carried out by doing laboratory and field tests.
• To develop reports in order to highlight the risk analysis of toxicity in the environment and submit the reports with highlights on safety measures that are required to curb the problem.
• To work with various environmental agencies in projects concerning the environment.
• To submit reports on scientific papers and assist forensic agencies in tracing the cases where 'chemicals' like poison have been used at the crime spots.
• To carry out risk assessment in pharmaceutical companies and to identify if the newly manufactured drugs and medicines are non-toxic to consumers.
• To attend technical seminars and workshops related to environmental topics and issues.

Education Requirements
A bachelor's degree in the subjects related to chemicals and toxicology is the minimum criteria for becoming a toxicologist. Many of them also go for Master's in toxicology or similar degrees. Those with a PhD degree are recruited in research work, or as teachers in colleges and universities. Toxicology is a field that requires candidates from various interdisciplinary branches like biology, mathematics,veterinary sciences, pathology, physiology, immunology and genetics. There are various specializations in toxicology and each requires a specific background in some subject, so the scope of opportunities in this field is tremendous. For instance, one can work as a veterinary, clinical and pharmaceutical toxicologist, depending on an individual's respective educational qualifications.

Salary Range
The salary range is dependent on various factors like the geographical location, organization size and the work experience. The median salaries have been mentioned in tabular form.

Work Experience	Annual Salary Range*
Less than 1 year	35,000 to 85,000
1 to 4 years	41,000 to 73,000
5 to 9 years	47,000 to 93,000
10 to 19 years	80,000 to 124,000
20 years or more	70,000 to 133,000

^{*- Approximately in USD}

Pharmaceutical companies, research units, hospitals, petrochemical industries and government institutions are some of the most popular recruiters of toxicologists. After gaining few years of work experience, toxicologists can advance in their career by working for larger companies and projects. Students willing to be follow this field must have an intellectual thirst to learn and critically analyze complex problems. Also, virtues like disciplined and a methodical approach to work, coupled with loads of patience can go a long way in improving research quality.

The prospects of growth in the field of toxicology is immense and if you have interest in this career, then go for it wholeheartedly. Hope you have a flourishing career. All the best!