Xenobiotic Excretion

It mostly occurs in the liver and entails the inactivation and elimination of xenobiotics. Sweat, breath, feces, and urine are the routes of excretion. The rate at which a foreign substance leaves the body depends on its chemical or physical form, the route and carrier medium it was presented in, the simultaneous presence of substances affecting its solubility in the diet, whether it has an affinity for a particular tissue or organ, and the exposed person’s species, age, general health, liver, and kidney function. The excretion rate may be particularly important because some toxicants may leave detrimental residues in animals employed for food production. A foreign substance will build up in the body if absorption outpaces the elimination rate. Because they are comparatively insoluble, organochlorine chemicals, arsenic trioxide, and lead and their salts are not absorbed from the stomach. As a result, they are eliminated in feces. Sweat toxicant excretion is important for identifying...