Examples
NOTE: Comparing substances (especially drugs) to each other by LD50 can be misleading in many cases due (in part) to differences in effective dose (ED50). Therefore, it is more useful to compare such substances by therapeutic index, which is simply the ratio of LD50 to ED50.
The following examples are listed in reference to LD50 values, in descending order, and accompanied by LC50 values, {bracketed}, when appropriate.
| Substance | Animal, Route | LD50 {LC50} |
LD50 : g/kg {LC50 : g/L} standardized |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | rat, oral | 700490000000000000090,000 mg/kg | 90 | |
| Sucrose (table sugar) | rat, oral | 700429700000000000029,700 mg/kg | 29.7 | |
| Monosodium glutamate (MSG) | rat, oral | 700416600000000000016,600 mg/kg | 16.6 | |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | rat, oral | 700411900000000000011,900 mg/kg | 11.9 | |
| Cyanuric acid | rat, oral | 70037700000000000007,700 mg/kg | 7.7 | |
| cadmium sulfide | rat, oral | 70037080000000000007,080 mg/kg | 7.08 | |
| Grain alcohol (ethanol) | rat, oral | 70037060000000000007,060 mg/kg | 7.06 | |
| Melamine | rat, oral | 70036000000000000006,000 mg/kg | 6 | |
| Melamine cyanurate | rat, oral | 70034100000000000004,100 mg/kg | 4.1 | |
| Sodium molybdate | rat, oral | 4,000 mg/kg | 4 | |
| Table Salt | rat, oral | 3,000 mg/kg | 3 | |
| Paracetamol (acetaminophen) | rat, oral | 1,944 mg/kg | 1.944 | |
| Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) | rat, oral | 1,270 mg/kg | 1.270 | |
| Metallic Arsenic | rat, oral | 763 mg/kg | 0.763 | |
| Alkyl dimethyl benzalkonium chloride (ADBAC) | rat, oral fish, immersion aq. invertebrates, imm. |
304.5 mg/kg {0.28 mg/L} {0.059 mg/L} |
0.3045 {0.00028} {0.000059} |
|
| Coumarin (benzopyrone, from Cinnamomum aromaticum and other plants) | rat, oral | 293 mg/kg | 0.293 | |
| Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) | rat, oral | 200 mg/kg | 0.2 | |
| Caffeine | rat, oral | 192 mg/kg | 0.192 | |
| Arsenic trisulfide | rat, oral | 185–6,400 mg/kg | 0.185 | |
| Sodium nitrite | rat, oral | 180 mg/kg | 0.18 | |
| Bisoprolol | mouse, oral | 100 mg/kg | 0.1 | |
| Cobalt(II) chloride | rat, oral | 80 mg/kg | 0.08 | |
| Cadmium oxide | rat, oral | 72 mg/kg | 0.072 | |
| Sodium fluoride | rat, oral | 52 mg/kg | 0.052 | |
| Nicotine | rat, oral mice, oral |
50 mg/kg 3.3 mg/kg |
0.05 0.0033 |
|
| Pentaborane | human, oral | <50 mg/kg | <0.05 | |
| Capsaicin | mouse, oral | 47.2 mg/kg | 0.0472 | |
| Mercury(II) chloride | rat, dermal | 41 mg/kg | 0.041 | |
| Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) | rat, intravenous | 16.5 mg/kg | 0.0165 | |
| Arsenic trioxide | rat, oral | 14 mg/kg | 0.014 | |
| Metallic Arsenic | rat, intraperitoneal | 13 mg/kg | 0.013 | |
| Sodium cyanide | rat, oral | 6.4 mg/kg | 0.0064 | |
| White phosphorus | rat, oral | 3.03 mg/kg | 0.00303 | |
| Strychnine | human, oral | 1–2 mg/kg(estimated) | 0.001 | |
| Beryllium oxide | rat, oral | 0.5 mg/kg | 0.0005 | |
| Cantharidin | human, oral | 0.5 mg/kg | 0.0005 | |
| Aflatoxin B1 (from Aspergillus flavus) | rat, oral | 0.48 mg/kg | 0.00048 | |
| Venom of the Inland Taipan (Australian snake) | rat, subcutaneous | 699825000000000000025 µg/kg | 0.000025 | |
| Ricin | rat, intraperitoneal rat, oral |
699822000000000000022 μg/kg 20-30 mg/kg |
0.000022 0.02 |
|
| Dioxin (TCDD) | rat, oral | 699820000000000000020 µg/kg | 0.00002 | |
| Sarin | mouse, subcutaneous injection | 699817230999990000017.23 µg/kg (estimated) | 0.0000172 | |
| VX (nerve agent) | human, oral, inhalation, absorption through skin/eyes | 69972300000000000002.3 µg/kg (estimated) | 0.0000023 | |
| Batrachotoxin (from poison dart frog) | human, sub-cutaneous injection | 69972000000000000002-7 µg/kg (estimated) | 0.000002 | |
| Venom of Hydrophis belcheri (Belcher's Sea Snake) | mouse, intraperitoneal | 69962500000000000000.25 µg/kg | 0.00000025 | |
| Maitotoxin | mouse, intraperitoneal | 69961299900000999990.13 µg/kg | 0.00000013 | |
| Polonium-210 | human, inhalation | 699510000000000000010 ng/kg (estimated) | 0.00000001 | |
| Botulinum toxin (Botox) | human, oral, injection, inhalation | 69941000000000000001 ng/kg (estimated) | 0.000000001 | |
| Ionizing radiation | human, irradiation | 3-6 Gy |
Read more about this topic: Median Lethal Dose
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