DISTRIBUTION

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DISTRIBUTION

• Distribution occurs when a toxicant is absorbed
  and enters the lymph or blood for transport to
  other regions of the body.
• Distribution occurs via
• Lymphatic System
• Cardiovascular Circulatory
• System

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Lymphatic System

• Lymph vessels
• Lymph nodes
• Tonsils
• Spleen
• Thymus
• WBCs or lymphocytes

3
Cardiovascular Circulatory System

• Heart
• Arterial vessels
• Venous vessels
• Capillaries
• Blood
• Erythrocytes or RBCs
• Leukocytes or WBCs
• Platelets
• Plasma

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Factors affecting toxicant distribution

• Physical chemical properties of toxicant
• Concentration of toxicant in blood tissues
• Volume of blood flowing through tissue
• Parameters that affect toxicant accumulation in
  tissues
• Blood volume through an organ
• Size/mass of organ
• Combination blood flow/mass
• of cardiac output received by tissue
• Tissue specificity of toxicant
• Special barriers

5
Examples of Distribution process

• Toxicants absorbed through the skin
• Toxicants absorbed through the respiratory system
• Toxicants absorbed through the digestive system

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STORAGE

• Storage results when toxicants accumulate in
  specific tissues or become bound to circulating
  proteins.

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Storage of toxicants occurs in

• Plasma protein
• Albumin
• Bone
• Liver
• Primary storage site
• Kidneys
• Adipose tissue (fat)