Biotoxins

A biotoxin is considered to be any toxic substance produced by microorganisms, plants or animals. They include metabolites of living organisms, products of the decomposition of dead organisms and materials that become toxic through their metabolic activity. They can cause both acute and chronic toxic diseases.

The large majority of biotoxins are highly toxic in small quantities. There is no environmental exposure limit value and toxicological data are often scarce. Toxins are generally not volatile or dermally active (except certain mycotoxins), so they represent a risk when they can be transmitted via the digestive, respiratory (through aerosols) or parenteral route. Great care must be taken when working with several toxins, since toxin-toxin interactions can have zero, synergistic or antagonistic effects.

As the entry or transmission routes are similar to those of microorganisms, practices defined by biosafety levels BSL-2/3 can be applied.