irreversible toxic response

Toxic responses can be either reversible or irreversible. Reversible toxic responses allow the body to recover once the exposure to the toxic substance ends. For example, irritation of the respiratory tract from formaldehyde gas subsides once inhalation stops.1

Irreversible toxic responses, however, result in lasting damage. An example is the formation of silicotic nodules in the lungs due to silica dust exposure, which remain in the lung tissue even after the exposure ceases. The body's ability to recover from a toxic substance depends on the nature of the response it produces.1