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Mole

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Definition

mus is the RTECS abbreviation for mouse. On some Safety Data Sheets , the abbreviation m may also be used.

mus is not a standard abbreviation for "muscle" or "muscular". For example. RTECS uses ims for "intramuscular".

Additional Info

mus appears on SDS's in the context of a lethal or toxic dose concentration. Examples of such concentrations include LD₅₀ and LC₅₀ values as well as related terms such as TDLo (toxic dose, low), LDLo (lethal dose, low), and LCLo (lethal concentration, low).

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In the following examples from actual SDS's, "mg/kg" refers to the specified quantity (in g or mg) of the test chemical per kilogram (kg) of animal body weight:

Orl-mus LD50 >40 g/kg IPR-mus

7,548 mg/kg (inhalation, mus)

ORL-MUS 4 mg kg^-1

LD50:(IMS,MUS) 1190 MG

In the examples above, ORL-MUS above refers to an oral exposure route in mice and (IMS,MUS) refers to intramuscular injection in mice.

It is sometimes difficult to assess the relative risks of chemicals when one LD₅₀ is given for inhalation and another is given for injection. One has to consider the plausible routes of entry. For example, exposure to a vapor is much more likely through inhalation than through ingestion or injection.

SDS Relevance

Animal test results do not always accurately assess the risks to humans, but even so, they have historically been quite valuable for assessing the relative risks of chemicals in the workplace. The lower the LD₅₀ or related value, the more toxic the material. Animal testing raises ethical issues, particularly for non-essential applications like cosmetics. For perspectives on animal testing and biomedical research see Further Reading (below).

Always read your SDS to assess the hazards of a substance. Section 11 (toxicological information) will tell you what hazards you face and Section 8 (exposure controls/personal protection) will describe whatever engineering controls or personal protective equipment may be necessary to protect you from workplace exposure.

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Further Reading

• Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals at National Academies Press.
• The Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration provides resources for non-animal chemical assessment methods.
• The Johns Hopkins Center For Alternatives To Animal Testing.
• The Flaws and Human Harms of Animal Experimentation from Camb Q Healthc Ethics 2015, 24(4), pp 407-419.
• Animal Experiments in Biomedical Research: A Historical Perspective, a review article in Animals (Basel) 2013, 3(1), pp 238-273.
• Ethics guide: Experimenting on animals at the BBC.

See also: intraperitoneal, intravenous, molality, subcutaneous.

Additional definitions from Google and OneLook.

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