A comparison of Reduced Life Expectancy (RLE) model with Haber's Rule to describe effects of exposure time on toxicity.

The Reduced Life Expectancy (RLE) Model (LC50 = [ln(NLE) - ln(LT50)]/d) has been proposed as an alternative to Haber's Rule. The model is based on a linear relationship between LC50 (Lethal Exposure Concentration) and lnLT50 (Lethal Exposure Time) and uses NLE (Normal Life Expectancy) as a limiting point as well as a long term data point (where d is a constant). The purposes of this paper were to compare the RLE Model with Haber's Rule with available toxicity data and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. When LT50 is relatively short and LC50 is high, Haber's Rule is consistent with the RLE model. But the difference between the two was evident in the situation when LT50 is relatively long and LC50 is low where the RLE model is a marked departure from Haber's Rule. The RLE Model can be used to appropriately evaluate long term effects of exposure.