SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1989
STP25256S

On the Use of the

Source

R50 is a statistic used to describe the repellency of a substance in the manner that an LC50 is used to describe toxicity. Although the R50 is calculated using the same methods as for estimating an LC50, the data initially collected on individual animals are proportional, not binary. Transforming nonbinary data into binary data is subjective, can result in substantial losses of information, and, consequently, can result in a greater chance for erroneous inferences concerning the repellency of a substance. The subjective nature of R50 estimation arises because a test animal is defined as repelled if less than 50% of treated food items are consumed. The R50 is calculated as the concentration at which 50% of the population consumes less than 50% of the food times. It is more appropriate and of more direct interest to estimate the concentration of a substance at which an average of 50% of the food items are consumed rather than to estimate the R50.

Problematic aspects of R50 estimation are demonstrated in this paper, and alternative analyses are recommended for studying the repellency of a substance. Example data sets are used to compare inferences from estimation of an R50 versus use of inverse regression methods to estimate concentrations at which various proportions of food items are consumed.

Author Information

Engeman, RM
U.S.D.A.-APHIS, Science and Technology, Denver Wildlife Research Center, Bldg. 16, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO
Otis, DL
U.S.D.A.-APHIS, Science and Technology, Denver Wildlife Research Center, Bldg. 16, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO
Bromaghin, JF
U.S.D.A.-APHIS, Science and Technology, Denver Wildlife Research Center, Bldg. 16, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO
Dusenberry, WE
U.S.D.A.-APHIS, Science and Technology, Denver Wildlife Research Center, Bldg. 16, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO
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Developed by Committee: E35
Pages: 13–18
DOI: 10.1520/STP25256S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5103-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1281-0