A small company in Edmonton is creating jobs by gathering hypersensitive people into rooms, spraying potentially allergenic substances in the air and measuring how they react.
Toxcon is turning the rising prevalence of asthma and allergies in our society into an opportunity.
Large manufacturing companies want to ensure their products won’t harm hypersensitive or asthmatic people. Previously, they might have paid for their own toxicology testing department, but today they contract out the work to companies such as Toxcon, founded in 1984 by toxicologist Dr. Robert E. Rogers.
One of the ways that Toxcon tests products is by using four climate-controlled rooms that can simulate the conditions of any number of household environments, from a carpeted living room to a tiny bathroom with poor air circulation.
Toxcon then uses the products – often sprays, fragrances or household cleaners – as people would in real life, vacuuming them up, spraying them on heads, etc.
The climate-controlled rooms are a concept with few parallels anywhere, with no lab animals necessary.
* Year Founded: 1984
* Address: 9607 41 Avenue, Edmonton
* Phone: (780) 435-9028
* Website: www.toxcon.com
