Which statement best captures the difference between acute toxin exposure and chronic low-level residue exposure?

• A. Acute exposure typically causes immediate symptoms (e.g., food poisoning from bacterial toxins or solanine in green potatoes), while chronic low-level residue exposure (e.g., mercury, lead, pesticides) raises concern for long-term cumulative health effects.
• B. Chronic residue exposure is harmless because residues are always eliminated during digestion, whereas acute toxins are beneficial in small amounts and only harmful at extremely high doses.
• C. There is no practical difference between acute and chronic exposures because both types of exposures result in identical symptoms and identical public health responses.
• D. Acute toxin exposure only occurs with chemical contaminants and never with microorganisms, and chronic low-level exposures always cause immediate gastrointestinal symptoms instead of long-term problems.

Answer: (A)