Which term describes the potential of a substance to produce injury or death?

Which term describes the potential of a substance to produce injury or death?

• A. Toxicity
• B. Hazard
• C. Exposure
• D. Reactivity

Answer: (A)

Toxicity is the inherent ability of a substance to cause injury or death. It’s about what the substance can do in itself, regardless of how much you’re exposed to. Hazard, by contrast, describes the overall risk that arises from the combination of that potential to cause harm and the likelihood of actually being exposed to it. Exposure refers to contact with the substance and is a key part of risk, but it’s not the intrinsic ability to cause harm. Reactivity concerns how a substance might react chemically with other materials or under certain conditions, not its capacity to injure. So, when the question asks for the term describing the potential to produce injury or death, the correct choice is toxicity.

Toxicity is the inherent ability of a substance to cause injury or death. It’s about what the substance can do in itself, regardless of how much you’re exposed to. Hazard, by contrast, describes the overall risk that arises from the combination of that potential to cause harm and the likelihood of actually being exposed to it. Exposure refers to contact with the substance and is a key part of risk, but it’s not the intrinsic ability to cause harm. Reactivity concerns how a substance might react chemically with other materials or under certain conditions, not its capacity to injure. So, when the question asks for the term describing the potential to produce injury or death, the correct choice is toxicity.