Which term describes the capability of a substance to produce injury or illness?

Which term describes the capability of a substance to produce injury or illness?

• A. Hazard
• B. Toxicity
• C. Dose
• D. Isotopes

Answer: (B)

Toxicity is the inherent capacity of a substance to cause injury or illness when exposure occurs. It describes how poisonous a substance is, independent of how much you actually encounter. Exposure level, route, and duration (the dose and context) determine whether that potential is realized, but the fundamental property being described here is toxicity itself. Hazard is related but broader, referring to the potential to cause harm under certain conditions, while dose is the amount someone is exposed to, and isotopes are different forms of elements not relevant to whether a substance can cause harm.

Toxicity is the inherent capacity of a substance to cause injury or illness when exposure occurs. It describes how poisonous a substance is, independent of how much you actually encounter. Exposure level, route, and duration (the dose and context) determine whether that potential is realized, but the fundamental property being described here is toxicity itself. Hazard is related but broader, referring to the potential to cause harm under certain conditions, while dose is the amount someone is exposed to, and isotopes are different forms of elements not relevant to whether a substance can cause harm.