What is the capacity of a chemical to cause injury called?

• A. Reactivity
• B. Volatility
• C. Persistence
• D. Toxicity

Answer: (D)

Toxicity is the inherent capacity of a chemical to cause injury to living organisms. It describes how poisonous a substance is and the potential harm it can cause, depending on factors like the dose, route of exposure, duration of exposure, and the affected organism. The other terms describe different properties that influence exposure or reaction but do not define how injurious the chemical is by itself: reactivity is about how readily a substance undergoes chemical reactions with others, volatility is about how easily it becomes a vapor, and persistence is about how long it remains in the environment.