Toxicity of a pesticide is best described as:

• A. The color of the chemical
• B. The weight of the container
• C. The capacity to cause injury
• D. The brand name

Answer: (C)

Toxicity is the capacity of a pesticide to cause injury. This describes how poisonous the chemical could be to living organisms, not how it looks, how heavy its container is, or what brand it carries. Whether it actually causes harm depends on exposure—the amount encountered, the route of entry (inhalation, skin contact, ingestion), duration, and the organism’s sensitivity. The color, the weight of the container, and the brand name don’t determine its ability to cause harm, whereas the inherent toxic potential does. In practice, a highly toxic pesticide can cause injury at small doses, especially with sufficient exposure, while a less toxic one may still be dangerous if exposure is extensive.