The term "toxicity" is used in two different senses (i) Capacity to cause injury to a living organism; (ii) Any adverse effects of a chemical on a living organism See Adverse effect The severity of toxicity produced by any chemical is directly proportional to the exposure concentration and the exposure time This relationship varies with the developmental stage of an organism and with its physiological status
The ability of a substance to cause damage to living tissue; impairment of the central nervous system; severe illness; or (in extreme cases) death when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the skin Amounts required to produce these results vary widely with the nature of the substances and the time of exposure
The quality of being toxic or poisonous, causing damage to liver, kidneys, heart, or other organs Another name for a side effect
The occurrence of lethal or sublethal adverse effects on organisms due to exposure to toxic materials Adverse effects caused by conditions of temperature, dissolved oxygen, or nontoxic dissolved substances are excluded from the definition of toxicity
The extent, quality, or degree to which a substance is poisonous; in other words, the degree to which it interferes with normal physiological functions Because almost any substance can be poisonous if consumed in sufficient quantity, toxicity generally refers to intake of excessive dosages
A U S EPA hazardous waste characteristic defined with a rigorous test procedure, the TCLP (for Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) In the procedure, a waste is extracted for 24 hours with an acetic acid solution The acid extract is then analyzed for the presence of any of the contaminants listed in the procedure
the quality of being poisonous or harmful; often used to refer to side effects of drugs
The degree of health risk (causing death, disease, or birth defects) posed to living organisms