The capacity of a pesticide to cause short term (acute) or long-term (chronic) injury is referred to as its:

The term that describes the capacity of a pesticide to cause either short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) injury is toxicity. Toxicity refers to the degree to which a substance can harm living organisms. It encompasses how a particular pesticide interacts with organisms, leading to various health effects ranging from mild irritations to severe life-threatening conditions depending on the dose and exposure duration.

Understanding the concept of toxicity is crucial for pest control professionals, as it informs appropriate usage and safety protocols to protect human health and the environment. Recognizing the difference between acute effects, which can occur immediately after exposure, and chronic effects, which can take time to manifest and might result from long-term exposure even at lower doses, further emphasizes the importance of toxicity in evaluating pesticide products.

Other terms related to pest control concepts, such as hazard, effectiveness, and concentration, do not define the capacity of a pesticide to cause injury as accurately as toxicity does. Hazard typically describes the potential for harm based on toxicity and exposure. Effectiveness deals with how well a pesticide controls a pest population, while concentration refers to the amount of pesticide present in a solution or formulation, rather than its ability to cause injury.