The capacity of a pesticide to cause short-term or long-term injury is referred to as its what?

The capacity of a pesticide to cause short-term or long-term injury is referred to as its toxicity. This term encompasses the potential harmful effects that a substance can have on living organisms, including both humans and non-target species. Toxicity is measured in terms of the dose that can cause adverse effects; thus, it provides important insights into how hazardous a pesticide may be and under what circumstances it could pose risks. Understanding toxicity is crucial for ensuring safety in pesticide application and for developing guidelines to minimize potential harm to the environment and health.

Solubility, while important in determining how a pesticide moves through the environment and into organisms, does not directly relate to the potential for causing injury. Volatility refers to how easily a substance can evaporate into the air, which can influence exposure levels but does not directly define the harmful effects. Persistence relates to how long a pesticide remains active in the environment, impacting long-term exposure risk but not specifically the immediate or overall toxicity itself.