What are the categories of Toxic Materials?

• A. Inert, Reactive, and Stable
• B. Toxic by Means of Ingestion, Touch, or Inhalation
• C. Radioactive, Flammable, and Corrosive
• D. Toxic by Ingestion only

Answer: (B)

Toxic materials are defined by how exposure affects people, specifically through the routes by which harm can occur. The correct idea is that a toxic material is toxic by means of ingestion, touch, or inhalation, covering the three primary exposure pathways you must guard against. This matters in handling and PPE decisions: inhalation hazards may require respirators, while ingestion or skin contact hazards call for gloves, hygiene controls, and spill containment.

The other descriptions mix in properties that aren’t about how toxicity is experienced (inert, reactive, and stable relate to chemical behavior rather than how harm occurs) or broaden the hazard class beyond toxicity to include radioactive, flammable, or corrosive categories. A definition limited to ingestion only is incomplete, since toxicity can arise from inhalation or skin absorption as well.