toxicity

Everyday

1. Toxicity is how poisonous or harmful a substance is. tree →
2. (informal) Toxicity also means nasty, unkind or harmful behaviour between people, for example online. tree →

In the lessons

In science and safety it is about chemicals, plants and medicines and how much harm they can do. In everyday talk it describes bullying, unkind comments or harmful friendships. Phrases: high toxicity, low toxicity, the toxicity of, online toxicity.

Examples

• Some mushrooms have very high toxicity. tree →
• Scientists test the toxicity of new medicines. tree →
• The dose matters: almost anything has toxicity in a large amount. tree →
• Lead paint was banned because of its toxicity. tree →
• The chat game was spoiled by toxicity and name-calling. tree →
• Chocolate has toxicity for dogs, even though it is safe for people. tree →

Note

Mostly uncountable. Adjective: toxic. Key science idea: "the dose makes the poison" — even water is harmful in huge amounts. Safety: never taste unknown plants, berries or chemicals.