What does the signal word on a pesticide label indicate?

• A. relative toxicity to the environment
• B. concentration of the active ingredient
• C. relative acute toxicity to humans
• D. regulatory status

Answer: (C)

The signal word tells you how dangerous a pesticide is in the short term to people. It’s there to guide safe handling and what protective gear to use, and what to do if exposure happens. It doesn’t tell you about environmental hazards (those are described separately on the label), nor does it indicate how concentrated the active ingredient is, or anything about regulatory status. The main idea is that the signal word reflects how acutely toxic the product is to humans, guiding precautions accordingly. For example, a label with a more severe signal word means you should take stronger precautions, while a milder signal word still requires care but indicates a lower immediate risk.