Which term describes a chemical that causes destruction or necrosis of living tissue at the site of contact?

• A. Non-threshold
• B. Health Hazard
• C. Flammable Liquid
• D. Corrosive

Answer: (D)

The main idea is what a chemical is capable of doing to living tissue on contact. A corrosive substance is one that damages or destroys tissue right where it touches, causing chemical burns and potential tissue death (necrosis). This is why corrosives are specifically described as causing destruction of tissue at the site of contact, which matches the definition in the question.

Non-threshold refers to risks that don’t have a safe level of exposure, typically for certain carcinogens, and doesn’t describe tissue destruction on contact. A health hazard is a broad category that covers many types of adverse effects (toxicity, irritation, carcinogenicity, etc.) but not the specific action of destroying tissue on contact. A flammable liquid describes how easily a substance can catch fire, not its effects on living tissue.

So, the term that best fits “causes destruction or necrosis of living tissue at the site of contact” is corrosive.