Which statement about pesticide toxicity labeling is true?

• A. The LD50 value is used to indicate chronic toxicity.
• B. Higher LD50 means greater toxicity.
• C. Pesticide labels carry a signal word indicating toxicity level.
• D. Toxicity information is not required on labels.

Answer: (C)

Toxicity labeling communicates risk with a signal word that reflects acute hazard. Labels use words like Danger, Warning, or Caution to show how toxic a product is on short-term exposure, guiding precautions. This signaling is grounded in acute toxicity data, especially LD50 values—the dose that kills 50% of test animals. A lower LD50 means higher toxicity; a higher LD50 means lower toxicity, so higher LD50 does not indicate greater danger. Chronic toxicity isn’t what the signal word conveys, and toxicity information is indeed required on labels. So, the statement that pesticide labels carry a signal word indicating toxicity level is the correct one.