The toxicity of a chemical is the ability of that chemical to cause an undesirable effect in a biological system. The toxic effect of a chemical depends on many factors including the dose of the chemical to which an individual is exposed, the frequency of exposure, the duration of exposure, the physical properties of the chemical, and the susceptibility of the exposed individual. All chemicals have the potential to cause toxic effects, depending on the dose and the degree of exposure. It should be assumed that mixtures of toxic chemicals are more toxic than the most toxic component.
Laboratory personnel should be aware of the toxicity of the chemicals used in the laboratory and precautions that should be implemented to prevent exposure. Information about the toxicity of a chemical may be found in the MSDS provided by the manufacturer.