Irritant

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-014996",
  "term": "Irritant",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. A substance that can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, or respiratory system. An irritant can cause an acute effect from a single high-level exposure, or chronic effects from repeated, low-level exposures. Some examples of irritants are chlorine, nitric acid, and various pesticides.\n\n2. A substance that can cause irritation of the skin, eyes, or respiratory system. Effects may be acute from a single high level exposure, or chronic from repeated low-level exposures to such compounds as chlorine, nitrogen dioxide, and nitric acid.\n\n3. Drugs that act locally on cutaneous or mucosal surfaces to produce inflammation; those that cause redness due to hyperemia are rubefacients; those that raise blisters are vesicants and those that penetrate sebaceous glands and cause abscesses are pustulants; tear gases and mustard gases are also irritants.\n\n4. Agent that induces inflammation. Respiratory irritants may produce Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome (RADS), also called irritant induced asthma.",
  "subject": "Chemicals, toxics and pesticides",
  "references": [
    "Pesticides Glossary",
    "Terms of Environment",
    "NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)",
    "EPA's Safer Choice Standard (February 2015) https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2013-12/documents/standard-for-safer-products.pdf"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/irritant/"
}