Kahjustav

Kahjustav is an Estonian adjective meaning harmful or injurious, used to describe substances, agents, or conditions that can cause damage or injury. It denotes that a factor possesses the property of causing harm, in contrast to neutral or beneficial factors. The word is formed from the noun kahju (damage) with the suffix -stav, which creates an attributive adjective.

In safety, health, and legal contexts, kahjustav is commonly used to identify risks and exposures. Typical collocations include kahjustav tegur (harmful factor) and kahjustav mõju (harmful effect). The term helps distinguish factors that pose a threat to health or safety from those that are harmless or beneficial. While kahjutuks jäänud, kahjulik, and related forms may appear in similar discourse, kahjustav emphasizes the active property of causing harm.

Usage notes: kahjustav is attribute-only in Estonian and agrees with the noun it modifies (for example, kahjustav tegur → kahjustava teguri in the genitive). In medical and regulatory texts, more specific terms like kahjulikke aineid (harmful substances) or kahjulik mõju (harmful effect) may be used, depending on context. The concept aligns with English terms such as harmful, injurious, or damaging, but its application is grounded in Estonian safety and health terminology.

Overall, kahjustav functions as a concise descriptor for anything with the potential to cause harm, guiding risk assessment, protective measures, and regulatory language.