Katoksellinen

Katoksellinen is a Finnish adjective meaning toxic or poisonous. It is used to describe substances that can cause harm to living organisms through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. The term appears in scientific, regulatory, and safety texts, often alongside myrkyllinen, which is a more everyday synonym for poisonous.

In Finnish, adjectives ending in -ellinen denote a property, and katoksellinen is a standard technical term used for chemicals, pesticides, industrial by-products, and biological toxins when the context requires a warning about toxicity. The word functions as a descriptor of hazard rather than a description of a single substance class.

Regulatory and safety context: In Finland and the European Union, toxicity classification and labeling follow the CLP Regulation. Finnish texts may describe substances as katoksellinen if they meet criteria for acute toxicity, long-term toxicity, eye or skin irritation, or other hazard classes. Hazard information is conveyed through standardized risk phrases and precautionary statements translated into Finnish.

Health and safety considerations: Handling katoksellinen substances requires risk assessment, appropriate personal protective equipment, adequate ventilation, and secure storage. Disposal follows hazardous waste guidelines and national regulations. The term emphasizes the need for caution; some substances may be katoksellinen only under certain conditions, such as high temperature, degradation, or exposure to other chemicals.

See also: myrkyllinen, toksisuus, CLP.