Illnesses or injuries that may appear immediately after exposure to a pesticide (usually within 24 hours) are called which term?

• A. Chronic effects
• B. Acute effects
• C. Latent effects
• D. Delayed effects

Answer: (B)

Acute effects are short-term health changes that appear soon after exposure, typically within 24 hours. This immediate onset is what characterizes acute effects, reflecting the body's rapid reaction to a pesticide. In practice, you might see symptoms like eye or skin irritation, dizziness, headache, or nausea soon after handling or being exposed to the substance. This contrasts with chronic effects, which result from long-term or repeated exposure and may take months or years to become evident. Latent effects are those that remain hidden for a period before appearing, and delayed effects refer to effects that occur after some postponement but aren’t defined by an immediate 24-hour onset. So the term that fits illnesses or injuries appearing right after exposure is acute effects.