MSDS Glossary

Odor: A description of the smell of the substance.
Odor Threshold: The lowest concentration of a substance's vapor, in air, that can be smelled.
Olfactory: Relating to the sense of smell.
Oral: Used in or taken into the body through the mouth.
Oral Toxicity: Adverse effects resulting from taking a substance into the body by mouth.
Organic Peroxide: An organic compound that is an oxidizer and contains the bivalent -O-O- structure and may be considered a structural derivative of hydrogen peroxide where one or both of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced by an organic radical.
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
Overexposure: Exposure to a hazardous material beyond the allowable exposure limits.
Oxidizer: A substance that readily yields oxygen to or accepts electrons from another substance. By yielding oxygen or accepting electrons, an oxidizer can easily cause or enhance the combustion of other materials. Examples of oxidizers include bleach, which contains sodium hypochlorite, concentrated hydrogen peroxide (greater than 30%), and ammonium nitrate.