What occurs at the site where the material contacts the body?

The site where the material contacts the body is referred to as the location of local effects. Local effects are those which occur at the specific site of exposure, meaning that the symptoms or damage observed arise exactly where the hazardous material has come into contact with the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.

For example, if a corrosive substance spills on the skin, the immediate reactions would include redness, burning, or blistering at that particular spot, illustrating how local effects manifest directly from the exposure.

Systemic effects, in contrast, happen when a hazardous material enters the body and affects other systems beyond the site of contact, such as through the bloodstream. Deleterious symptoms are a broader term that can encompass any harmful effects, but they do not specifically denote the localized nature of the reaction. Acute responses typically refer to the rapid onset of symptoms following exposure, which can be either local or systemic, but the correct focus here is on the localized interactions at the site of contact. Thus, local effects accurately captures what happens at the point where the hazardous material interacts with the body.