The acute toxicity of a pesticide product is determined by a series of studies conducted by the manufacturer. Four separate routes of exposure are researched: oral exposure (ingesting the product), inhalation exposure (breathing the fumes from the product), dermal exposure (absorbing the product through your skin), and ocular exposure (getting the product in your eyes). The EPA uses the information from the study that shows the highest acute toxicity from product exposure to determine the signal word. For example, if each study in a series reports low toxicity through all four routes of exposure, the signal word will be set at “CAUTION.” However, if one study from the series reports a higher toxicity through a specific route of exposure, the signal word would have to be appropriately elevated.