What encompasses any substance that can irritate or contaminate?

The term that best describes any substance that can irritate or contaminate is hazardous materials. Hazardous materials include a wide range of substances that pose a risk to health and the environment due to their chemical, physical, or biological properties. They can be harmful if they come into contact with humans, animals, or the ecosystem.

While pollutants refer specifically to substances that cause environmental harm or degradation when introduced into ecosystems, and contaminants signify something that makes a pure substance unclean or impure, they do not encompass the broader range of irritants that hazardous materials cover. Waste products generally relate to materials that are no longer wanted or needed and do not necessarily imply the capacity to contaminate or irritate; they could be benign or non-hazardous. Therefore, the term hazardous materials comprehensively includes any substance capable of causing irritation or contamination in various contexts.