Which key factor can affect the degradation of chemicals in the workplace environment?

Temperature is a critical factor that significantly affects the degradation of chemicals in the workplace environment. Higher temperatures can increase the rate of chemical reactions, which often leads to faster degradation of substances. For many chemicals, elevated temperatures can enhance evaporation rates, alter stability, and accelerate reactions with other substances, possibly leading to hazardous situations. Conversely, lower temperatures can slow these processes down, potentially prolonging the shelf life of certain chemicals.

While humidity, light exposure, and wind speed can also influence chemical stability and degradation in varying contexts, temperature has a more direct and profound impact on the kinetic energy of molecules, thereby affecting how quickly reactions occur and how stable or unstable a chemical may be under specific conditions.