Studied by 15 people
Acute disease
A disease that rapidly impairs the functioning of an organism
Bioaccumulation
An increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
The amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time at specific temperatures.
Biomagnification
The increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain
Chronic disease
A disease that slowly impairs the functioning of an organism
Closed-loop recycling
Recycling a product into the same product
Cultural eutrophication
A increase in fertility in a body of water, the result of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients
Endocrine disruptor
A chemical that interferes with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal’s body
Eutrophication
A phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients
Integrated waste management
A approach to waste disposal that employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies in order to reduce the environmental impact of MSW
LD50
The lethal dose of a chemical that kills 50% of the individuals in a dose-responce study
Leachate
Liquid that contains elevated levels of pollutants as a result of having passed through municipal solid waste (MSW) or contaminated soil
Municipal solid waste (MSW)
Refuse collected by municipalities from household, small businesses, and institutions
Open-loop recycling
Recycling one product into a different product
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
A group of toxic chemicals, which are synthetic, carbon-based molecules, that can remain in the environment for long periods of time and travel long distances through the air and water
Primary sewage treatment
A physical process that uses screens and a grit tank to remove large floating objects and allows settling
Sanitary landfill
An engineered ground facility designed to hold municipal solid waste (MSW) with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible
Secondary sewage treatment
A biological process in which aerobic bacteria remove as much as 90% of dissolved and biodegradable oxygen-demanding organic wastes
Source reduction
An approach to waste management that seeks to cut waste by reducing the use of potential waste materials in the early stages of design and manufacture
Waste stream
The flow of solid waste that is recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill, or disposed of in another way
Note 
Flashcard (40)