Toxic Waste Management and Environmental Policies

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to toxic waste management, environmental policies, and their implications.

Brownfields

Abandoned or underused properties complicated by hazardous substances.

Bioremediation

Process using microorganisms to break down contaminants.

LD50

Lethal dose for 50% of a population; a measure in toxicology for dose-response relationships.

Externalities

Environmental costs not reflected in market prices, e.g., pollution.

Polluter Pays Principle

Principle that those responsible for pollution bear the costs of managing it.

Risk Assessment

Process of evaluating potential adverse effects from exposure to environmental hazards.

Tragedy of the Commons

Overuse of shared resources when not regulated.

Statutory Law

Written laws passed by Congress, such as the Endangered Species Act.

Ecocentrism

View that ecosystems as a whole have moral worth.

Environmental Stewardship

Responsibility to manage natural resources ethically and sustainably.

Incineration

High-temperature burning of waste to reduce volume and toxicity.

Chemical Treatment

Processes that use neutralization or oxidation to make waste less toxic or mobile.

Risk Management

Decision-making process to reduce or eliminate risks associated with exposure to hazards.

Administrative Law

Rules created by agencies, such as EPA guidelines.

Common Law

Legal principles established through court decisions.

Montreal Protocol

International treaty aimed at protecting the ozone layer by phasing out substances that deplete it.

CITES

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; aims to ensure that international trade does not threaten the survival of species.

Environmental Justice

The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in environmental policies.

Movement and Distribution of Toxins

How toxins move through air, water, soil, and their accumulation in living organisms.

Regulatory Policies

Guidelines established to govern actions related to environmental protection.