Unit 8 vocab: Aquatic Terrestrial Pollution

Acid deposition/precipitatio/rain

The process by which acidic pollutants, primarily sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), are relased into the atmosphere and then deposit onto the earth’s surface through wet (rain, snow) or dry (particles, gases) means.

water pollution

Any chemical, biological, or physical change in water quality that negatvely impacts living organisms and the environment.

Wastewater

Used water that has been contaminated by human or animal activities.

Point source

A single, identifiable location or point from which pollution is released

Nonpoint source

a pollution that originates from numerous, dispersed sources

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen that microorganims consume as they decompose organic matter in a water sample

Dead Zone

an area in a body of water )typically a coastal area or large lake) where oxygen levels are dangerously low, making it uninhabitable for most marine life

Eutrophication

The process where a water body becomes enriched with nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to excessive plant growth, especially algae, and subsequent deterioration o water quality.

Cultural eutrophication

The human-induced accelaration of natural eutriophication in aquatic ecosystems.

Indicator species

A plant or animal whose presence, absence, or abundance reveals information about the health and conditions of an ecosystem.

Fecal coliform bacteria

coliform bacteria can be found in intestines and fecal of warm-blooded animals.

Septic system

an individual on-site sewage treatment system, typically found in rural or suburban areas where a centralized sewer system is not available.

Septic tank

an on-site sewage treatment system used in areas without centralized wastewater treatment

Sludge

the solid, semi-solid, or liquid residue that is produced during the treatment of wastewater and sewage.

Septage

The liquid and solids removed from a septic tank by pumping

Leach field

underground system of pipes that distributes treated wastewater from septic tank into the surrounding soil

Manure lagoon

An earthen basin used for storing and treating animal waste, particularly from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs)

Perchlorates

A group of negatively charged chemical compounds, often found as contaminants in the environment.

polychlorinated biphenyls/ (PCBs)

persistent, synthetic organic chemicals that are not easily broken down in the environment and have been shown to be carcinogenic in animals and probable human carcinogens.

Thermal pollution

The degradation of water quality due to the discharge of heated water into natural water bodies, often as a result of industrial processes or power generation

Thermal shock

The potentially fatal effect of a sudden and dramatic change in temperature on organisms

Clean water act

U.S.A federal law enacted in 1972 that aimed at regulating the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s waters and restoring their chemical, physical, and biological integrity

Safe drinking water act

Primary federal law in the U.S that regulates the quality of drinking water

Maximum contaminant level (MCL)

the highest permissible level of contaminant in drinking water, set by the EPA

Toxicity

the negative impact of a substance or acitivity on living organisms and the environment.

waste

Materials that are discarded or deemed useless after their intended purpose

Planned obsolecence

A business strategy where products are designed to have a limited lifespan, encouraging frequent replacement and driving consumption.

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

The non-hazardous solid waste produced by households, businesses, and institutions within a city or municipality

Waste stream

The flow of waste materials from their origin to their final disposal or recycling.

Reduce, reuse, recycle/ the three R’s

A hierarchy of waste management, with the most environmentally beneficial actions listed first.

Source reduction

The practice of minimizing waste generation at it’s source, meaning using less material or creating less waste in the first place.

Reuse

Using a product multiple times for the same or different purposes, without altering its form or function, to minimize waste an conserve resources.

Recycling

The process of converting waste materials into new products, reducing the reliance on raw materials and minimizing environmental impact.

Closed-loop recycling

A recycling system where materials are reused to create new products of the same type, without degradation of quality, thus minimizing waste and resource depletion.

Open-loop recycling

A system where materials are recycled into new, different products, often at a lower grade,a dn eventually may end up as waste.

compositing

The natural process of recyling organic matter, such as food scraps, yard waste, and paper, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment called compost.

leachate

The liquid that forms when water percolates through solid waste, typically in a landfill and dissolves or carries away contaminants from the waste.

sanitary landfill

A site where solid waste is spread out, compacted, and covered daily with soil, and is engineered to minimize environmental contamination.

tipping fee

The charge paid by those who dispose of waste in a landfill, often based on the weight of the waste

Incineration

The process of burning waste materials at high temperatures to reduce their volume and mass

Ash

The solid residue remaining after combustion, often from burning coal, wood, or other materials.

Bottom ash

The non-combustible residue that collects at the bottom of a furnace or boiler during combustion, particularly in coal-fired power plants

Fly ash

the fine, powdery residue generated from burning coal, typically in power plants.

waste-to-energy

the process of converting waste materials into usable energy, typically elecricity or heat, through combustion or other processes.

hazardous waste

Waste that poses a potential danger to human health or the environment due to its properties

superfund act

Addresses hazardous waste cleanup. It establishes a framework for identifying and cleaning up contaminated sites, and holds responsible parties liable for the cleanup costs.

Brownfields

land that has been abandoned or underused and may be contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants from paste industrial or commercial activities.

Life-cycle analysis/cradle-to-grave

a method of evaluating the environmental impacts associated with a product or service throughout its entire lifespan.

Integrated waste management

A comprehensive approach to waste management that combines various strategies, including waste reduction, recycling, and composting, to minimize waste generation and maximize the effcient use of resources.

Disease

Any condition that impairs the normal function of an organism’s body, often due to pathogens, environmental factors, or other causes.

Infectious disease

a disease caused by a pathogen ( like bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites) that can be transmitted from one organisms to another.

Acute disease

A heath condition characterized by a rapid onset and a short duration, often lasting a few days or weeks

Chronic disease

A disease that lasts for a year or more and requires ongoing medical attention or limits activities of daily living

Epidemic

a disease outbreak that affects a significant number of people in a specific region, exceeding the expected incidence.

Pandemic

a disease epidemic that has spread to a large group of people across a sprawling region, or across multiple nations or continents.

Plague

A zoonotic disease primarily affecting rodents and transmitted to humans by infected fleas, caused by the bacterium yersinia pestis.

Malaria

a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite, and environmental factors play a crucial role in its transmission

Tuberculosis

a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily transmitted through the air via respiratory droplets from infected individuals.

Emergent Infectious disease

an infection that has newly appeared in a population, or that has existed but is rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

the most advanced stage of HIV infection. Characterized by a severe weakening of the immune system due to HIV destroying the CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells), leaving the body vulnerable to opportunistic infections an certain cancers.

Human immunodeficiency vius (HIV)

a pathogen, specifically a lentivirus, that can infect and weaken the human immune system, ultimately leading to Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Ebola hemorrhagic fever

an infectious disease primarly affecting humans and primates.

Mad cow disease

a fatal neurological disorder in cattle caused by a pron, a misfolded protein.

Prion

A proteinaceous infectiotious particle, primarily causing transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

Swine flu

The respiratory disease in pigs caused by type A influenza viruses.

Bird flu

a viral disease tat affects birds, sometimes cuasing severe illness or death, and can also spread to other animals, including mammals like humans, potentially leading to outbreaks.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

a viral respiratory disease caused by a SARS-associated coronavirus.

West nile virus

the cyclical transmission of the virus between mosquites and birds in a mosquito-borne disease.

Lyme disease

A tick-borne bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi

Zika virus disease

an infectious disease spread by infected mosquitoes, primarily aedes aegypti, with implications for human health and environmental factors

Neurotoxin

a substance that negatively impacts the nervous system, causing functional or structural changes.

Carcinogen

A substance or agent that can cause cancer.

Mutagen

a substance or agent, either physical or chemical, that can induce or increase the rate of genetic mutations.

Teratogen

An environmental agent that can cause birth defects or malformations in a developing fetus.