APES Unit 5 Vocab

Air pollution

Air pollution

The introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or microorganisms into the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to harm plants, animals, and materials such as buildings, or to alter ecosystems

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

A corrosive gas that comes primarily from combustion of fuels such as coal and oil, including diesel fuel from trucks

Haze

Reduced visibility

Photochemical oxidant

A class of air pollutants formed as a result of sunlight acting on chemical compounds such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide

Smog

A type of air pollution that is a mixture of oxidants and particulate matter

Lead (Pb)

A trace metal that occurs naturally in rocks and soils, is present in small concentrations in coal and oil and is a neurotoxin

Hydrdocarbons

Pollutants compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen bonds, such as gasoline and other fossil fuels, lighter fluid, dry-cleaning fluid, oil-based paints, and perfumes

Primary pollutant

A polluting compound that comes directly out of a smokestack, exhaust pipe, or natural emission source

Secondary pollutant

A primary pollutant that has undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other compounds

Photochemical smog (Los Angeles-type smog; brown smog)

Smog that is dominated by oxidants such as ozone

Sulfurous smog (London-type smog; gray smog; industrial smog)

Smog dominated by sulfur dioxide, sulfate compounds, and particulate matter

Evaporate

The process of converting from a liquid to a gas or vapor

Sublimate

The process of converting from a solid to a gas or vapor

Formaldehyde

A naturally occurring compound that is used as a preservative and as an adhesive in plywood and carpeting

Thermal inversion

An atmospheric condition in which a relatively warm layer of air at mid-altitude covers a layer of cold, dense air below

Inversion layer

The layer of warm air that traps emissions in a thermal inversion

PM10

Particles smaller than 10 units are called Particulate Matter-10 and are not filtered out by the nose and throat and can be deposited deep within the respiratory tract

PM2.5

Particles of size 2.5 units and smaller can travel further within the respiratory tract and are of even greater health concern

Indoor air pollutants

Compounds that adversely affect the quality of air in buildings and structures

Asbestos

A long, thin, fibrous silicate mineral with insulating properties, which can cause cancer when inhaled

Radon-222

A radioactive gas that occurs naturally from the decay of uranium and is an indoor air pollutant

Sick building syndrome

A buildup of toxic pollutants in weatherized spaces, such as newer buildings in the developed world

Vapor recovery nozzle

A device that prevents VOCs from escaping into the atmosphere while a person is fueling their vehicle

Catalytic converter

A device that uses chemicals to convert pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide to nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide

Scrubber

A device that uses a combination of lime and or water to separate and remove particles from industrial exhaust streams

Electrostatic precipitator

A device that removes particulate matter by using an electrical charge to make particles coalesce so they can be removed from the exhaust stream

pH

The relative strength of acids and bases in a substance. It is a logarithmic scale, meaning that each number on the scale represents a change by a factor of 10

Acid

A substance that contributes hydrogen ions to a solution

Base

A substance that contributes hydroxide ions to a solution

Acid rain (acid deposition)

Precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid

Noise pollution

Unwanted sound that interferes with normal activities that is loud enough to cause health issues including hearing loss

decibel A scale (db(A))

A logarithmic scale that measure both the loudness of sound and the frequency

Point source

A distinct location from which pollution is directly produced

Nonpoint source

A diffuse area that produced pollution

Homeostasis

The ability to experience relatively stable internal conditions in their bodies

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

A group of industrial compounds that were once used to manufacture plastics and insulate electrical transformers

Neurotoxin

A chemical that disrupts the nervous system of animals

Carcinogen

A chemical that causes cancer

Mutagen

A type of carcinogen that causes damage to the genetic material of a cell

Teratogen

A chemical that interferes with the normal development of embryos or fetuses

Allergen

A chemical that causes allergic reactions

Endocrine disruptor

A chemical that interferes with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal’s body

Wastewater

The water produced by livestock operations and human activities, including human sewage from toilets and gray water from bathing andd washing clothes and dishes

Levee

An enlarged bank built up on each side of the river

Dikes

Structures built to prevent ocean waters from flooding adjacent land

Dam

A barrier that runs across a river or stream to control the flow of water

Reservoir

The water body created by damming a river or stream

Fish ladder

A stair-like structure with water flowing over them, which allows migrating fish to get around a dam

Desalination (desalinization)

A process for obtaining fresh water by removing the salt from salt water

Distillation

A process of desalination in which water is boiled and the resulting steam is captured and condensed to yield pure water

Reverse osmosis

A process of desalination in which water is forced through a thin semipermeable membrane at high pressure

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients from human activities that make their way into waterbodies; it causes nutrient pollution that alters food webs and harms water quality

Oxygen sag curve

The relationship of oxygen concentrations to the distance from a point source of decomposing sewage or other pollutants

Thermal pollution

Occurs when humans cause a substantial change in the temperature of a water body

Thermal shock

A dramatic change in temperature that can kill many species

Persistence

The length of time a chemical remains in the environment

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

Synthetic, carbon-based molecules that break down very slowly in the environment

Route of exposure

The way in which an individual might come into contact with an environmental hazard, such as a chemical

Solubility

How well a chemical dissolves in a liquid

Bioaccimulation

The selective absorption and concentration of a chemical within an organism over time

Biomagnification

The increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain

Solid waste

The waste produced by humans as discarded materials that is not in liquid or gas form and do not pose a toxic hazard to humans and other organisms

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

Solid waste collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions such as schools, prisons, municipal buildings, and hospitals

Waste stream

The flow of solid waste that is recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill, or disposed of in another way

Leachate

Liquid that can contain elevated levels of pollutants as a result of having passed through the solid waste of a landfill

Sanitary landfill

An engineered ground facility designed to hold municipal solid waste (MSW) with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible

Tipping fee

A fee charged for trucks that deliver and tip solid waste into a landfill or incinerator

Incineration

The process of burning waste materials to reduce volume and mass, and sommetimes to generate electricity or heat

Ash

The residual nonorganic material that does not combust during incineration

Waste-to-energy

A system in which heat generated by incinerationn is used as an energy source rather than released into the surrounding environment

Hazardous waste

Liquid, solid, gaseous, or sludge waste material that is harmful to humans, ecosystem, or materials

Superfund Act

The common name for the Comprehensive environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); a 1980 U.S. federal act that imposes a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, uses thsoe funds for the cleanup of abandoned and nonoperatinng hazardous waste sites, and authorized the federal government to respond directly to the release or threatened release of substances that may pose a threat to human health or the environment

Brownfields

Contaminated industrial or commecial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded

Reduce, reuse, recycle (the three RR

A popular phrase promoting the idea of diverting materials from the waste stream

Source reduction

An approach to waste mangement that seeks to cut waste by reducing the use of potential waste materials in the early stages of design and manufacture

Reuse

Using a product or material that would otherwise be discarded

Recycling

The process by which materials destined to become municipal solid waste (MSW) are collected and converted into raw materials that are then used to produce new objects

Closed-loop recycling

Recycling a product into the same product

Open-loop recycling

Recycling one product into a different product

Composting

The breakdown of organic materials into organic matter (humus)

Life-cycle analysis (Cradle-to-grave analysis)

A systems tool that examines the materials used and released throughout the lifetime of a product — from the product design and procurement of raw materials through their manufacture, use, and disposal

Integrated waste management

An approach to waste disposal that employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies to reduce their costs and reduce the environmental impact of MSW

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time at a specific temperature

Cultural eutrophication

An increase in fertility in a body of water, the result of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients

Fecal coliform bacteria

A group of microorganisms that live in the intestines of humans, other mammals, and birds that serve as an indicator species for potentially harmful microorganisms associated with contaminated sewage

Septic system

A relatively small and simple sewage treatment system, made up of a septic tank and a leach field, often used for homes in rural areas

Septic tank

A large container that receives wastewater from a hosue as part of a septic system

Sludge

Solid waste material from wastewater

Septage

A layer of fairly clear water found in the middle of a septic tank

Leach field

A component of a septic system, made up of underground pipes laid out below the surface of the ground

Dose-response study

A study that exposes animals or plants to different amounts of a chemical and then looks for a variety of possible responses, including mortality or changes in behavior or reproduction

Acute study

An experiment that exposes organisms to an environmental hazard for a short duration

Chronic study

An experiment that exposes organisms to an environmental hazard for a long duration

LD50

The lethal dose of a chemical that kills 50% of the individuals in a dose-response study

Sublethal effect

The effect of an environmental hazaard that does not kill an organisms but which may impair an organism’s behvior, phsyiology, or reproduction

ED50

The effective dose of a chemical that causes 50% of the individuals in a dose-response study to display a harmful, but nonlethal, effect

No-observed-effect level (NOEL)

The highest concentration of a chemical that causes no lethal or sublethal effects

Environmental hazard

Anything in the environment that can potentially cause harm

Innocent-until-proven-guilty principle

A principle based on the belief that a potential hazard should not be considered an actual hazard until the scientific data definitively demonstrate that it actually causes harm

Precautionary principle

A principle based on the belief that when a hazard is plausible but not yet certain, we should take actions to reduce or remove the hazard