APES Chapter 14-17

Water pollution

Water pollution

The contamination of streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, or groundwater with substances produced through human activities

Wastewater

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

Point source

A distinct location from which pollution is directly produced

Nonpoint source

A diffuse area that produces pollution

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

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

Dead zone

In a body of water, an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life

Eutrophication

A phenomenon in which a body of water becomes rich in nutrients

Cultural eutrophication

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

Indicator species

A species that indicates whether or not disease-causing pathogens are likely to be present

Fecal coliform bacteria

A group of generally harmless microorganisms in human intestines that can 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 house 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

Manure lagoon

Human-made pond lined with rubber built to handle large quantities of manure produced by livestock

Acid deposition

Acids deposited on Earth as rain and snow or as gases and particles that attach to the surfaces of plants, soil, and water

Perchlorates

A group of harmful chemicals used for rocket fuel

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

A group of industrial compounds used to manufacture plastics and insulate electrical transformers, and responsible for many environmental problems

Thermal pollution

Nonchemical water pollution that occurs when human activities cause a substantial change in the temperature of water

Thermal shock

A dramatic change in water temperature that can kill organisms

Clean Water Act

Legislation that supports the "protection and propagation of fish, shellfish, and wildlife and recreation in and on the water" by maintaining and, when necessary, restoring the chemical, physical, and biological properties of surface waters

Safe Drinking Water Act

Legislation that sets the national standards for safe drinking water

Maximum contaminant level (MCL)

The standard for safe drinking water established by the EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act

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

Particulate matter (PM)

Solid or liquid particles suspended in air; also known as particles and particulates

Haze

Reduced visibility

Photochemical oxidant

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

Ozone (O3)

A secondary pollutant made up of three oxygen atoms bound together

Smog

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

Photochemical smog

Smog that is dominated by oxidants such as ozone. Also known as Los Angeles-type smog; Brown smog

Sulfurous smog

Smog dominated by sulfur dioxide and sulfate compounds. Also known as London-type smog; Gray smog; Industrial smog

Volatile organic compound (VOCs)

An organic compound that evaporates at typical atmospheric temperatures

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

Thermal inversion

A situation 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

Asbestos

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

Sick building syndrome

A buildup of toxic pollutants in an airtight space, seen in newer buildings

Waste

Material outputs from a system that are not useful or consumed

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

Refuse collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions

Waste stream

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

Reduce, reuse, recycle

A popular phrase promoting the idea of diverting materials from the waste stream. Also known as the three Rs

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

Reuse

Using a product or material that was intended to be discarded

Recycling

The process by which materials destined to become municipal solid waste (MSW) are collected and converted into raw material that is 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

Creation of organic matter (humus) by decomposition under controlled conditions to produce an organic-rich material that enhances soil structure, cation exchange capacity, and fertility

Leachate

Liquid that contains elevated levels of pollutants as a result of having passed through municipal solid waste (MSW) or contaminated soil

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 disposing of material in a landfill or incinerator

Siting

The designation of a landfill location, typically through a regulatory process involving studies, written reports, and public hearings

Incineration

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

Ash

The residual nonorganic material that does not combust during incineration

Bottom ash

Residue collected at the bottom of the combustion chamber in a furnace

Fly ash

The residue collected from the chimney or exhaust pipe of a furnace

Waste-to-energy

A system in which heat generated by incineration is used as an energy source rather than released into the atmosphere

Hazardous waste

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

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, funds the cleanup of abandoned and nonoperating hazardous waste sites, and authorizes 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 commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded

Life-cycle analysis

A systems tool that looks at the materials used and released throughout the manufacturing, use, and disposal of a product - from the procurement of raw materials through their manufacturer, use, and disposal. Also known as Cradle-to-grave- analysis

Integrated waste management

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

Disease

Any impaired function of the body with a characteristic set of symptoms

Infectious disease

A disease caused by a pathogen

Acute disease

A disease that rapidly impairs the functioning of an organism

Chronic disease

A disease that slowly impairs the functioning of an organism

Epidemic

A situation in which a pathogen causes a rapid increase in disease

Pandemic

An epidemic that occurs over a large geographic region

Plague

An infectious disease caused by a bacterium that is carried by fleas

Malaria

An infectious disease caused by one of several species of protists in the genus Plasmodium

Tuberculosis

A highly contagious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis that primarily infects the lungs

Emergent infectious disease

An infectious disease that has not been previously described or has not been common for at least 20 years

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

An infectious disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

A type of virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Ebola Hemorrhagic fever

An infectious disease with high death rates, caused by the Ebola virus

Mad cow disease

A disease in which prions mutate into deadly pathogens and slowly damage a cow's nervous system

Prion

A small, beneficial protein that occasionally mutates into a pathogen

Swine flu

A type of flu caused by the H1N1 virus

Bird flu

A type of flu caused by the H5N1 virus

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

A type of flu caused by a coronavirus

West Nile virus

A virus that lives in hundreds of species of birds and is transmitted among birds by mosquitoes

Neurotoxin

A chemical that disrupts the nervous systems 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

Dose-response study

A study that exposes organisms to different amounts of a chemical and then observes 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 percent of the individuals in a dose-response study

Sublethal effect

The effect of an environmental hazard that is not lethal, but which may impair an organism's behavior, physiology, or reproduction

ED50

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

Retrospective study

A study that monitors people who have been exposed to an environmental hazard at some time in the past

Prospective study

A study that monitors people who might become exposed to harmful chemicals in the future

Synergistic interaction

A situation in which two risks together cause more harm than expected based on the separate effects of each risk alone

Route of exposure

The way in which an individual might come into contact with an environmental hazard

Solubility

How well a chemical dissolves in a liquid

Bioaccumulation

An increased concentration of a chemical within an organism over time