AP Environmental Science Unit Eight Vocab

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 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.

Pollutant

Specific chemicals or groups of chemicals from specific sources with specific environmental and human health effects

Pollution

Vague, nondescript term for any substance that is harmful to the environment

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 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.

Pollutant

Specific chemicals or groups of chemicals from specific sources with specific environmental and human health effects

Pollution

Vague, nondescript term for any substance that is harmful to the environment

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.

Bioaccumulation

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.

DDT

An outdated insecticide that is also toxic to animals and humans

PCBs

Synthetic chemicals that are used in the manufacture of plastics and other industrial products, become stored in the tissue of animals, and also persist in the environment

Methylmercury

A highly toxic heavy metal that biomagnifies in aquatic ecosystems and contaminates humans largely through eating of fish. It damages the central nervous system.

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

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

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.

Incineration

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

Waste-to-energy

A system in which heat generated by incineration is used as an energy source rather than released into the surrounding environment. That may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded.

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 those funds for 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.

Cradle to Grave

Also known as the RCRA. Protects human health and the natural environment by reducing or eliminating the generation of hazardous waste

Brownfield

Contaminated industrial or commercial site

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.

Closed-loop recycling

Recycling a product into the same product.

Open-loop recycling

Recycling one product into a different product.

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

e-waste

Discarded electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, television sets, etc.

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.

Primary treatment of sewage

The physical removal of large objects, often through the use of screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in the bottom of a tank.

Secondary treatment of sewage

A biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge, which settles in the bottom of a tank

Tertiary treatment of sewage

The use of ecological and chemical processes to remove any pollutants (phosphorus, nitrogen, etc.) left in the water. Bacteria are also killed here using a disinfectant or UV radiation.