Environmental science

climate change

long-term shifts in temps and weather patterns, mainly due to human activities

greenhouse effect

the process by which greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet

general circulation models (GCM)

simulate climate patterns and predict future changes

black body model

a physics-based model used to study how a planet's temp depends on solar input, albedo, and greenhouse gases

positive feedback

amplified change (e.g. ice melting lowers albedo, causes global warming)

negative feedback

stabilizes the system (e.g. increased plant growth absorbing more CO2)

albedo

reflectivity of Earth's surface; ice and snow have high albedo, oceans and forests have low albedo

anthropogenic forcings

human-caused influences on climate (e.g. CO2, emissions, deforestation)

natural forcings

non-human causes of climate change (e.g. volcanic eruptions, solar variations)

cryosphere

earth's frozen water parts (ice caps, glaciers)

hydrosphere

all bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers)

biosphere

all living organisms and ecosystems

lithosphere

earth's outer crust and upper mantle

energy budget

balance between energy earth receives from the sun and energy it radiates back into space

species richness

number of different species in a given area; typically increases with temp

paleoclimate data

climate data from the distant past, reconstructed from ice cores, tree rings

radiative forcing

change in energy balance earth's atmosphere due to climate drivers

lick run greenway

a large urban stormwater management and restoration project in Cincinnati designed to reduce sewer overflows and improve water quality

metropolitan sewer district (MSD)

agency managing wastewater and stormwater systems for the Cincinnati area; responsible for the lick run greenway project

combined sewer overflow (CSO)

occurs when heavy rain causes sewer systems to overflow and release untreated sewage into waterways

daylighting

the process of uncovering a previously buried stream and restoring it to a more natural open condition

stormwater management

controlling runoff from rain to reduce flooding, improve sewer quality, and protect waterways

green infrastructure

natural/engineered systems used to manage stormwater sustainably

gray infrastructure

traditional engineered systems like pipes and underground sewers used to handle wastewater and stormwater

watershed

an area of land where all water drains to a common point

floodplain

low-lying land next to a stream/river that can flood during heavy rain

bioswale

a landscaped, shallow channel designed to slow, filter, and absorb storm runoff

material recovery facility (MRF)

plant where recyclables are received, sorted, cleaned, and processed into materials for manufacturers

single-stream recycling

all recyclables are placed into a single bin by the consumer and sorted later at a MRF

dual/multi-stream recycling

consumers separate recyclables into categories before collection

hefty renew program

allows difficult to recycle plastics to be collected separately in orange hefty bags and recycled into new products

closed loop recycling

recycling a product into the same product again

contamination

nonrecyclable or dirty materials mixed with recyclables, reducing the quality and value of recovered materials

glass recycling challenges

glass is heavy, breaks easily, and can contaminate other recyclables if not handled correctly

separation process

steps taken to sort materials by type using machines, robots, and humans

sanitary landfill

a site where trash isolated from the environment until it is safe; often lined and carefully managed

baling

compressing sorted recyclables into compact bales for easier transportation and sale to manufacturers

optical sorters

machines that use light sensors to identify and sort recyclables by type

robotics in recycling

new tech at rumpke that uses robots to sort materials more efficiently and accurately

hazardous waste

waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment; typically ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic

comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act CERCLA

a federal law passed in 1980, commonly called superfund, designed to cleanup sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants

superfund site

a polluted location requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations

national priorities list (NPL)

EPA's list of the most hazardous waste site in the US identified for possible long-term remedial action under superfund

fernald preserve

a remediated superfund site in hamilton, ohio, also know as the fernald feed materials production center, where uranium processing for nuclear weapons took place during the cold war

feed materials production center

the original name for the fernald plant where uranium metals were produced for the US nuclear weapons program

legacy pollution

contamination left behind from past industrial activities, especially before environmental laws existed

ecological restoration

process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged or destroyed

love canal

A neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, which became the subject of national and international attention, controversy, and eventual environmental notoriety following the discovery of 21,000 tons of toxic waste buried beneath the neighborhood.

wastewater

water that contains waste from homes or industry

wastewater treatment plant

a facility designed to clean wastewater before its released back into the environment

primary treatment

the first stage of wastewater treatment where large solids are physically removed through screening and sedimentation

secondary treatment

a biological process where bacteria and other microorganisms break down organic matter in wastewater

tertiary treatment

advanced cleaning process that removes remaining inorganic compounds and pathogens, often including chemical treatment and filtration

mill creek wastewater treatment plant

One of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in the Cincinnati area

toilet to tap

A method of recycling treated wastewater into drinking water through advanced purification technologies

grit removal

The process of removing sand, gravel, and other heavy particles from wastewater early in treatment.

activated sludge

A mixture of wastewater and biological mass used in secondary treatment to break down organic pollutants.

sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

ecological footprint

A measure of how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its waste, using prevailing technology.

water consumption

The total amount of water used by an individual, household, business, or community.

descriptive stats

Methods of summarizing and organizing data to describe the sample's main features

mean

average

variance

spread of data

standard deviation

average distance from the mean

standard error

how far the sample mean of the data is likely to be from the true population mean

composting

The natural process of recycling organic matter into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil.

vermicomposting

A method of composting using various species of worms to create a rich soil amendment.

graph development

The process of visually representing data in graphs, emphasizing proper labeling, scaling, and clarity to convey information accurately.

public health

The science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities through research, policy, and education.

environmental health

A branch of public health focused on how the environment impacts human health.

epidemiology

The study of how diseases affect the health and illness of populations and the application of this study to control health problems.

buruli ulcer (BU)

A chronic, necrotizing disease of the skin and soft tissue caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans; found primarily in tropical and subtropical regions.

inferential stats

Methods that allow conclusions to extend beyond an immediate data set

independent variable

The variable that is manipulated or categorized to observe its effect on the dependent variable.

dependent variable

The variable that is measured and affected in the experiment.

continuous variable

A variable that can take any numerical value

categorical variable

A variable with categories

pivot table

A data processing tool in Excel used to summarize, sort, and reorganize data.

t-test

A statistical test that compares the means of two groups to determine if they are significantly different from each other.

ANOVA

A statistical method used to compare the means of three or more groups.

linear regression

A statistical technique that models and analyzes the relationships between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.

experimental design

A systematic approach to conducting experiments, including the development of hypotheses, identifying variables, and choosing appropriate methods to collect and analyze data.

figure caption

A descriptive label below graphs or tables explaining what is shown, including context for understanding the figure without needing to refer back to the main text.

toxicology

The study of harmful effects of substances on living organisms

environmental toxicology

A branch of toxicology focusing on how environmental contaminants impact organisms and ecosystems.

LD50

The dose of a substance that kills 50% of a sample population; a standard measurement of acute toxicity.

dose-response relationship

The correlation between the amount of a substance and the biological effect it produces.

Dose-Response Curve

A graph showing the relationship between the dose of a toxicant and the magnitude of the organism's response

Serial Dilution

A stepwise dilution of a substance in solution, usually by the same factor used to create a range of concentrations for testing.

Mortality Rate

The percentage of organisms that die in response to exposure to a toxicant.

Effective Dose (ED50)

The dose of a substance that causes a specific, non-lethal effect in 50% of the population

Acute Toxicity

Effects of a toxicant appearing shortly after a single or short-term exposure.

Chronic Toxicity

Effects appearing after long-term exposure to a low level of toxicant.

Conservation Biology

A field of biology focused on understanding and protecting Earth's biodiversity by preventing species extinction, maintaining genetic diversity, and restoring habitats.

Biodiversity

The variety of all forms of life and the ecosystems they form.

Endangered Species

A species at serious risk of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

Threatened Species

A species that is likely to become endangered in the near future.

Extinction

The complete disappearance of a species from Earth.

Habitat Loss

Destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of a habitat, leading to declines in species that depend on it.

Poaching

Illegal hunting, capturing, or killing of wildlife.