Envi Sci Final

Acute Toxicity

Harmful effects that occur quickly after a short exposure to a substance

Bioaccumulation

The buildup of chemicals in an organism over time

Biological Magnification

Increase in concentration of a toxin as it moves up the food chain

Carcinogen

A substance that can cause cancer

Chronic Toxicity

Harmful effects from long-term exposure to a substance

Dose-Response Curve

A graph showing how the effect of a chemical changes with the amount exposed

Epidemiology

The study of disease patterns in human populations

Pathogen

A microorganism that causes disease

Persistence

How long a substance remains in the environment without breaking down

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Toxic chemicals that last long, travel far, and build up in organisms

Precautionary Principle

Taking action to prevent harm even without full scientific proof

Risk

The probability of harm from exposure to a hazard

Risk Assessment

The process of estimating the danger posed by a hazard

Toxicology

The study of harmful effects of chemicals on organisms

Biocentric Preservationist

Belief that nature should be protected for its own sake

Command and Control Regulation

Government sets strict pollution limits and rules

Cost-Benefit Diagram

Graph comparing costs and benefits to find best decision

External Cost

Cost not paid by the producer, such as pollution

Incentive-Based Regulation

Policies using rewards or taxes to reduce pollution

Marginal Cost of Pollution

Extra cost caused by one more unit of pollution

Marginal Cost of Pollution Abatement

Cost of reducing one additional unit of pollution

National Income Accounts

Measures of a country's economic activity like GDP

Natural Capital

Natural resources that provide value such as air and water

Optimum Amount of Pollution

Level where total costs and benefits are balanced

Systems Perspective

Looking at how different parts of a system interact

Utilitarian Conservationist

Belief that nature should be used wisely for human benefit

Acid Mine Drainage

Polluted water from mines containing sulfuric acid and metals

Enrichment

Process of increasing uranium's ability to produce energy

Fission

Splitting of an atomic nucleus to release energy

Fluidized-Bed Combustion

Burning coal in a way that reduces pollution

High-Level Radioactive Wastes

Highly radioactive waste from nuclear reactors

Hydraulic Fracturing

Injecting fluid into rock to release oil or gas

Low-Level Radioactive Wastes

Less dangerous radioactive materials like tools or clothing

Nuclear Energy

Energy from splitting atoms

Nuclear Reactor

Facility where nuclear reactions produce energy

Spent Fuel

Used nuclear fuel that remains radioactive

Subsurface Mining

Extracting minerals from underground

Surface Mining

Removing minerals from the Earth's surface

Active Solar Heating

Uses pumps or fans to circulate solar-heated air or water

Biomass

Energy from organic material like plants or waste

Cogeneration (CHP)

Producing electricity and heat from the same energy source

Energy Conservation

Using less energy overall

Energy Efficiency

Using technology to reduce energy use

Fuel Cell

Device that produces electricity from chemical reactions

Geothermal Energy

Energy from Earth's internal heat

Hydropower

Energy from moving water

Passive Solar Heating

Uses building design to capture sunlight naturally

Photovoltaic Solar Cell

Converts sunlight directly into electricity

Solar Thermal Electric Generation

Uses sunlight to produce steam and generate electricity

Wind Energy

Energy generated by wind turbines

Acid Deposition

Acidic rain or snow caused by air pollution

Carbon Management

Reducing carbon emissions to limit climate change

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Chemicals that damage the ozone layer

Climate

Long-term weather patterns in a region

Enhanced Greenhouse Effect

Extra warming caused by human greenhouse gases

Forest Decline

Widespread weakening or death of trees

Greenhouse Gases

Gases that trap heat such as carbon dioxide and methane

Infrared Radiation

Heat energy emitted from Earth

Ozone Thinning

Reduction of the ozone layer

Radiative Forcing

Change in Earth's energy balance affecting climate

Ultraviolet Radiation

High-energy radiation from the sun

Air Pollution

Harmful substances in the air

Atmosphere

Layer of gases surrounding Earth

Coriolis Effect

Deflection of moving air due to Earth's rotation

Dust Dome

Layer of trapped pollution over a city

Photochemical Smog

Pollution formed by sunlight reacting with pollutants

Primary Air Pollutants

Pollutants emitted directly into the air

Secondary Air Pollutants

Pollutants formed in the atmosphere

Sick Building Syndrome

Health issues caused by poor indoor air quality

Temperature Inversion

Warm air traps pollution near the ground

Urban Heat Island

Cities are warmer than surrounding areas due to human activity

Greenwashing

When companies promote themselves as environmentally friendly without making meaningful changes

Waste Management

The collection, processing, and disposal of waste materials

Waste-to-Energy (Incineration)

Burning waste to generate energy, which can release harmful pollutants

Landfill Emissions

Gases like methane and CO2 released from decomposing waste in landfills

Methane

A potent greenhouse gas released from landfills and organic waste

Recycling Contamination Rate

The percentage of recyclables that cannot be processed due to improper sorting or dirt

Virgin Materials

Raw unused materials used to create new products

Recycled Material Market

The system for buying and selling recycled materials

Sorting Technology

Machines used to separate recyclable materials

Post-Sorting

Sorting waste by machines after collection instead of by consumers

Chemical Recycling

Breaking plastics into chemical components for reuse

Mechanical Recycling

Physically processing materials by shredding and melting

Polymer Degradation

Breakdown of plastic quality each time it is recycled

Multimaterial Products

Products made of multiple materials that are hard to recycle

Single-Stream Recycling

All recyclables placed in one bin, often causing contamination

Global Waste Trade

Exporting waste to other countries for processing

Waste Exporting

Sending waste to countries with weaker environmental regulations

Ocean Plastic Pollution

Plastic accumulating in oceans harming ecosystems

Microplastics

Tiny plastic particles in water, soil, and organisms

Toxic Emissions

Harmful gases released into the air from industry or waste burning

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals that interfere with hormone systems

Carcinogens

Substances that can cause cancer

Public Health Risk

Threat to human health from environmental hazards

Health Advisory

Nonbinding warning about environmental health risks

Regulatory Failure

When governments fail to protect people from harm

Precautionary Principle

Taking action to prevent harm even without full scientific proof

Corporate Accountability

Holding companies responsible for environmental harm

Externalities

Costs of production not paid by companies but by society

Profit Maximization

Goal of businesses to increase profits often over environment