Untitled Flashcards Set

Acid Deposition

The depositing of acidic particles or molecules from the atmosphere onto the Earth's surface, including acid rain, fog, and snow.

Algal Bloom

A rapid increase in the population of algae in an aquatic system, often resulting in a visible discoloration of the water.

Bioaccumulation

The gradual accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

A measure of the amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water.

Biomagnification

The increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.

Boom

A temporary floating barrier used to contain an oil spill.

Bubonic Plague

A highly infectious and often fatal disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, transmitted by fleas from infected rodents.

Cholera

An infectious disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, characterized by severe diarrhea and dehydration.

Composting

The process of decomposing organic matter, such as food scraps and yard waste, into a nutrient-rich soil amendment.

Coral Bleaching

The loss of intracellular endosymbionts (zooxanthellae) through either expulsion or loss of algal pigmentation in corals, leading to a white appearance.

Dead Zone

Areas in the ocean where oxygen levels are too low to support most marine life, often caused by excessive nutrient pollution.

Decomposition

The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter.

Dispersant

Chemicals used to break up oil slicks into smaller droplets, making them easier to disperse and biodegrade.

Dose-Response Curve

A graphical representation of the relationship between the dose of a substance and the response (or effect) it produces.

E-waste

Discarded electrical or electronic devices, which can contain hazardous materials.

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals that can interfere with endocrine (or hormone) systems, potentially causing adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects.

Eutrophication/Cultural Eutrophication

The excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

Fecal Coliform Bacteria

A group of bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, used as indicators of water quality.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

A large area in the Pacific Ocean where debris, mostly plastic, accumulates due to ocean currents.

Hypoxic

Refers to environments, typically aquatic, that have low oxygen concentrations.

Incineration

The process of burning waste material at high temperatures to convert it into ash, flue gas, and heat.

Indicator Species

An organism whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.

Landfill Mitigation

Strategies to reduce the environmental impact of landfills, such as capturing methane gas or preventing leachate from contaminating groundwater.

LD50

The amount of a substance required to kill 50% of a test population, used as a measure of toxicity.

Leach Field

A network of perforated pipes laid in gravel-filled trenches that distribute the liquid effluent from a septic tank over a large area.

Leachate

Liquid that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of the constituents.

Malaria

A mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasitic protozoans, characterized by fever, chills, and anemia.

Mangroves

Tropical coastal trees that have tangled roots that grow above the ground, providing habitat and stabilizing shorelines.

Manure Lagoon

A large pit or pond used to store and treat animal waste, often found on large-scale livestock farms.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)

The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water, set by regulatory agencies.

MERS

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus.

Mesothelioma

A type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs, often linked to asbestos exposure.

Methylmercury

A highly toxic form of mercury that can bioaccumulate in aquatic food chains.

Nonpoint Source

Pollution that comes from many diffuse sources, such as agricultural runoff or urban stormwater, rather than from a single, identifiable source.

Oligotrophic

Describes environments that are low in nutrients and have a low rate of primary productivity.

Oxygen Sag Curve

A graphical representation of the change in dissolved oxygen levels in a body of water over time, often due to the decomposition of organic matter.

Pathogen

A microorganism that can cause disease.

Perceived Obsolescence

The belief that a product is outdated or unfashionable, leading to its disposal even if it is still functional.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes.

Planned Obsolescence

A policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts, and the use of nondurable materials.

Point Source

A single, identifiable source of pollution, such as a pipe or ditch.

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

A group of man-made organic chemicals that were widely used in industrial and commercial applications, now known to be highly toxic and persistent in the environment.

Primary Treatment

The first stage in wastewater treatment, involving the removal of solids through sedimentation.

Recycling

The process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects to prevent waste of potentially useful materials.

Runoff

The portion of precipitation that flows over the land surface and eventually into streams, rivers, and lakes.

Safe Drinking Water Act

A U.S. federal law that protects public drinking water supplies by setting standards for drinking water quality.

Sanitary Municipal Landfill

A designed structure built into or on top of the ground where waste is isolated from the environment until it is safe.

SARS

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus.

Secondary Treatment

The second stage in wastewater treatment, involving the removal of dissolved and suspended biological matter through biological processes.

Sedimentation

The process by which solids settle out of a liquid, often used in water treatment to remove suspended particles.

Septic System

An underground wastewater treatment structure, commonly used in rural areas without centralized sewer systems.

Sludge

A semi-solid waste material produced from industrial, water treatment, or wastewater treatment processes.

Tertiary Treatment

The third stage in wastewater treatment, involving advanced processes to remove additional pollutants, such as nutrients and pathogens.

Thermal Pollution

The degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature, often due to the discharge of heated water from industrial processes.

Thermal Shock

A sudden change in water temperature that can be harmful to aquatic organisms.

Tuberculosis

A bacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, primarily affecting the lungs.

Wastewater

Water that has been used and contains dissolved or suspended waste materials.

Water Pollution

The contamination of water bodies, such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater, typically due to human activities.

West Nile Virus

A viral infection primarily transmitted by mosquitoes, which can cause fever, encephalitis, and other symptoms.

Wetland

Areas of land that are saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, and support a variety of plant and animal life.

Zika Virus

A viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes, which can cause fever, rash, and in pregnant women, birth defects such as microcephaly.