2025 APES Unit 8 Vocab - Falkin

Nonpoint source

A diffuse area that produces pollution.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

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

Disease

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

Dose-response studies

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.

Chronic studies

An experiment that exposes organisms to an environmental hazard for a long duration.

Endocrine disruptors

A chemical that interferes with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal's body.

Acute studies

An experiment that exposes organisms to an environmental hazard for a short duration.

Closed-loop recycling

Recycling a product into the same product.

Open-loop recycling

Recycling a product into a different product.

Compost

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.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)

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

Eutrophic

Describes a lake with a high level of productivity.

Biomagnification

The increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain.

Oligotrophic

Describes a lake with a low level of productivity.

Point source

A distinct location from which pollution is directly produced.

Thermal shock

A dramatic change in water temperature that can kill organisms.

Hazardous waste

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

Superfund

1980 U.S. federal act that imposes a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, funds the cleanup of abandoned and non-operating 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.

Persistence

The length of time a chemical remains in the environment.

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.

Indicator species

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

Teratogen

A chemical that interferes with the normal development of embryos or fetuses.

Sanitary landfills

An engineered ground facility designed to hold municipal solid waste (MSW) with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible.

Life-cycle analysis

A systems tool that looks at the materials used and released throughout the lifetime of a product - from the procurement of raw materials through their manufacture, use, and disposal.