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Definition
| acid rain, acid hail, acid snow; all of which occur as a result of pollution in the atmosphere |
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Definition
| the effect caused by a short exposure to a high level of toxin |
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Definition
| a platinum-coated device that oxidizes most of the VOC's and some of the CO that would otherwise be emitted in exhaust, converting them to CO2 |
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Definition
| when materials, such as plastic or aluminum, are used to rebuild the same product. an example of this is the use of aluminum from aluminum cans to produce more aluminum cans |
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Definition
| a process that allows the organic material in solid waste to be decomposed and reintroduced into the soil, often as fertilizer |
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Definition
| when the signs and symptoms of an illness can be attributed to a specific infectious organism that resides in the building |
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Definition
| an effect that results from long-term exposure to low levels of toxin |
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Definition
| drilling a hole in the ground that's below the water table to hold waste |
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Definition
| occurs when infection causes a change in the state of health |
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Term
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Definition
| a process in which an organism is exposed to a toxin at different concentrations, and the dosage that causes the death of the organism is recorded |
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Definition
| the result of graphing the dose-response analysis |
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Term
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Definition
| the point at which 50% of the test organisms show a negative effect from a toxin |
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Term
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Definition
| an intensification of the Greenhouse Effect due to the increased presence of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere |
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Term
| gray smog (industrial smog) |
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Definition
| smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal |
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Term
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Definition
| any waste that poses a danger to human health; it must be dealt with in a different way from other types of waste |
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Term
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Definition
| urban areas that heat up more quickly and retain heat better then nonurban areas |
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Term
| high-level radioactive waste |
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Definition
| radioactive wastes that produce high levels of ionizing radiation |
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Term
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Definition
| the result of a pathogen invading a body |
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Term
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Definition
| the point at which 50%of the test organisms die from a toxin |
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Term
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Definition
| the liquid that percolates to the bottom of a landfill |
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Term
| low-level radioactive waste |
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Definition
| radioactive wastes that produce low levels of ionizing radiation |
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Term
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Definition
| any noise that causes stress or has the potential to damage human health |
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Term
| non-point source pollution |
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Definition
| pollution that does not have a specific point of release |
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Term
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Definition
| when materials are reused to form new products |
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Term
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Definition
| the thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica (and to some extent over the Arctic) |
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Term
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Definition
| bacteria, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease |
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Term
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Definition
| usually formed on hot sunny days when NOx compounds, VOCs and ozone combine to form smog with a brownish hue |
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Term
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Definition
| a specific location from which pollution is released; an example of a point source location is a factory where wood is being burned |
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Term
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Definition
| any substance that has an LD50 of 50 mg or less per kg of body weight |
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Term
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Definition
| in a sewage treatment plant, the initial filtration that is done to remove debris such as stones, sticks, rags, toys and other objects that were flushed down a toilet |
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Term
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Definition
| pollutants that are released directly into the lower atmosphere |
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Term
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Definition
| when physically treated sewage water is passed into a settling tank, where suspended solids settle out as sludge; chemically treated polymers may be added to help the suspended solids separate and settle out |
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Term
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Definition
| calculating risk, or the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or a pathogen |
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Term
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Definition
| using strategies to reduce the amount of risk (the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or a pathogen) |
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Term
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Definition
| pollutants that are formed by the combination of primary pollutants in the atmosphere |
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Term
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Definition
| the biological treatment of wastewater in order to continue to remove biodegradable waste |
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Term
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Definition
| a condition in which the majority of a building's occupants experience certain symptoms that vary with the amount of time spent in the building, without being able to identify a specified cause or illness |
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Term
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Definition
| the solids that remain after the secondary treatment of sewage |
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Term
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Definition
| a tank filled with aerobic bacteria that is used to treat sewage |
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Term
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Definition
| can consist of hazardous waste, industrial solid waste, or municipal solid waste. many types of solid waste provide a threat to human health and the environment |
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Term
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Definition
| non-moving sources of pollution, such as factories |
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Term
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Definition
| a program funded by the federal government and a trust that is funded by taxes on chemicals; identifies pollutants and cleans up hazardous waste sites |
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Term
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Definition
| the dosage level of a toxin at which a negative effect occurs |
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Definition
| the degree to which a substance is biologically harmful |
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Term
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Definition
| any substance that is inhaled, ingested, or absorbed at dosages sufficient to damage a living organism |
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Term
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Definition
| ozone that exists in the troposphere- considered harmful ozone |
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Term
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Definition
| gave the EPA power to set emission standards for major sources of noise, including transportation, machinery, and construction |
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Term
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Definition
| the carrier organism through which pathogens can attack, such as a tick |
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Definition
| any water that has been used by humans. this includes human sewage, water drained from showers, tubs, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, water from industrial processes, and storm water runoff |
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Term
| Waste-to Energy (WTE)program |
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Definition
| when the energy released from waste incineration is used to generate electricity |
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Term
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Definition
| a fiscal policy the lowers taxes on income, including wages and profit, and raises taxes on consumption, particularly the unsustainable consumption of non-renewable resources |
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Term
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Definition
| when companies are allowed to buy permits that allow them a certain amount of discharge of substances into certain environmental outlets. if they can reduce theri amount of discharge, they are allowed to sell the remaining portion of their permit to another company |
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