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Env. Pollution
Environmental pollution terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand | Amount of oxygen required by aquatic bacteria to decompose given load of organic waste; a measure of water pollution. Higher BOD, lower dissolved oxygen. |
| Cultural Eutrophication | When a water source is polluted by chemical nutrients (like phosphorus and nitrates) from human activity |
| Fecal Coli Form | Bacteria found within the intestines of humans and animals, used to determine if water is contaminated |
| Sediment Pollution | Sediments cloud the water and contaminates drinking water. Is caused by soil erosion through deforestation, agriculture, etc. One of the greatest sources of water pollution. |
| Acid Mine Drainage | Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dangerous dissolved materials such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium wash from coal and metal mines into nearby lakes and streams. |
| Wastewater Treatment | Mechanical or chemical processes used to treat wastewater: can be separated into three parts. Filters water to make it usable for the future. |
| Septic Tank | An underground tank in which sewage from the house is reduced to liquid by bacterial action and drained off - usually used in rural areas where there is no municipal water treatment. |
| Primary Treatment | First step of sewage treatment which removes most of the large organic materials and particles. |
| Secondary Treatment | Microorganisms are used to filter and cleanse wastewater after primary treatment. Decomposes suspended organic material |
| Advanced Treatment | Third type of wastewater treatment that is used to remove nutrients, heavy metals, or specific chemicals. |
| Grit Chamber | Seen in the primary treatment phase of wastewater cleansing, where velocity of the flow of water is slowed so that large materials can be removed. |
| Sludge Digester | Large tanks in which sludge is biologically (with microorganisms) degraded. Seen in the secondary treatment phase. |
| Bioremediation | The use of microorganisms or bacteria to remove or detoxify water, especially used in groundwater. |
| Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 | This act requires all hazardous materials and toxic waste be managed and monitored from "cradle to grave," ensuring proper disposal to protect human health and environment. |
| Composting | biochemical process where organic material decomposes into a rich soil |
| Incineration | Waste is burned, which reduces around 50% of its original volume, but can contribute to toxins in the air/air pollution. |
| Sanitary Landfill | An area which concentrates and confines waste without hazard to public health and safety. Usually has a lower liner made of plastic and clay to prevent leachate from reaching groundwater. |
| Leachate | Polluted liquid which is produced when water passes through buried waste in a landfill. Is dangerous of polluting in contact with groundwater. |
| Hazardous Waste | Hazardous chemicals that pollute environment and are toxic to human health. |
| Surface Impoundment | A method of disposing of hazardous waste. This can be done by creating topographic depressions made to hold the waste but is prone to seepage/evaporation problems of chemicals. |
| Deep Well Disposal | Method of disposing of hazardous waste. Injection of waste into deep wells that aren't close to any body of water, but can still be prone to seepage and environmental pollution. |
| Secure Landfill | Method of disposing hazardous waste. Designed to confine wastes to location and control leachate from spreading through use to liners. |
| Materials Management | Managing production of materials so that no excess waste is produced. Can also substitute nontoxic chemicals for production and improve engineering and design of products |
| E Waste | Electronic waste (television, cell phones, batteries) |
| Integrated Waste Management | Concept in managing waste through alternatives such as reuse, source reduction, recycling, composting, landfill, and incineration. |
| Industrial Ecology | The study of relationships among industrial systems and their links to natural systems. Principle states that waste of one part of our system can become a resource for another part (we can continually reproduce our waste). |
| Land Application | Microorganisms can be used to break down certain biodegradable industrial waste. This depends on its biopersistence. |
| Stationary Sources | One of the major sources of air pollution that has a relatively fixed location. It includes point sources, fugitive sources, and area sources |
| Primary Pollutants | A pollutant that is directly emitted into the air. |
| Secondary Pollutants | Pollutants that are produced through reactions between primary pollutants and normal atmospheric compounds. |
| Criteria Pollutants | Six of the most common air pollutants that are recognized in the Clean Air Act. Includes ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and lead. |
| Air Toxics | Pollutants that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health problems and diseases. More than 150 chemicals are considered toxic air pollutants. |
| Ozone | O3 - It is a secondary pollutant which occurs when nitrogen oxides interact with sunlight. Generally caused by cars. Effects: difficult to regulate, damages eyes and respiratory system, kills leaf tissue at high concentration |
| Sulfur Dioxide | Caused by: burning of coal (with sulfur) in power plants, industrial processes Effects: precursor to acid rain. Adverse effects depend on dose and concentration, but can corrode paint and metal, as well as injury and death of biological organisms. |
| Nitrogen Oxides | Emitted in two forms: NO and NO2 NO2 is reddish brown while NO is colorless - contribute to smog and is a major contributor to acid rain. Caused by: nearly all anthropogenic sources Effects: can suppress plant growth and irritate respiratory system |
| Carbon Monoxide | Colorless, odorless gas that is extremely toxic to humans. Effects: none on plants/materials, CO can bind to hemoglobin in blood and suffocate an organism to death. Caused by: 90% natural sources, 10% fires, cars, incineration of organic compounds |
| Particulate Matter | Very small particles in air, <2.5 μm. Smaller particle, more dangerous, get inhaled & enter bloodstream. Measured in total suspended particles. Caused by = farming, windstorms, volcanic eruptions. Effects biosphere, human health, & ecosystems |
| Lead | Mostly emitted in gasoline from cars. Can be transported in the air and taken up by plants. Now, it is almost completely removed from gasoline. Effects: human health, can be toxic in soils and plants, bioaccumulate |
| Volatile Organic Compounds | variety of organic compounds used as solvents in industrial processes. Major source = cars ex: benzene and arcolein |
| Hydrocarbons | Compounds composed of oxygen and carbon Urban air react with sunlight to produce photochemical smog. Also have potential adverse effects on toxicity. ex: methane, propane, butane. Mostly emitted anthropogenically from automobiles. |
| Global Dimming | When particulate matter can block sunlight and cause climate change. It is the gradual reduction in solar energy that reaches the surface of the Earth. It cools the atmosphere and lessens global warming. |
| Benzene | Most significant air toxin posing a risk for cancer. An additive in gasoline and is an important industrial solvent. Also a component in cigarette smoke, on and off road vehicles. |
| Atmospheric Inversion | Usually occurs during winter, where ground is cold, so cold layer forms & stops air from rising, concentrating pollutants. Air is normally warmed at surface and rises, dispersing pollutants, but in an inversion, it does not rise & instead concentrates. |
| Photochemical Smog | Smog that is emitted by gas/cars. It usually occurs when nitrogen oxides interact with sunlight (ozone). Is a brown air, or LA type of smog. |
| Sulfurous Smog | Smog that is usually emitted by industrial processes. Creates a gray haze/air and is categorized as industrial smog seen in London. |
| Clean Air Act Amendments | Address acid rain, toxic emissions, ozone depletion, and automobile exhaust. Also, named critical pollutants that needed to be controlled. |
| Anthropogenic | Human-induced |
| Fugitive Source | A source that generates air pollutants from open areas exposed to wind processes. Examples are dirt roads, construction sites, farmlands, and other exposed areas from which particulates may be removed by wind. |
| Area Source | Well-defined areas within which are several sources of air pollutants. Examples are small urban communities, areas of intense industrialization, agricultural areas with herbicides and pesticides. |
| Mobile Source | Air pollutant source that moves from place to place while emitting it. Examples are cars, planes, trains. |
| Strategies to Control Air Pollution | Ventilation, source removal (restriction on items that cause air pollution), source modification (material substitution), air cleaning, and education. |
| Asbestos | A mineral used in insulation and other materials that can cause respiratory diseases and pollute indoor air environment. |
| Radon | Naturally occurring radioactive gas that appears in Earth's surface. Can enter homes/building depending on radon's concentration. Can rise upwards out of cracks in surface or spread to ground water. Usually migrates to homes' lower floors and basements. |
| Chimney Effect | When there is a temperature difference between outdoor and indoor environments. Causes the warm air inside to rise and lower portion of building is replaced by outdoor air from windows, cracks, and can draw in pollutants. |
| Sick Building Syndrome | Health effects caused by a poorly ventilated building. Can be identifiable (health effects are connected) or non-identifiable (symptoms cannot be traced to any cause). |
| Green Building | A building which is designed to be built with less pollution and better use of resources. Also aimed to provide good indoor air quality |
| Formaldehyde | An air pollutant used to manufacture building materials and many household products, such as particleboard, paneling, furniture. Can contribute to indoor air pollution. |
| LD50 | Amount or dose of a chemical (toxic substance) that kills half the test population (test organisms/specimens) |
| ED50 | amount or dose of a chemical (toxic substance) that causes an observable or undesirable effect or desired symptom in 50% of the test population (test organisms/speciemens) |
Created by:
Norma Underwood
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