| Term | Definition |
| biotechnology engineering | The ways that humans apply biological concepts to produce products and provide services. |
| consumer | Those organisms that obtain energy by feeding on other organisms and their remains |
| decomposer | An organism, often microscopic in size, that obtains nutrients by consuming dead organic matter,
thereby making nutrients accessible to other organisms; examples of decomposers include fungi,
scavengers, rodents and other animals |
| engineering | The application of scientific, physical, mechanical and mathematical principles to design
processes, products and structures that improve the quality of life |
| ergonomical | Of or relating to the design of equipment or devices to fit the human body’s control, position,
movement and environment. |
| hazardous waste | A solid that may cause or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or
the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported or disposed of, or otherwise
managed. |
| incinerating | Burning to ashes; reducing to ashes |
| nonpoint source pollution | Contamination that originates from many locations that all discharge into a location (e.g., a lake,
stream, land area). |
| point source pollution | Pollutants discharged from a single identifiable location (e.g., pipes, ditches, channels, sewers,
tunnels, containers of various types). |
| risk management | A strategy developed to reduce or control the chance of harm or loss to one’s health or life; the
process of identifying, evaluating, selecting and implementing actions to reduce risk to human
health and to ecosystems. |
| waste stream | The flow of (waste) materials from generation, collection and separation to disposal |
