Glossary
Aquatic Pollution
Pollution occurring in bodies of water like oceans, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
Example:
Runoff from agricultural fields carrying pesticides into a nearby river is a form of aquatic pollution.
Bhopal, India (Disaster)
A catastrophic industrial accident in 1984 where a gas leak from a pesticide plant released toxic methyl isocyanate, causing thousands of deaths and injuries.
Example:
The Bhopal, India disaster serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of industrial safety regulations and emergency preparedness.
Bioaccumulation
The gradual buildup of a substance, such as a pesticide or other chemical, in an organism's tissues over time.
Example:
A fish living in water contaminated with mercury will experience bioaccumulation as the mercury builds up in its body throughout its life.
Biomagnification
The increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of organisms at successively higher trophic levels in a food chain.
Example:
As small fish with accumulated mercury are eaten by larger fish, and those by even larger fish, the mercury concentration biomagnifies up the food chain, leading to high levels in top predators like eagles.
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)
A U.S. federal law, also known as Superfund, designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances and pollutants.
Example:
The EPA used CERCLA funds to clean up an abandoned industrial site where toxic chemicals had been dumped, posing a risk to the local community.
CWA (Clean Water Act)
A U.S. federal law that regulates discharges of pollutants into the nation's waters and sets water quality standards for surface waters.
Example:
A factory is prohibited by the CWA from discharging untreated wastewater directly into a river without a permit, helping to protect aquatic ecosystems.
Delaney Clause
A provision of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that prohibits the addition of any substance to food that has been shown to cause cancer in humans or animals.
Example:
Due to the Delaney Clause, a food additive found to be carcinogenic in animal studies cannot be approved for use in human food products.
Dose-Response Curve
A graph that illustrates the relationship between the dose of a substance or exposure to an environmental factor and the observed effect on an organism.
Example:
Scientists plot a dose-response curve to determine the toxicity of a new chemical, showing how increasing exposure leads to more severe health effects.
ED50 (Effective Dose 50%)
The dose of a substance that produces a specific non-lethal effect in 50% of a test population.
Example:
Researchers might determine the ED50 for a new drug by finding the dose at which 50% of patients experience a desired therapeutic effect, like pain relief.
Electronic waste (e-waste)
Discarded electronic devices and components, which often contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium.
Example:
Old cell phones, computers, and televisions that are no longer used become electronic waste and require special recycling to prevent toxic chemicals from leaching into the environment.
Endocrine disruptors
Chemicals that interfere with the body's endocrine (hormone) system, potentially causing developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune problems.
Example:
BPA, a chemical found in some plastics, is an endocrine disruptor that can mimic estrogen and potentially affect reproductive health.
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Example:
Advocating for a community of color to have the same access to clean air and water as a wealthier, predominantly white community is a core principle of environmental justice.
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.
Example:
Agricultural runoff containing excess nitrogen and phosphorus can lead to eutrophication in a nearby pond, resulting in an algal bloom and subsequent fish kill.
Human health issues from pollution
A range of adverse health effects in humans caused by exposure to environmental pollutants.
Example:
Living near a busy highway can lead to human health issues from pollution such as increased rates of asthma and other respiratory problems due to particulate matter in the air.
Human pathogens
Microorganisms (like bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites) that are capable of causing disease in humans.
Example:
Untreated sewage discharged into waterways can introduce human pathogens like E. coli, making the water unsafe for swimming or drinking.
Impacts on aquatic ecosystems
The negative effects that human activities and pollution have on the living organisms and physical environment of water bodies.
Example:
An oil spill can have severe impacts on aquatic ecosystems, coating birds and marine mammals, and suffocating fish and coral reefs.
Infectious Diseases
Diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, which can be spread directly or indirectly from one person to another.
Example:
Contaminated water sources can lead to outbreaks of cholera, an infectious disease, in communities without proper sanitation.
LD-50 (Lethal Dose 50%)
The dose of a substance that is lethal to 50% of a test population.
Example:
If a pesticide has an LD-50 of 100 mg/kg for rats, it means that 100 milligrams of the substance per kilogram of body weight would kill half of the tested rat population.
Landfill structure
The engineered design and components of a modern landfill, typically including a liner system, leachate collection, and methane gas recovery.
Example:
A well-designed landfill structure includes a thick clay and synthetic liner to prevent toxic leachate from contaminating groundwater.
Love Canal, New York (Disaster)
A notorious environmental disaster in the late 1970s where a residential neighborhood was built on top of a buried toxic waste dump, leading to severe health problems and evacuations.
Example:
The Love Canal, New York incident highlighted the dangers of improper hazardous waste disposal and spurred the creation of the Superfund program.
Minamata Disease, Japan (Disaster)
A neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning, first identified in Minamata, Japan, resulting from industrial wastewater discharge containing methylmercury that bioaccumulated in shellfish and fish.
Example:
The devastating effects of Minamata Disease, Japan, demonstrated the long-term health consequences of heavy metal pollution in aquatic food chains.
Nonpoint source pollutant
Pollution that originates from diffuse sources over a wide area, making it difficult to identify a single point of origin.
Example:
Runoff from urban lawns containing fertilizers and pesticides that enters storm drains and then rivers is a nonpoint source pollutant.
Oceanic dead zones
Areas in the ocean with extremely low oxygen levels (hypoxia) that cannot support most marine life, often caused by nutrient pollution and eutrophication.
Example:
The large oceanic dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is primarily caused by nutrient runoff from the Mississippi River, leading to massive algal blooms and oxygen depletion.
Oil spills
The accidental release of crude oil or refined petroleum products into the environment, especially marine waters, causing significant environmental damage.
Example:
The Deepwater Horizon disaster was a massive oil spill that devastated marine life and coastal habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
Organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes, and can accumulate in the food web.
Example:
DDT, a pesticide banned in many countries, is a persistent organic pollutant that can travel globally and bioaccumulate in organisms, causing long-term harm.
Point source pollutant
Pollution that originates from a single, identifiable source, such as a pipe, ditch, or smokestack.
Example:
Wastewater discharged directly from a factory pipe into a river is a clear example of a point source pollutant.
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)
A U.S. federal law that governs the disposal of solid and hazardous waste, establishing a 'cradle-to-grave' system for hazardous materials.
Example:
A chemical manufacturing plant must comply with RCRA regulations for storing and disposing of its hazardous byproducts, ensuring they are tracked from creation to final disposal.
Recycle (waste management)
The process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products.
Example:
Placing plastic bottles, paper, and cardboard into designated bins for collection is part of the recycle process, allowing them to be transformed into new goods.
Recycling processes
The series of steps involved in converting waste materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, and reduce energy usage.
Example:
Aluminum cans undergo recycling processes where they are collected, sorted, cleaned, melted down, and then reformed into new cans, saving significant energy compared to making them from scratch.
Reduce (waste management)
The practice of minimizing the amount of waste generated in the first place, often considered the most effective waste management strategy.
Example:
Choosing to use a reusable water bottle instead of buying single-use plastic bottles is an act of reduce in waste management.
Reuse (waste management)
The practice of finding new purposes for items or using them again in their original form, extending their lifespan and preventing them from becoming waste.
Example:
Donating old clothes to a thrift store or repurposing glass jars for storage are examples of reuse.
SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act)
A U.S. federal law that sets national health-based standards for drinking water to protect against naturally occurring and man-made contaminants.
Example:
Public water systems must regularly test their water and meet the standards set by the SDWA to ensure the tap water is safe for consumption.
Sewage treatment
The process of removing contaminants from wastewater, primarily from household sewage, to produce an effluent that is safe enough for disposal or reuse.
Example:
A municipal sewage treatment plant uses physical, biological, and sometimes chemical processes to clean wastewater before it is discharged into a river.
Solid waste
Any discarded material that is not liquid or gas, including municipal garbage, industrial waste, agricultural waste, and mining waste.
Example:
Everything from food scraps and packaging to old furniture and construction debris contributes to the growing problem of solid waste in landfills.
Terrestrial Pollution
Pollution affecting land environments, including soil and land surfaces.
Example:
Improper disposal of plastic bags and bottles leading to widespread litter across a park is an example of terrestrial pollution.
Thermal pollution
The degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature, often caused by the discharge of heated water from industrial processes like power plants.
Example:
A power plant releasing warm water into a river can cause thermal pollution, reducing dissolved oxygen levels and stressing aquatic organisms.
Wetlands
Areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, that play a crucial role in filtering pollutants, controlling floods, and providing habitat.
Example:
Coastal wetlands act as natural sponges, absorbing excess nutrients and pollutants from runoff before they reach the ocean, and also protect shorelines from storm surges.