DOCUNENT RESUME

ED 103 217 SE 017 501

AUTHOR Studdard, Gloria J.TITLE Commot Environmental Terms: A Glossary.INSTITUTION Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D. C.PUB DATE 73NOTE 27p.

EDRS PRICE HP-$0.76 HC-$1.95 PLUS POSTAGEDESCRIPTORS Conservation (Environment); *Environment;

*ilnvironmen%al Education; *Glossaries; NaturalResources; Pollution; *Reference Books; ScienceEducation; Secondary Grades

ABSTRACTThis glossary is designed fo r students learning and

writing about environmental conditions, problems, and solutions. Notprimarily intended for use by scientists and technicians, theglossary contains over 400 common terms that are helpful inunderstanding the environmental literature of today. (NA)

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CJommonM tMs

A G lossary

Common EnvironmentaTerms

A Glossary

Compiled by

GLORIA J. STUDDARDEPA Region IV

Atlanta, Ga.

411

U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyWashington, D.C.

1973

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,ek.1 m discussing andeenerally

a:r, but ha%e includedthe .emironni:nt, occur

,rtant to a sturlent's under--trt,..n or rodenticide. The

As dust and airatenic-nt as,t,.'::,1.tions of such words are

in `;;!:!, h 1..1.s.! in to compile and define the,t t.':;11 to study, understanaing and

\" !'Lists words and t:nns areIt 1, dit1i,-;:11 ,et.1,- tip.,n definitions acceptable to

I-. 10 CivAt varlet\ of prtistw, :Ind interests. This ;s particu-1.10\ ink- 111. een.A-ateI hv science and technology. It may be

de,,titied a compiler of dictionariesand -1),lionaries are like watches; the

wir,t 1, '',11' .)Lin 11,10C, and thi cannel he expected to go quite true."We do it.st :his ;L.!os,.tr\ to he used ext:nsicely by technicians and

professiona!,, to environment:. control. I! not designed for that purpose.Rather, it 1, ,,ar hope that it will stimulate and improve a student's under-st.Indinc; ot ironment and the 1111,-relationship 'af the forces andekmerr, th.!! ..t.:;:prt-,e it.

AcknowledgementsSo many good people helped compile this glossary it would *oe impossible

to list them all, but sincere thanks go to each. Employees of EPA's RegionIV deserve special mention for contributing words for inclusion.

Specific credit should be gi.en to my major sources: Paul Sundt 'sdelightful The New York Times tmcyclopedic Dictionary of the Eaviron-mew. Herbert 1-1inson's Dictionary of Ecoio4y, the American Society of CivilEngineers' GhArary Water and Sewage Control Engineering, Veatch andHumphrys' Water ow! Water I've Terminology and a myriad of other equallygood, but untraceable sources.

My especial thanks go to Charles Pou for histo Dr. Walter Bishop, my mentor, andtyping and for uncomplainingly corrects

way

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abatement: The method of reducing theDegree or intensity of pollution, alsothe use of such a method.

absorption: The penetration of a sub-stance into or through another. Forexample, in air pollution control, ab-sorption is the dissolt ing of a sqlublegas, present in an emission. in a liquidwhich can he extracted.

accelerator: In radiology. a device forimparting high %ducat, to chargedparticles such as electrons or protons.'these fast particles can penetratematter and are known as radiation.

acclimation: The physiological and be-havioral adjustment., of an organismto changes in its immediate environ-ment.

acclimatization: The acclimation or adap-tation of a p:trticular species overseveral generations to a markedchange in the environment.

activated carbon: A highly adsorbentform of carbon, used to remove odorsand toxic substances from gaseousemissions. In advanced waste treat-ment, activated carbon is used toremove dissolved organic matterfrom waste water.

activated sludge: Sludge that has beenaerated and subjected to bacterialaction, used to remove organic matterfrom sewage.

activated sludge process: The process ofusing biologically active sewage sludgeto hasten breakdown of organic mat-ter in raw sewage during secondarywaste treatment.

acute toxicity: Any poisonous effect pro-duced within a short period of time,usually up to 24-96 hours, resultingin severe hiclogical harm and oftendeath.

air curtain

adaptation: A charge in structure orhabit of an organism that producesbetter adjustment to the environment.

adsorption: The adhesion of a substanceto the surface of a solid or liquid.Adsorption is often used to extractpollutants by causing them to be at-tached to such adsorbents as activatedcarbon or silica gel. Hydrophobic, orwater-repulsing adsorbents, are usedto extract oil fr.m waterways in oilspills.

adulterants: Cnemicals or substances thatby law do not belong in a food, plant.anintal or pesticide formulation. Adul-terated products are subject to seizureby the Food and Drug Administration.

advanced waste treatment: Waste watertreatment beyond the secondary orbiological stage that includes removalof nutrients such as phosphorus andnitrogen and a high percentage of sus-pended solids. Advanced waste treat-ment, known as tertiary treatment, isthe "polishing stage" of waste watertreatment and produces a high qualityeffluent.

aeration: The process of being suppliedor impregnated with air. Aeration isused in waste water treatment tofoster biological and chemical puri-fication.

aerobic: This refers to life or processesthat can occur only in the presenceof oxygen.

aerosol: A suspension of liquid or solidparticles in the air.

afterburner: An air pollution abatementdevice that removes undesirable or-ganic gases through incineration.

agricultural pollution: The liquid andsolid wastes from all types of farm-ing, including runoff from pesticides.fertilizers and feedlots: erosion anddust from plowing, animal manureand careasso and crop residues anddebris. It has been estimated thatagricultural pollution in the U.S. hasamounted to more than 21/2 billiontons per year.

air curtain: A method for mechanicalcontainment of oil spills. Air isbubbled through a perforated pipe

Air 111.1%s

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ind !.20e. ,vie. 0.,

r monitoring: N.', illor 1, !in.:

air pollution: 1'1; rts ;!,it

pteent the 'barna' kl!'s1`1/41,1 \ 4.7 .41`111

of the .,it and that intelteic hrectlman'. health, ..itety

sonitost ot the full the and:air pollution epistle's:: I he of

.11noima:. Leh .iin,entratin if Airr,ohit due to 1 v,and 01\ e;,,in .01.1

k an in..rease in dine.. anddeath, Sec it..er.,011,

air quality control regilin: An are,inkii b the l'ederal izilernment

here t%o or mireeither in the

.hare volution poikm

air 'patio criteria: I he 10 ON of pollu-tion rid itsthith, of erosaire hiCh

d Cf14...tN ton helth illit uellateoccur,

air quality standards: The prescribedIC d pollutant. in the outside airthat anniit be eeec,k,img specified tune in a ecitiedgaziler,ptmal area,

algal bloom .A pioliferatit 'mint...,

.ilea: on the Nut f.i,;: ot lake.. ream.or INond bloom. are ,timulatedb\ pho,ph.ite enrichment.

Alpha particle: A rsoiticl ..hari:ed par-emitted bs certain radioactie

maiertal. It is the least penetratingthe three common h,ros of rail,.

anon beta and izamma andnot darlerolis, to plant., int-

mat, or manambient air: Any unconfined portion of

the atmosphere, 'he ont.de

allattioilions; I 1, t1h that ascendt t. piit

nal, milk: I: el, is 1,i i, ptoee..e.,ibs.,nse ot o\.een

annoactilatit. skAii:,al .111C' ferC%

; :, ',..;!.1L. 014'11 used Is .1I

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ter: An hed or 41011111t 4:,101 ;1,41:1 vototis stone that

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aquatic plants: Plants that gfo in .sater112 .11 Nzil 1,tsc,

ii, 1:1/4 1:; i't0:0111 th.. hods ofNN.ILT ill :.Z.Itqk the slIft:We01 the \\ AO.

area %moue: In au pollution, an smallinkl!1,1.,1 in.chidin; am transportation source.,I hi. is, a gineral definition, area

ul is and pleoseIN definedat I at IC:4%11,1(1011N see point

asbestos: .\ mineral fiber u ith counlessnidushial uses. doii alt pollu-I. ni \\ hen inhaled.

.t-ticaie stnind lesel: the measuiement ofsound a rprwilmating the auditorysensttim of the human ear. The\-%c.ile mould loci is used to meas-toe the ielatie noisiness or annto-.cLe of common sounds,

assimilation: Consersion or incorpora-tion of absorbed nutrients into proto-plasm. Also refers to the ability of ahod:, Of water to purify itself of or-ganic pollution.

annos.pherc:ihe layer of aim surroundingt:ie calk

atomic pile: nuclear reactor,

attractant: :A chemical or agent that luresinsects or tither pests by olfactory.tmitdation.

attrition: Wearing or grinding down byfriction, One of the three basic con-

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tlibutinc proses -es t,t of pollution,the others ate %,ipoil,,.eottn and conthosuon

audiometer: An instrument for measur-sensitisits

autotrphic: `self nourishirz. denotingthse ms ot construct-

matter nom icorganicsubstances.

B

backtill: I he mate! :al used to refill adit,;11 or other ,ssasation, or theplee:css of shunt: so

background level: 11 ith respect to airpolliwonimotmts of pollutants pres-ent in the ambient due to naturalsources.

background radiation: Normal radiationpresent in the Iowa atmosphere fromcosmic rays and from earth sources,

bacteri sinele-celled microorganismsthat lack chlorophs II. Some bacteriaare capable of causing human, animalor plant diseases. others are essentialin pollut ion control because theybreak down organic matter in the airand in the water.

baffle: Any deflector device used tochange the direction of flow or thevelocity of water, sewage or pruductsof eombustion such as fly ash orcoals: particulate matter. Also usedin deadening sound.

baghouse: An ;lir pollution abatementdesicc used to trap particulates byfiltering gas streams through largefabric bags, usually made of glassfibers.

baling: A means of reducing the volumeof solid waste by compaction.

ballistic separator: A machine that sep-

biological control

arates inorganic front oreanie matterin a composting process.

band application: With respect to pot'.:ides, the application at the chemicalos et or next to each rots of plantsin . field

bar screen: In waste eater treatment, athat remoscs large floating and

MINN:mkd solids.

basal application: 11 ith respect to pesti.:ides, the application of the pesticideformulation on stems or trunks ofplants just 'those the soil line.

basin: 'we rise, basin.

benthic rtgion: I he buttons of a bodyof water. This region supports thebenthos, type of life that not only

upon. but contributes to thecharacter of the bottom.

benthos: the plant and animal life whosehabitat is the bottom of a sea, lakeor riser.

bmilium: A metal that when airbornehas adserse effects on human health:it has been declared a hazardous airpollut era. it is primarily dischargedby operations such as machine shops,ceramic and propellant plants andfoundries.

beta particle: An elementary particleemitted by radioactive decay that maycause skin burns. It is easily stoppedby a thin sheet of metal.

bioassay: The employment of living or-ganism, to determine the biologicaleffect of some substance, factor orcondition,

biochemical oxygen demand 1130D): Ameasure of the amount of oxygenconsumed in the biological processesthat break down organic matter inwater. Large amounts of organicwaste use up large amounts of dis-solsed oxygen, thus the greater thedegree of pollution, the greater theBOO.

biodegradable: The process of decompos-ing quickly as a result of the actionof microorganisms.

biological control: A method of con-trolling pests by means of introduced

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biological urildation

or naturall occurring predatory u.sterilization or the use of in-

hibiting hormones, etc,. rather thanb mechanical or chemical means.

biological oxidation: The pcocess bywhich bacterial and other microorga-nisms feed on complex organic mate-rials and decompose them. Self-purification of w aterwass and acti-vated slude and trickling filter wastewater treatment processes depend onthis principle. The process is alsocalled biochemical oxidation.

biumonitoring: The use of living orga-nisms to test the suitability of effluentfor discharge into receiving watersand to test the quality of such watersdownstream from a discharge.

biosphere: The portion of the earth andits atmosphere capable of supportinglife.

biostabilizer: A machine used to convertsolid waste into compost by grindingand aeration.

biota: All the species of plants and 3ni-mals occurring within a certain area.

bbra: A proliferation of living algaeand or other aquatic plants on thesurface of lakes or ponds. Bloomsare frequently stimulated by phos-phate enrichment.

1101): See biochemical oxygen itmand,

SOD;: The amount of dissolved oxygenConsumed in five days by biologicalprocesses breaking down organic mat-ter in an effluent. See biochemicaloxygen demand.

bog: Wet, spongy lard usually poorlydrained, highly acid and rich in plantresidue.

boom: A floating device that is used tocontain oil on a body of water.

botanical pesticide: A plant- producedchemical used to zontrol pests: for ex-an ple. nicotine, strychnine or orpyre-thrun.

brackish water: A mixture of fresh andsalt water.

breeder: A nuclear reactor that producesmore fuel than it consumes.

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broadcast application: With respect topesticides. the application of a ehem-i..al ewer an entire field, lawn orother area.

burial ground (graveyard): A place forburying unwanted radioactive mate-rials to present radiation escape, theearth or water acting as a snield.Such materials must be placed in

ater tight, noncorrodible containersso the radioactive material cannotleach out and invade one- roundwater supplies.

cadmium: See heavy metals.

carbon dioxide (CO.,): A colorless, odor-less, nonpoisonous gas that is a nor-mal part of hz ambient air. CO2 is aproduct of fossil fuel combustion, andsome researcher3 have theorized thatexcess CO2 :lists atmospheric tem-peratures.

carbon monoxide (CO): A colorless,odorless. highly toxic gas that is anormal byproduct of incomplete fossilfuel combustion. CO. one of themajor air pollutants, can be harmfulin small amounts if breathed over acertain period of time.

carcinogenic: Cancer producing.

catalytic converter: An air pollutionribatement drce that removes organ-ic contaminants by oxidizing theminto carbon dioxide and water throughchemical reaction. Can be used toreduce nitrogen oxide cmissicns frommotor vehicles.

caustic soda: Sodium hydroxide (NaOH),a strongly alkaline, caustic substanceused as the cleming agent in someJetergenis.

cells: With respect ti solid waste dis.

posal. earthen compattmetas in winchsolid wastes are dumper', compactedand cosered ONes daily with !aye'sof earth.

centrifugal collector: Any of severalmechanical systems using centrifugalforce to remose aerosols front a gasstream.

eh: Cubic feet per second, a measure ofthe amount of water passing a gisenpoint

channelization: The straightening anddeepening of stream. to permit waterto mote taste,, to tet'u,:e flooding orto drain marshy aeieace for farming.Houcser. channelization reduces theorganic v .iste assimilation capacity ofthe stream and may disturb fishbreeding and destroy, the stream'snatural beauty.

chemical oxygen demand (COD): Ameasure of the amount of oxygenrequired to oxidize organic and oxi-dizable inorganic compounds inwater. The IC OD tor, like the HODtest, is used to determine the degreeof pollution in an effluent.

chemosterilfintt A pesticide chemicalthat controls pests by destroyingtheir abdity to reproduce.

chilling effect: The lowering of the earth'stemperature due to the increan ofatmospheric particulates that inhibitpenetration of the sun's energy,

chlorinated hydrocarbons: A class ofgenerally long-lasting, broad-spectruminsecticides of which the best knownis DDT, first used for insect controlduring World War iI, Other similarcompounds include aldrin, dieldrin,heptachlor, chlordane. lindane. endrin.Mires. benzene hexachloride (MC),and toxaphene. The qualities of per-sistence and effectiveness against atide variety of insect pests were longregarded as highly desirable in agri-culture, public health and home uses.But later research has revealed thatthese same qualities may represent apotential hazard through accumulationin the food chain and persistence inthe environment

chlorination: The application of chlorine

conform organism

to drinking water, sewage or indus-aste for disinfection or oxida-

tion of undesirable compounds.

chlorinator: A des-ice for adding achlorine - containing gas or liquid todrinking t.r waste water.

chlorine.contart chamber: In a wastetreatment plant. ),amber in whicheffluent is disinfectei by chlorine be-fete it is discharged to the receivingwaters.

chlorosis: Yellowing or whitening of nor-mally green plant parts. It can hecaused by disease organisms, lack ofoxyg,ni or nutrients in the soil or byvarious ;or pollutants.

chromium: See heasy metals.

chronic: Market' by long duration ortreqa,-nt recurrence, as a disease,

clarification: In waste water treatment,the remosal of turbidity and sits-pended solids by settling, often aidedby cenvifugal action and ch-emicallyinduced coagulation.

clarifier: in waste water treatment, asettling tank which mechanically re-moves settleable solids from wastes.

Tne slumping of particles inorder to settle out impurities: ofteninduced by chemicals such as lime oralum.

coastal zone: Coastal waters and adja-cent lands that exert a measurableinfluence on the uses of the sea andits ecology.

COD: See chemical oxygen demand.

coefficient of haze (COW: A measure-ment of visibility interference in theatmosphere.

coffin: A thick-walled container (usuallylead) used for transporting radioactivematerials.

(`OH: See coefficient of haze,

coliform index: An index of the purityof water based on a count of its coli-form bacteria.

conform organism: Any of a r umber oforganisms common to the intestinaltract of man and an;mals whose

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combined %ewers

presence in waste water is an huh-calor of pollution and of potentiallydangerous bacterial contamination.

combined sewers: A sewerage systemthat carries both sanitary sewage ..idstorm water runoff. During dryweather, combined sewers carry allwaste water to the treatment plant.During a storm, only part of the flowis intercepted because of plant over-loading: the remainder goes untreatedto the rec:iving stream.

combustion: Burning. Technically, a rapidoxidation accompanied by the releaseof energy in the form of heat andlight. It is one of the three basic con-tributing factors causing air pollution,the others are attrition and vaporize-lion.

comminution: Mechanical shredding orpulverizing of waste, a rrocess thatconverts it into a homogepeous andmore manageable material. Used insolid waste management and in theprimary stage of waste water treat-meat.

co:animator: A device that grinds solidsto make them easier to treat.

compaction: Reducing the bulk of solidwaste by rolling and tamping.

compost: Relatively stable decomposedorganic material.

composting: A controlled process of de-grading organic matter by microorga-nisms. (1) :mechanical - a method inwhich the compost is continuouslyand mechanically mixed and aerated.(2) ventilated cellcompost is mixedand aerated by being dropped througha vertical series of ventilated cells.(3) windrowan open-air method inwhich compostable material is placedin windrows. piles or ventilated binsor pits and occasionally turned ormixed. The process may be anaerobicor aerobic.

contact pesticide: A chemical that killspests on contact with the body, ratherthan by ingestion (stomach poison).

contras: Long narrow clouds caused bythe disturbance of the atmosphereduring passage of high-flying jets.Proliferation of contrails may cause

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cl. anges in the weather.

coolant: A substance, usually liquid orgas. used for cooling any pan of areactor in which heat is generated,including the core, the reflector, shieldand other elements that may beheated hy absorption of radiation.

cooling tower: A device to remove excessheat from water used in industrialoperations, notably in electric powerenaation.

core: The heart of a nuclear reactorwhere energy is remised.

cover material: Soil that is used to covercompacted solid waste in a sanitarylandfill.

cultural euteophitationt Acceleration byman of the natural aging process ofbodies of water.

curie: A measure of radio:.ctivity.

cutie-ple: A portable instrument equippedwith a direct reading meter used todetermine the level cf radiation inan area.

cyclone collector: A device used to col-lect large-size particulates from pol-luted sir by centrifugal force.

DDT: The first of the modern chlori-nated hydrocarbon insecticides whosechemical name is 1,1,1-tricholoro-2,2-bis (p-chloripheny1)-ethane, It has ahalf-life of 15 years, and its residuescan become concentrated in the fattytissues of certain organisms, especiallyfish. Because of its persistence in theenvironment and its ability to accu-mulate and magnify in the foodchain. EPA has banned the registra-tion and interstate sale of DDT fornearly all uses in the Vnitcd Stateseffective December 31, 1972.

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X olht ,11111 arcticment

decomposition: iteduction of netit

Sompositiou ol mallet he.4..11.1ns of .letotst.: or

wowed (:. t111.Ioorgatllsms

dermal tsicity: I he alsilit of .1 pesti..11; ,hem , to poison an animal ofhuman bt sk 4n absoi Non

rirsalinitationt salt toms% .11 from sea of

drsiccant: 1 .beni3,,it act nt that ma% be.wed to tetno.; 11`04,144te limn plants

inse..ts ...444.1ne them to v.011,1 anddie

detergent: mntlieti: %tashing ,gent that.I.ke soap. I.44e1 , the salt tension111 jet Otl and holdsi :t :11 I II\ I

` "I' .1 de I p:c bec.atscmost ,ont.1414 lot ei amounts 01 rho,01,411, OnLitniti 1.011)round. that,onti 41,44te. to Ow eittrophIcatton ofssatenv at s

diatomaceous earth (diatomite): A tinesiliceons material resembling chalk..4ed tr. w rite 't slier treatment plantsto tiller setage effluent ttl remove

11,q also he used as inactiveingredients in pesticide formulationsapplied dust or powder.

diffused a' : A type of sessage aeration.Air is pumped into the sewage througha perfotated pipe.

digester: in a waste water treatmentplant, a closed tank that decreasesthe volume of solids and stabilizesraw sludge by bacterial action.

digestion: The biochemical decompositionof organic mat:er. Digestion of sew-age sludge lakes place in tanks %%herethe sludge decomposes, resulting inpart;a1 gasification. liquefaction andmineralization of pollutants.

dilution ratio: The ratio of the volumeof water of a stream to the volumeof incoming waste. The capacity of atrearn to assimilate waste is partial-

ly dependent upon the dilution ratio.

disinfection: Efietive killing by chemicalor physical processes of all organisms

dry lioicstotr proves.

..1pa!,le 01 , 4t ne int.ctiotis disease( !do:111.414ln IN the ,lisime..non meth-oki ,ommonty employed in seuagettcatment pto,:esses

dispersant: 1 shemi,..! agent used tote.4k imp ,4lisenttatIons of organicni,itetiol leonine. oil spills. do,pet sato, ate nscd to dispose oil fromthe w,;t11 suitaee

ifissolseil osysten il)th: I he osgen ths-sok cd in ..suet tit sos age.4104nate.

di.soked oseen Is neoessary forthe life of fish and other aq.latiC01 e.1112,M and lot the prevention ofotlensie .,hits I 0.. 4,14,,01.ed tAy.gen con:entration genet.tily are duetO discharge of es:es...4\ e organicsolids hat me lit;:h HOD, the result ofinadequate ssaste Iteatment.

uissolsed !he total amount ofdissolved motetiol. organic and mor-pani.:. smtained in \s ate( Or wastes.

aid, mate wilt"unpalatable for drinking and unsuit-able 1'ir

distillation: The removal of impuritiesfrom liquids by boiling. The steam.:ondensed back toto liquid, is almostpure water; the' pollutants remain :nthe concentrated residue.

dose: in radiology. the quantity of en-ergy or radiation absorbed.

dosimeter tdostmetert: An in,trumentused to measure the amount of radi-ation a person has received.

dredging: A method for deepeningstreams. scamps t1T Uaters byscraping and rcniosing solids from thebottom. The resulting mud is usuallydeposited in marshes in a processcalled filling. Dredging and filling candisturb natural ecological cycles. Forexample. dredging Can destroy oysterbeds and other aquatic life; filling candestroy the feeding and breedinggrounds for many fish species.

dry limestone process: A method of con-trolling air pollution caused by sulfuroxides. The pOluted gases arc exposedto limestone which combines withoxides of sulfur to form manageableresidues.

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dump

dump: A land site c.here solid waste isdisposed of in a manner that doesnot protect the environment.

dust: Fine-grain particulate matter thatis capable of being suspended in air.

duetted! jar: An open-mouthed containerused to collect large particles that fallout of the air. The particles arc mea-sured end analyzed.

dystrophic lakes: Lakes between eutro-phic and swamp stages of aging. Suchlakes are shallow and have high hu-mus content, high organi.: matter con-tent, low nutrient availability andhigh ROD.

ecological impact: The total effect of anenvironmental change, either naturalor man-made, on the ecology of thearea

ecology: The interrelationships of livingthings to one another and to their en-vironment or the study of such inter-relationships.

econonde poisons: Those chemicals usedto control insects, rodents, plant dis-eases. weeds and other pests, and alsoto defoliate economic crops such ascotton.

ecospbere: See biosphere.

ecolyettan The interacting system of abiological community and its non-living environment.

effluents A discharge of pollutants intothe environment, partially or corn-pletely treated or in its natural state.Generally used in regard to dischargesinto waters.

ekchodialysis: A process that useselectrical current and an arrangement

8

of permeable membranes to separatesoluble minerals from water. Oftenused to d.sahnizc salt or brackishwater.

electrostatic precipitator: An air pollutioncontrol device that removes particulatematter by imparting an electricalcharge to particles in a gas stream formechanical collection on an electrode.

emergency episode: See air pollutionepisode.

emission: See effluent. (Generally usedin regard to discharges into air.)

emission factor: The average amount ofa pollutant emitted from each type ofpolluting scarce in relation to aspecific amount of material processed.For example, an emission factor fora blast furnace (used to make iron)would be it number of pounds of par-ticulates per ton of raw materials.

emission inventory: A list of air pollu-tants emitted into a community's at-mosphere, in amounts (usually tons)per day, by type of source. The emis-sion inventory is basic to the establish-ment of emission standards.

emission standard: The maximum amountof a pollutant legally permitted to bedischarged from a single source, eithermobile or stationary.

enrichment The addition of nitrogen,phosphorus and carbon compounds orother nutrients into a lake or otherwaterway that greatly increases thegrowth potential for AMC and otheraquatic plants. Most frequently. en-richment results from the inflow ofsewage effluent or from agriculturalrunoff.

environment The sum of all externalconditions and influences affecting thelife. development and, ultimately, thesurvival of an organism.

environmental impact sistalbenb A docu-ment prepared by a Federal agencyon the environmental impact of itsproposals for legislation and othermajor actions significantly affectingthe quality of the human environment.Environmental impact statements areused as tools for decision making andarc required by the National Environ-mental Policy Act.

epidemiology: The study of diseases asthey affect populations.

erosion: The wearing away 11 the landsurface by wind or water. Erosionoccurs naturally from weather or run-off bui is often intensified by man'sland-clearing practices.

estuaries: Areas where the fresh watermeets salt water. For example. bays.mouths of rivers, salt marshes andlagoons. Estuaries are delicate eco-systems; they serve as nurseries.spawning and feeding grounds for alarge group of marine life and provideshelter and food for birds and wildlife

eutrophication: The normally slow agingprocess by which a lake evolves intoa bog or marsh and ultimately as-sumes a completely terrestrial stateand disappears. During eutrophicationthe lake becomes so rich in nutritivecompounds. especially nitrogen andphosphorus. that algae and othermicroscopic plant life become super-abundant, thereby "choking" the lake,and causing it eventually to dry up.Eutrophication may be accelerated bymany human activities.

eutrophic lakes: Shallow lakes, weed-choked at the edges and very rich innutrients. The water is characterizedby large amounts of algae, low watertransparency, low dissolved oxygenand high BOD.

evaporation ponds: Shallow, artificialpond; where sewage sludge is pumped,permitted to dry and either removedor buried by more sludge.

fabric Ahem A device for removing dustand particulate matter from industrialemissions much like a home %acuum

flue gas

cleaner bag. The most common useof fabric filters is the baghouse.

fecal coliform bacteria: A group of orga-nisms common to the intstinal tractsof man and of animals. The presenceof fecal coliform bacteria in water isan indicator of pollution and of po-tentially dangerous bacterial contami-nation.

feedlot: A relatively small, confined landarea for raising cattle. Although aneconomical method of fattening beef.feedlots concentrate a large amountof animal wastes in a small area. Thisexcrement cannot be handled by thesoil as it could be if tht cattle weresc ttercd on open range. In addition,runoff from feedlots contributes ex-cessive quantities of nitrogen, phos-phorus and potassium to nearbywaterways, thus contributing to eutro-phication.

fen: A low-lying land area partly coveredby water.

filling: The process of depositing dirt andmud in marshy areas to create moreland for real estate development. Fill-ing can disturb natural ecologicalcycles. See dredging.

film badge: A piece of masked photo-graphic film worn like a badge bynuclear workers to monitor an expo-sure to radiation. Nuclear radiationdarkens the film.

filtration: In waste water treatment, themechanical process that removes par-ticulate matter by separating waterfrom solid material usually by passingit through sand.

floc: A clump of solid. formed in sewageby biological or chemical action.

flocculation: In west* water treatment.the process of separating suspendedsolids by chemical crt.ation of clumpsor flocs.

flownseter: In waste water treatment, ameter that indicates the rate at whichwaste water flows through the plant.

flue gam A mixture of gases resultingfrom combustion and emerging froma chimney. Flue gas includes nitrogen

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fluorides

omtte%, carbon oxides, water vaporand often sulfur oxides or particu-lates.

fluorides: Gaseous, solid or dissolvedcompounds containing fluorine.emitted into the air or water from anumber of industrial processes. Fluo-rides in the air are a cause of vege-tation damage and. indirec.:y, oflisestock damage.

flume:. channel, either natural of man-made, which carries ,eater.

fly ash: All solids. including ash, charredp iper. cinder., dust, soot or otherpartially incinerated matter, that arecattle.' in a gas stream.

fog: I iquid particles firmed by conden-sation of saporited

forging: '11-114: Arrlication of a pesticidebs heating the liquid chemi-cal. thus forming eery fine dropletswith the appearance of smoke. Fogging is often used to destroy mos-quitoes and blackflies.

food %lone: Animal and vegetable wasteresulting from the handling, storage.sale, preparation, cooking and servingof foods: commonly called garbage.

fossil fuels: Coal, oil and natural gas;so-called because they are derivedfrom the remains of ancient plantand animal life.

fume: Tiny solid particles commonlyformed by the condensation of vaporsof solid matter.

fumigant: A pesticide that is burned oresaporated to form a gas or vaporthat destroys pests. Fumigants areoften used in buildings or green-houses.

fungi: Siml, ::fien microscopic plantswithout illiorophyll. Sobs fungi in-fect and cause disease plants e'animals; other fungi are useful instabilizing sewage or in breakingdown wil.tes for compost.

fungicide: A pestici.le chemical that killsfungi or prevents them from causingdiseases, usually on plants of econom-ic importance. See pesticide.

10

game fish: Those species of fish soughtby sports fishermen; for example,salmon, trout, black bass, striped bass,etc. Game fish are usually more sen-sitive to environmental changes andwater qu..lity degradation thanrough" fish.

gamma ray: Waves of radiant nuclearenergy. CiArt1M3 rays are the mostpenetrating of the three types of radi-ation and are best stopped by densematerials such as lead.

garbage: Sec food waste.

garbage grinding: A method of grindingfood waste by a household disposal,for example, and washing it into thesewer system. Ground garbage thenmust be disposed of as sewage sludge

Geiger counter: An electrical device thatdetects the presence of radioactivity.

generator: A device that converts me-chanical energy into electrical energy.

germicide: A chemical or agent that killsmicroorganisms such as bacteria andprevent!: them from causing disease.Such compounds must he registeredas pesticides with EPA.

grain: A unit of weight equivalent to 65milligrams or 2/1.000 of an ounce.

grain loading: The rate of emission ofparticulate matter from a pollutingsource, Measurement is made ingrains of particulate matter per cubicfoot of gas emitted.

green belts: Certain aim restricted fromeing used for buildings and houses:they often serve as separating buffersbetween pollution sources and con-centrations of population.

greenhouse effect: The heating effect ofthe atmospherc upor the earth. Lightwaves from the sun pass through the

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:Ur and are absorbed by the earth.The earth then reradiates this energyas heat waves that are absorbed bythe air, specifically by carbon dioxide.The air thus behaves like glass in agrcenhuu e. allowing the passage oflight but not of heat. Thus manyscientists theorize that an increase inthe atmospheric concentration of CO,can eventually cause an increase inthe earth's surface temperature.

ground cover Grasses or other plantsgrown to keep soil from being blownor washed away,

groundwater: The supply of freshwaterunder the eztrth's -surface in an aqui-fer or soil that forms the naturalreservoir for man's use.

groundwater runoff: Groundwater that isdischarged into a stream channel asspring or seepage water.

habitat: The sum total of environmentalconditions of a specific place that isoccupied by an organism, a popula-tion or a community.

half-life: The time it takes certain mate-rials. such as persistent pesticides orradioactive isotopes, to lose half theirstrength. For example, the half-lifeof DDT is IS years; the half-life ofradium is 1,5110 years.

hammermill: A broad category of high-speed equipment that uses pivoted orfixed hammers or cutters to crush,grind, chip or shred solid wastes.

hard water: Water containing dissolvedminerals such as calcium. iron andmagnesium. The most notable char-acteristic of hard water is its inabilityto lather soap. Some pesticide chem-icals will curdle or set:!e out whenadded to hard water.

humus

hazardous air pollutant: According tolaw, a pe.tlutant to which no ambientair itratity standard is applicable andthat may cause or contribute to anincrease in mortality or in seriousillness. For example. asbestos, beryl-lium and mercury have been declaredhazatdous air pollutants.

heat island effect. An air circulationproblem peculiar to cities. Tall build-ings, heat from pavements and con-centrations of pollutants create a hazedome that prevents rising hot airfrom being cooled at its normal rate.A self-contained .:irculation system isput in motion that can he broken byrelatively strong winds. If such windsare absent, the heat island can traphigh concentrations of pollutants andpresent a serious health problem.

heating season: The coldest months ofthe year when pollution emissions arehigher in some areas because of in-creased fossil-fuel consumption.

heavy metals: Metallic elements withhigh molecular weights, generallytoxic in low concentrations to plantand animal life. Such metals are oftenresidual in the environment and ex-hibit biological accumulation. Ex-amples include -nercury. chromium.cadmium, arsenic and lead.

herbicide: A pesticide chemical used todestroy or control the growth ofweeds. bush and other undesirableplants. See pesticide.

herbivore: An organism that feeds onvegetation.

heterotrophic organism: Organisms de-pendent on organic matter for food.

high density polyethylene: A materialoften used in the manufacture of plas-tic bottles that produces toxic fumesif incinerated.

hi-volume sampler: A device used in themeasurement and analysis of sus-pended particulate pollution. Alsocalled a Hi-Vol.

hot: A colloquial term meaning highlyradioactive.

humus: Decomposed organic material.

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hydrocarbons

hydrocarbons: A vast family of com-pounds containing carbon and hydro-gen in various combinations, foundespecially in fossil fuels. Some hydro-carbons are major air pollutants,some may he carcinogenic and otherscontribute to photochemical smog.

hydrogen subide (MS): A malodorousgas made up of hydrogen and sulfurwith the characteristic odor of rotteneggs. It is emitted in the natural de-composition of organic matter and isalso the natural accompaniment ofadvanced stages of eutrophication.142..% is also a byproduct of refineryactivity and the combustion of oilduring power plant operations. Inheavy concentrations, it can causeillness.

hydrology: The science dealing with theproperties. distribution and circulationof water and snow.

impedance: The rate at which a sub-stance can absorb and transmit sound.

implementation plan: A document of thesteps to be taken to ensure attainmentof environmental quality standardswithin a specified time period. Imple-mentation plans are required by vari-ous laws.

Impoundment: A body of water, such asa pond, confined by a dam, dike,floodgate or other barrier.

Incineration: The controlled process bywhich solid, liquid or gaseous com-bustible wastes are burned andchanted into gases: the residue pro-duce:A contains little or no consbus-tible material.

Incinerator: An engineered apparatusused to burn waste substances and in

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which all the combustion factorstemperature, retention time, turbu-lence and combustion aircan becontrolled.

inert gas: A gas that does not react withother subs:ances under ordinary con-ditions.

inertial separator An air pollution con-trol device that uses the principle ofinertia to remove particulate matterfrom a stream of air or gas.

Infiltration: The flow of a fluid into asubstance through pores or smallopenings. Commonly used in hydrol-ogy to denote the flow of water intosoil material.

inoculum: Material such as bacteriaplaced in compost or other mediumto initiate biological action,

integrated pest control: A syste. of man-aging pests by using biological, cul-tural and chemical means.

interceptor sewers: Sewers used to collectthe flows from ma n and trunk nullsand carry them to a central point fortreatment and discharge. In a com-bined sewer syst, m, where street run-off from rains it allowed to enter thesystem along wi h sewage. interceptorsewers allow some of the sewage toflow untreated directly into the receiv-ing stream, to prevent the plant frombeing overloaded.

interstate carrier water supply: A watersupply whose water may be used fordrinking or cooking purposes aboardcommon carriers (planes, trains, busesand ships) operating interstate. Inter-state carrier water supplies are regu-lated by the Federal government.

interstate waters: According to law,waters defined as: (1) rivers, lakes andother waters that flow across orform a part of State or internationalboundaries; (2) waters of the GreatLakes; (3) coastal waters whosescope has been defined to includeocean waters seaward to the territoriallimits and waters along the coast-line (including inland streams) in-fluenced by the tide.

inversions An atmospheric condition

where a layer of cool air is trappedby a layer of warm air so that itcannot rise. Inversions spread pol-luted air horizontally rather than ver-tically so that contaminating sub-stances cannot be widely dispersed.An inversion of several days cancause an air pollution episode.

ionization chamber: A device roughlysimilar to a Geiger counter that re-yeah the presence of ionizing radia-tion.

Isotope: A variation of an element havingthe same atomic number as the ele-ment itself, but having a differentatomic weight bcause of a differentnumber of neutrons. Different iso-topes of the same element have dif-ferent radioactive behavior.

methane

or are dissolved and carried away bywater.

lead: A heavy metal that may be haz-ardous to human health if breathedor ingested.

life cycle: The phases, changes or stagesan organism passes through duringits lifetime.

lift: in a sanitary landfill, a compactedlayer of solid waste and the top layerof cover material.

linmoloo: The study of the physical,chemical, meteorological and biologi-cal aspects of fresh waters.

lagoon: In waste water treatment, a shal-low pond usually man-made wheresunlight, bacterial action and oxygeninteract to restore waste water to areasonable state of purity.

lateral sewers: Pipes running underneathcity streets that collect sewage fromhomes or businesses.

LC": Median lethal concentration, astandard measure of toxicity. LC"indicates the concentration .of a sub-stance that will kill 30 percent of agroup of experimental insects or ani-mals.

leachates Liquid that has percolatedthrough solid waste or other mediumsand has extracted dissolved or sus-pended materials from it.

leaching: Tice process by which solublematerials in the soil, such as nutrients,pesticide chemicals or contaminants,are washed into a lower layer of soil

marsh: A low-lying tract of soft, wetland that provides an important eco-system for a variety of plant andanimal life but often is destroyed bydredging and filling.

masking: Covering over of one sound orelement by another. Quantitatively,masking is the amount the audibilitythreshold of one sound is raised bythe presence of a second maskingsound. Also used in regard to odors.

Meellalliali turbulence: The erratic move-ment of air caused by local obstruc-tions such as buildings.

mercury: A heavy metal, highly toxic ifbreathed or ingested. Mercury is re-sidual in the environment, showingbiological accumulation in all aquaticorganisms, especially fish and shellfish. Chronic exposure to airbornemercury can have serious effects onthe central nervous system.

methane: Colorless, nonpoisonous andflammable gaseous hydrocarbon. Meth-ane. (CAA is emitted by marshes andby dumps undergoing anaerobic de-composition.

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mgd

mgd: Millions of gallons per day. Mgdis commonly used to express rate offlow.

microbes: Minute plant or animal life.some disease-eausing microbes existit. sewage.

mist: liquid particles in air formed bycondensation of vaporized liquids.Mist particles vary from SOO to 40microns in size. i3y comparison, fogparticles are smalle,. than 40 micronsin size.

mixed liquor: A miure of activatedsludge and water containing organicmatter undergoing activated sludgetreatment in the aeration tank.

mobile source: A mc.vine source of airpollution such as an automobile.

monitoring: Periodic or continuous deter-mination of the amount of pollutantsor radioactise contamination presentin the environment.

muck soils: Soils made from decayingplant materials.

mulch: A layer of wood chips, dryleaves, straw, hay, plastic strips orother material placed on the soilaround plants to retain moisture, toprevent weeds from growing and toenrich soil.

natural gat! A fuel gas occurring nat-urally in certain geologic formation.Natural gas is usually a combustiblemixture of methane and hydro-carbons.

natural selection: The natural process bywhich the organisms best adapted totheir environment survive and thoseless well adapted are eliminated.

necrosis: Death of plant cells resulting

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in a discoloi zd, sunken area or deathof the entire plant.

nitric oxide (NO): A gas formed in greatpart from atmospheric nitrogen andoxygen when combustion takes placeLinder high temperature acid high pres-sure. as in internal cot ibustion en-gines. NO is not itself pollutant;however, in the ambient air, it con-verts to nitrogen dioxide, a majorcontributor to photochemical smog.

nitrogen dioxide (NOR): A compoundproduced by the oxidation of nitricoxide in the atmosphere; a majorcontributor to photochemical smog.

nitrogenous wastes: Wastes of animal orplant origin that contain a significantconcentration of nitrogen.

NO: A notation meaning oxides of nitro-ge 1. See nitric oxide.

noise: Any undesired audible signal.Thus. in acoustics, noise is any un-desired sound.

NIA: Nitrilotriacetic acid, a compoundonce used to replace phosphates indetergents.

nuclear power plant: Any device, ma-chine or assembly that converts nu-clear energy into some form of usefulpower, such as mechanical or elec-trical power. In a nuclear electricpower plant, heat produced by areactor is generally used to makesteam to drive a turbine that in turndrives an electric generator.

nutrients: Elements or compounds essen-tial as raw materials for organismgrowth and development; for example,carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phos-phorus.

oil spill: The accidental discharge of oilinto oceans, bays or inland water-

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ways. Methods of oil spill controlinclude chemical dispersion, combus-tion, mechanical containment andabsorption.

oligotrophic lakes: 'Deep lakes that havea low supply of nutrients and thuscontain little .:rranic matter. Suchlakes are charalzrized by high watertransparency and high dissolvedoxygen.

opacity: Degree of obscuration of light.For example, a window has zeroopacity; a wall is IOU percent opaque.The Ringelmann system of evaluatingsmoke density is based on opacity.

open burning: Uncontrolled burning ofwastes in an open dump,

open dump: See dump.

organic: Referring to or derived fromliving organisms. In chemistry, anycompound containing carbon.

organism: Any living human, plant oranimal.

organophosphates: A group of pesticidechemicals containing phosphorus, suchas malathion and parathion, intendedto control insects. These compoundsare short-lived and, therefore, do notnormally contaminate the environ-ment. However, some organophos-phates, such as parathion, are ex-tremely toxic when initially appliedand exposure to them can interferewith the normal processes of the ner-vous system, causing convulsions andeventually death. Maiathion, on theother hand, is low in toxicity andrelatively safe for humans and ani-mals; it is a common ingredient inhousehold insecticide products.

mesa The mouth of a sewer, drain orconduit where an effluent is dis-charged into the receiving waters.

overfire sin Air forced into the top ofan incinerator to fan the flame.

oxidants Any oxygen containing substancethat reacts chemically in the air toproduce new substances. Oxidants arethe primary contributors to photo-chemical smog.

oxidation: A chemical reaction in which

PCB's

oxygen unites or combines with otherelements. Organic matter is oxidizedby the action of aerobic bacteria; thusoxidation is used in waste water treat-ment to break down organic wastes.

oxidation pond: A man-made lake orpond in which organic wastes arcreduced by bacterial action. Oftenoxygen is bubbled through the pondto speed the process.

ozone Mar A pungent, colorless, toxicgas. Ozone is one component ofphotochemical smog and is consid-ered a major air pollutant.

package plant: A prefabricated or pre-built waste water treatment plant.

packed tower: An air pollution controldevice in which polluted air is forcedupward through a tower packed withcrushed rock or wood chips while aliquid is sprayed downward on thepacking material. The pollutants inthe air stream either dissolve or chem-ically react with the liquid.

PAN: Peroxyacetyl nitrate, a pollutantcreated by the action of sunlight onhydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides inthe air. PANS are an integral part ofphotochemical smog.

particulates: Finely divided solid orliquid particles in the air or in anemission. Particulates include dust,smoke, fumes, mist, spray and fog.

particulate loading: The introductionof particulates ;nto the ambient air.

pathogenic: Causing or capable of caus-ing disease.

PCBs: Polychlorinated b'phenyls, a groupof organic compounds used themanufacture of plastics. In the en-

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peat

vironment. PCBs exhibit many of thesame characteristics as DDT and may,therefore. he confused with that pesti-cide. PCBs ,ire highly toxic to aquaticlite. they persist in the environmentfor long periods of time, and they arebiologically accumulative.

peat: Partially decomposed organic mate-rial.

percolation: Downward flow or infiltra-tion of water through the pores orspaces of a rock or soil.

persistent pesticides: Pesticides that willhe present in the environment forlonger than one grossing season orone year after application.

pesticide: An agent used to control pests.This includes insecticides for useagainst harmful insects; herbicides forweed control: fungicides for controlof plant diseases; rodenti.:ides forkilling rats. mice, etc.: and germicidesused in disinfectant products, algae-cides. sumicides, etc. Some pesticidescan contaminate water, air or soil andaccumulate in man, animals and theenvironment, particularly if they aremisused. Certain of these chemicalshave been shown to interfere withthe reproductive processes of preda-tory birds and possibly other animals.

pesticide tolerance: A scientifically andestablished limit for the

amount of chemical residue that canbe permitted to remain in or on aharvested food or feed crop as aresult of the application of a chemi-cal for pest-control purposes. Suchtolerances or safety levels, establishedfederally by EPA, are set well belowthe point at which residues might beharmful to consumers.

pH: A measure of the acidity or alka-linity of a material, liquid or solid.pH is represented on a scale of 0 to14 with 7 representing a neutralstate. '1 representing the most acidand 14, the most alkaline.

phenols: A group of organic compoundsthat in very low concentrations pro-duce a taste and odor problem inwater. In higher concentrations, theyare toxic to aquatic life. Phenols are

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hyptoducts of petroleum refining,tanning and textile, dye and resinmanufacture.

phosphorus: An element that while essen-tial to life, contributes to elie eutro-pheation of lakes and other bodiesof water.

photochemical oxidants: Secondary pol-lu:ants formed by the action of sun-light on the oxides of nitrogen andhydrocarbons in the air: they are theprimary contributors to photochemi-cal smog.

photochemical smolt: Air pollution as-sociated with oxidants rather thanwith sulfur oxides, particulates, etc.Produces necrosis, chlorosis andgrowth alterations in plants and isan eye and respiratory irritant inhumans.

phytoplankton: The plant portion ofplankton.

phytotoxic: Injurious to plants.

pig: A container usually made of leadused to ship or store radioactivematerials.

pile: A nuclear reactor.

plankton: The floating or weakly swim-ming plant and animal life in a bodyof water, often microscopic in size.

plume: The visible emission from a flueor chimney.

point soure: In air pollution, a stationarysource of a large individual emission,generally of an industrial nature. Thisis a general definition; point source islegally and precisely defined in Fed-eral regulations. See area source.

pollen: A fine dust produced by plants;a ratural or background air pollutant.

pollutant: Any introduced gas, liquid orsolid that makes a resource unlit fora specific purpose.

pollution: The presence of matter oror energy whose nature. (..)cation orquantity produces undesired environ-mental effects.

polyelectrobtes: Synthetic chemicals usedto speed flocculation of solids insewage.

potable water: Water suitable for drink-ing or cooking purposes from bothhealth and aesthetic considerations.

ppm: Parts per million. The unit com-nion4 used to represent the degree ofpollutant concentration w here theconcentrations ate small. Larger con-centrations arc gisen in percentages.Thus BOD is represented in ppmwhile suspended solids in water areexpressed in percentages. In air. ppmis usually a solume volume ratio: inwater, a weight volume ratio.

preeipitateA solid that separates froma solution because of some chemicalor physical change or the formationof such a solid.

precipitators: In pollution control work.any of a number of air pollution con-trol desices asualb using mechanical.'electrical means to collect particulatesfrom an emission.

pretreatment: In waste water treatment,any process used to reduce pollutionload before the waste water is intro-duced into a main sewer system ordelivered to a treatment plant forsubstantial reduction of the pollutionload.

primary treatment: The first stage mwaste water treatment in which sub-stantially all floating or settleablesolids are mechanically removed byscreening and sedimentation.

process weight: The total weight of allmaterials, including fuels, introducedinto a manufacturing process Theprocess weight is used to calculatethe allowable rate of emission ofpollutant matter from the process.

pulverization: The crushing or grindingof material into small pieces.

pumping station: A station at whichsewage is pumped to a higher level.In most sewer systems pumping isunnecessary; waste water flows bygravity to the treatment plant.

putresclble: Capable of being decom-posed by microorganisms with suffi-cient rapidity to cause nuisances fromodors, gases, etc. For example, kitchenwastes or dead animals.

raw sewage

quench tank: A water-filled tank usedto cool incinerator residues.

rad: A unit of measurement of any kindof radiation absorbed by man.

radiation: The emission of fast atomicparticles or rays by the nucleus ofan atom. Some elements are naturallyradioactive while others become radio-active after bombardment with neu-trons or other particles. The threemajor forms of radiation are alpha,beta and gamma.

radiation standards: Regulations that in-clude exposure standards, permissibleconcentrations and regulations fortransportation.

eadlobiology: The study of the principles.mechanisms and effects of radiationon living matter.

radloecology: The study of the effects ofradiation on species of plants andanimals in natural communities.

radlobotopest Radioactive isotopes. Ra-dioisotopes such as cobalt-60 are usedin the treatment of disease.

rasp: A device used to grate solid wasteinto a more manageable material,ridding it of much of its odor.

raw sewage: Untreated domestic or com-mercial waste water.

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remising wafers

remising waters; Resets. lakes, oceans orother bodies that receive treated oruntreated waste waters_

recycling; the process by which wastematerials at. tiansformed into newproducts in such a manner that theoriginal products may lose theiridentity.

red tide: A proliferation or bloom of acertain tspe of plankton with red-to-°lance coloration, that often causesriasso.e fish kills. though they are anatural phenomenon. blooms are he-lloed to he stimulated bs phosphorusand other minients discharged into%%mem ass 1..s man.

refuse: see solid UMW.

refuse rechunatirm: the process ot con-sertine solid waste to saleable prod-mt., 1 or C samph . the composting of01,..41%; solid waste Melds saleable

conditioner.

rem: A measurement of radiation doseto the internal tissues of man.

rep: A unit of measurement of any kindof radiation absorbed by man.

reservoir: A pond. lake, tank or basin,natural or man-mde, used for thestorage, regulation and control ofwater.

resource recovery: The process of obtain-ing materials or energy, particularlyfrom solid waste.

reverberation; The persistence of soundin an enclosed space after the soundsource has stopped.

Ringelmann chart: A series of illustra-tions ranging from light grey to blackused to measure the opacity of smokeemitted from stacks and other sources.The shades of grey simulate varioussmoke densities and are assigned num-bers ranging from one to five. Ringel-mann No. I is equivalent to 20 per-cent dense: No. 5 is 100 percentdense. Ringelmann charts are used inthe setting and enforcement of emis-sion standards.

riparian rights: Rights of a land ownerto the water on or bordering his prop-erty, including the right to preventdiversion or misuse of upstream water.

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riser basin: the total area drained bya riser and its tributaries.

rodentivide: A chemical or agent used todestroy or Present damage h> rats orother rodent pests. See pesticide.

rough fish: those fish species consideredto be of poor fighting quality whentaken on tackle or of poor eatingquality ; for esample, gar, suckers,etc \lost rough fish are more tolerantof widely changing environmentalconditions than are game fish.

rubbish: A general term for solid wasteescluding food waste and a-hes

taken twin residences. commercial es-tablishments and institutions.

nmoff; the portion of rainfall, meltedsnow or irrigation water that flowsacross ground surface and eventuallyis returned to streams. Runoff canpick up pollutants twin the air orthe land and carry them to the re-imsing waters,

salinity: The degree of salt in .eater.

salt water intrusion: The invasion of saltwater into a body of fresh water, oc-curring in either surface or ground-water bodies. When this invasion iscaused by oceanic writers, it is calledsea water intrusion.

salvage: The utilization of waste mate-rials.

sanitation: The control of all the factorsin man's physical environment thatexercise or can exercise a deleteriouseffect on his physical development,health and survival.

sanitary landfill: A site for solid wastedisposal using sanitary landfillingtechniques.

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sanitary landlilling: An ergiheeted Meth-od of solid waste disposal on land ina Matt let that protects the ens tron-ment. \%. stSic is spread in thin layers.sompa...ted to the smallest practicalolutiie and coe:c.1 with soil at theend of each working day.

sanitary sewers: Sewers that catty onlydomestic or commercial sewage.storm water runoff carried in aseparate system see sewer.

scrap: I);scatdekt or rejected materialsthat result from manufacturing orlabricatine operations and are suit-able for teriocessing

screening: the teniosal of relativelycoats; floatine and suspended solidsby -atonal:: throo,:h tacks or screens,

senthher: \n air pollution control devicethat uses .t li u.l spra to teMOVeplants Dom a ;,as stream by. ah-sorption or reaction. !scrub-bers also reshice the temperature c.fthe emission

secondary treatment: Waste water treat-ment, beyond the primary stage. inwhich bacteria Consume the organit.parts of the wastes. Ihis biochemicalaction is accomplished by use oftrickling filters or the a,:ivated sludgeprocess, l'fiectoe seconklaty treatmentremoves yirtually all floating and set-tleable solids and approximately 90percent of both ROD. and suspendedsolids Customarily. disinfection bychlorination is the final stage of thesecondary treatment process.

sedimentation: In w a to Water treatment,the settling out of solids by gravity.

sedimentation tanks: In waste water treat-meat, tanks where the solids are al-lowed to settle or to float as scum.scum is skimmed off: settled solidsare pumped to incinerators, digesters.filters or other means of disposal.

seepage: Watcr that flows through the

selective herbicide: A pesticide intendedto kill only certain types of plants,especially broad-leafed weeds, and notharm other plants such as farm cropsor lawn grasses. 'the leading herbicidein the United States is 2.4-D. A re-

sewerage

hoed but stronger chemical used most-ly for blush control on range, pas-ture. and forest lands and on utilityor highway rights-of-way is 2,4.S -T.l'Ne. of the latter chemical have beensomewhat restricted because of labora-tory es idence that it or a dioxin con-taminant in .",..-3.!t-T can cause birthdefects in test animals

senescence: The process of growing old.sometimes used to refer to lakes near-ing extinction,

septic tank: An underground tank usedfor the deposition of domestic wastes.Ilactelia in the wastes decompose theorganic MAW, and the shILIZe settlesto the bottom. The effluent flowsthrough drains into the ground. Sludgeis pumped out at regular intervals.

settleable solids: Hits of debris and fineroarer beaky enough to settle out ofwaste eater.

settling chamber: In air pollution control,a low-cost desire used to reduce theveloeity of flue gases usually by meansof baffles, promoting the settling offly' ash.

willing tank: In waste water treatment, atank or basin in which settleablesolids are removed by gravity.

sewage: The total of organic waste andwaste water generated by residentialand commercial establishments.

sewage lagoon: See lagoon.

sewer: Any pipe or conduit used to col-lect and carry away sewage of storm-water runoff from the generatingsource to treatment plants or receiv-ing streams. A sewer that conveyshousehold and commercial sewage iscalled a sanitary sewer. If it trans-ports runoff from rain or snow. it isvaned a storm sewer. Often stormwater runoff and sewage are trans-ported in the same system or com-bined sewers.

sewerage: The entire system of sewagecollection, treatment and disposal.Also applies to all effluent carried bysewers whether it i. sanitary sewage,industrial wastes or storm water run-off.

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shield

shield: A w all that protects workers fromharmful radiation released by radio-active materials

silt: Finely divided particles of sod orrock. Often carried in cloudy suspen-sion in water and eventually depositedas sediment.

sinking: A method of controlling oil spillsthat employs an agent to entrap oildroplets and sink them to the bottomof the body of water. The oil andsinking agent are eventually biologi-cally degraded.

skimming: The mechanical removal ofoil or scum from ,he ..u:rce ofwater,

sludge: The construction of solids re-moved from sewage during wastewater treatment Sludge disposal isthen handled 11 incineration, dump-ing or burial.

smog: Generally used as an equivalent ofair pollution, particularly associatedwith oxidants.

smoke: Solid particles generated as a re-suit of the incomplete combustion ofmaterials containing carbon.

SIN: A symbol meaning oxides of sulfur.

soft detergents: Biodegradable detergents.

soil conditioner: A biologically stable or-ganic material such as humus or com-post that makes soil more amenableto the passage of water and to thedistribution of fertilizing material, pro-viding a better medium for necessarysoil bacteria growth.

solid waste: Useless, unwanted or dis-carded material with insufficient liquidcontent to be free flowing. Also seewaste. ( 1) agriculturalsolid wastethat results from the raising andslaughtering of animals, and theprocessing of animal products and or-chard and field crops. (2) commercialwaste generated by stores, officesand other activities that do not ac-tually turn out a product. (3) indus-trialwaste that results from indus-trial processes and manufacturing.(4) institutional waste originatingfrom educational, !Rahn care and re-search facilities. (5) munieipalresi-

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dential and commercial solid wastegenerated within a community. (6)pesticidethe residue from the manu-facturing, handling or use of chemi-cals intended for killing plant andanimal pests. (7) residentialwastethat normally originates in a residen-tial environment. Sometimes called do-mesti.: solid waste.

solid waste disposal: The ultimate dispo-sition of refuse that cannot be sal-vaged or recycled.

solid waste management: The purposeful,systematic control of the generation,storage. collection, transport, separa-tion, processing, recycling, recoveryand disposal of solid wastes.

sonic boom: The tremendous boomingsound produced as a vehicle, usually asupersonic jet airplane. exceeds thespeed of sound, and the shock wavereaches the ground.

soot: Agglomerations of tat-impregnatedcarbon particles that form whencarbonaceous-material does not under-go complete combustion.

sorption: A term including both adsorb-lion and absorption. Sorption is basicto many processes used to removegaseous and particulate pollutantsfrom an emission and to clean *ip oilspills.

spoil: Dirt or rock that has been removedfrom its original location. specificallymaterials that have been dredged fromthe bottoms of waterways.

stabilization: The process of convertingactive organic matter in sewagesludge or solid wastes into inert,harmless material.

stabilization ponds: See lagoon, oxidationpond.

stable air: An air mass that remains inthe same position rather than movingin its normal horizontal and verticaldirections. Stable air does not dispersepollutants and can lead to high build-ups of air pollution.

stark: A smokestack: a vertical pipe orflue designed to exhaust gases andsuspended particulate matter.

stack effect: The ipv.ard movement ofhot gases in a sta:k due to the tem-perature difference between the gasesand the atmosphere.

stagnation: I ack of wind in an air massor lack of motion in water. Bothcases tend to entrap and concentratepollutants.

stationary source: A pollution emitterthat is fixed rather than moving asan aut....mobile.

storm sewer: A conduit that collects andtransports ra'n ar.d snow runoff backto the ground water. in a separateaverage sy stern. storm sewers areentirely separate from those carryingdomestic and commercial waste water.

stratification: Separating into layers.

strip mining: A process in which rock andtop soil strata oserlying ore or fueldeposits are scraped away by me-chanical shovels. Also known as sur-f act mining.

sulfur dioxide (SO2) A heavy, pungent,colorless gas formed primarily by thecombustion of fossil fuels. SO, dam-ages the respiratory tract as well asvegetation and materials and is con-sidered a major air pollutant.

sump: A depression or tank that servesas a drain or receptacle for liquids forsalvage or disposal.

surfactant: An agent used in detergentsto cause lathering. C. mposed of sev-eral phosphate compounds, surfactantsare a source Jf external enrichmentthought to laved the eutrophicationof our lakes.

surrelilaises system: A monitoring systemto d'termine environmental quality.Surveillance systems should be estab-lished to monitor all aspects of prog-ress toward attainment of environ-mental standards and to identify po-tential episodes of high pollutantconcentrations in time to take pre-ventive action.

suspended solids OM: Small particles ofsolid pollutants in sewage that con-tribute to turbidity and that resistseparation by conventional means.The examination of suspended solids

tolerance

and the BOD test constitute the twomain determinations for water qual-ity performed at s aste water treat-ment facilities

synergism: The cooperative action of sep-arate substances so that the totaleffect is g.: eater than the sum of theeffects of the substances acting inde-pendently.

systemic pesticide: A pesticide chemicalthat is carried to other parts of aplant or animal after it is injected ortaken up from the soil or body sur-face.

T

tailings: Second grade or waste materialderived when raw material is screenedor processed.

tertiary treatment: Waste water treatmentbeyond the secondary, or biologicalstage that includes removal of nutri-ents such as phosphorus and nitrogen,and a high percentage of suspendedsolids. Tertiary treatment, also knownas advanced waste treatment, pro-duces a high quality effluent.

thermal pollution: Degradation of waterquality by the introduction of aheated effluent. Primarily a result ofthe discharge of cooling waters fromindustrial processes, particularly fromelectrical power generation. Evensmall deviations from normal watertemperatures can affect aquatic life.Thermal pollution usually can becontrolled by cooling towers.

threshold dose: The minimum dose of agiven substance necessary to producea measurable physiological or psy-chological effect.

tolerances The relative capability of anorganism to endure an unfavorableenvironmental factor. The amount of

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topography

a chemical consideied sal. on anyfood to be eaten by man v.,- animals.Also see pesticid%s tolerance_

topography: The configuration of a sur-face area includne us rtliet, or rela-tise domains. and the position of itsnatural and man-made feature

toxicant: A substance that kills or injuresan organism through its chemical orphysical ;action or by altering its en-vironment; for example. cyanides.phenols. pesucide% or heavy metals.Especially used for inset control.

toxicity: The quality or degree of beingpoisonous or harmful to plant oranimal life.

trickling filter: A device for the biologi-cal or secondary treatment of 'castewater consisting of a bed of rocks orstones that support bacterial growth.Sewage is trickled user the bed en-

the bacteria to break downorganic wastes.

troposphere: The layer of the atmosphereextending seven to ten miles. abovethe earth. Vital to life on earth, itcontains clouds and moisture thatreach earth as rain or snow.

tiabidinteter: A device used to measurethe amount of suspended solids in aliquid.

turbidity: A thick, hazy condition of airdue to the presence of particulates orother pollutants, or the similar cloudycondition in water due to the suspen-sion r 1 silt or finely divided organicmatter.

urban runoff: Storm water from citystreets and gutters that usually con-tains a great deal of litter and organicand bacterial wastes.

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vapor: The gaseous phase of substancesthat normally are either liquids orsolids at atmospheric temperature andpressure; for example. steam and phe-nolic compounds.

vapor plume: Thr stack diluent consist-ing of flue gas made visible by con-densed water droplets or mist.

vaporization: The change of a substancefrom the liquid to the gaseous state.One of three basic contributing fac-tors to air pollution, the others areattrition and combustion.

variance: Sanction granted by a govern-mg body for delay or exception inthe application of a given law, ordi-nance or regulation.

vector: Disease vector --a carrier, usuallyan arthropod, that is capable of trans-muting a pathogen from one orga-nism to another,

volatile: Evaporating readily at a rela-tively low temperature.

waste: Also see solid waste. (I) bulkywasteitems whose large size pre-cludes or complicates their handlingby normal collection, processing ordisposal methods. (2) constructionand demolition wastebuilding ma-terials and rubble resulting from con-struction. remodeling. repair anddemolition operations. (3) hazardous

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waste wastes that tet:tilichandling to .toad illness or injur) topersons or damage to property.141 spectal waste -those wastes thatrequire extraordinary management

nool pulp ask. 1,110d orpaper fiber residue resulting from amanufacturing process. (6) Nat,'waste- plant clippings. pruning. andother discarded material from Nark!,and gardens Also known as %a:-tirubbish.

waste water: Water caming wastes fromhome.. businesses and industries thatis a mixture of water dis.okedor suspended solid.,

water pollution: The nt of sess-age,industrial wastes or other harmful orobjectionable material to water inconcentration, or in sufficient quan-illle% to result in measurable degrada-tion of water quality.

water quality criteria: The levels of pol-lutants that affect the suitability ofwater for a given use. Generally,water use classification includes: pub-lic water supply; recreation: propaga-tion of fish and other aquatic life:agricultural use and industrial use.

water quality standard: A plan for waterquality management containing fourmajor elements: the use (recreation,

zooplanton

drinking water, fish and wildlife prop-agation, industrial or agricultural) tobe made of the water: criteria toprotect those uses: implementationplans ifor needed industrial-municipal%taste treatment impro.ements) andenforcement plans, and an anti-degradation statemi.nt to protect existinghigh quality watzrs,

watershed: The area drained by a givenstream,

water supply system: The system for thecollection, treatment. storage and dis-tribution of potable eater from thesources of supply to the consumer.

water table: The upper level of groundwater.

zooplankton: Planktonic animals thatsupply food for fish.