Chapter 31 Properties and Effects Flashcards
A material with a pH value less than 7.
Acid
“Right now” exposures that produce observable signs such as eye irritation, coughing, dizziness, and skin burns.
Acute exposure
Health problems caused by relatively short exposure periods to a harmful substance that produces observable conditions such as eye irritation, coughing, dizziness, and skin burns.
Acute health effects
Positively charged particles emitted by certain radioactive materials, identical to the nucleus of a helium atom.
Alpha particles
A material with a pH value greater than 7.
Base
Elementary particles, emitted from a nucleus during radioactive decay, with a single electrical charge and a mass equal to that of a proton.
Beta particles
Boiling liquid/expanding vapor explosion; an explosion that occurs when pressurized liquefied materials (e.g., propane or butane) inside a closed vessel are exposed to a source of high heat.
BLEVE
The temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the surrounding atmospheric pressure.
Boiling point
Measurable characteristics of a chemical, such as its vapor density, flammability, corrosivity, and water reactivity.
Chemical and physical properties
Any chemical change or chemical degradation, occurring inside or outside a containment vessel.
Chemical reaction
The ability of a chemical to undergo an alteration in its chemical make-up, usually accompanied by a release of some form of energy.
Chemical reactivity
An adverse health effect occurring after a long-term exposure to a substance.
Chronic health hazard
A material that, in the form in which it is used and under the conditions anticipated, will ignite and burn; a material that does not meet the definition of noncombustible or limited-combustible.
Combustibles
The process of transferring a hazardous material, or the hazardous component of a weapon of mass destruction (WMD), from its source to people, animals, the environment, or equipment, which can act as a carrier.
Contamination
The ability of a material to cause damage (on contact) to skin, eyes, or other parts of the body.
Corrosivity
A description of the volume increase that occurs when a liquid changes to a gas.
Expansion ratio
The process by which people, animals, the environment, property, and equipment are subjected to or come in contact with a hazardous material/weapon of mass destruction (WMD). (NFPA 1072)
Exposure
The lowest temperature at which a liquid will ignite and achieve sustained burning when exposed to a test flame in accordance with ASTM D 92, Standard Test Method for Flash and Fire Points by Cleveland Open Cup Tester. (NFPA 1)
Fire point
Capable of sustaining a chain reaction using neutrons at any level.
Fissile
The range of concentrations between the lower and upper flammable limits.
Flammable range (explosive limit)
The minimum temperature at which a liquid or a solid emits vapor sufficient to form an ignitable mixture with air near the surface of the liquid or the solid. (NFPA 115)
Flash point
High-energy short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation.
Gamma radiation
Capable of causing harm or posing an unreasonable risk to life, health, property, or environment.
Hazard
Minimum temperature a substance should attain in order to ignite under specific test conditions.
Ignition temperature
Radiation of sufficient energy to alter the atomic structure of materials or cells with which it interacts, including electromagnetic radiation such as x-rays, gamma rays, and microwaves and particulate radiation such as alpha and beta particles.
Ionizing radiation
Substances (such as mace) that can be dispersed to briefly incapacitate a person or groups of people. _________ cause pain and a burning sensation to exposed skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Irritants
The concentration of a material in air that, based on laboratory tests (inhalation route), is expected to kill a specified number of the group of test animals when administered over a specified period of time.
Lethal concentration (LC)
A single dose that causes the death of a specialized number of the group of test animals exposed by any route other than inhalation.
Lethal dose (LD)
The minimum concentration of combustible vapor or combustible gas in a mixture of the vapor or gas and gaseous oxidant above which propagation of flame will occur on contact with an ignition source. (NFPA 115)
Lower explosive limit (LEL)
Penetrating particles found in the nucleus of the atom that are removed through nuclear fusion or fission. Although neutrons are not radioactive, exposure to them can create radiation.
Neutrons
Electromagnetic waves capable of causing a disturbance of activity at the atomic level but that do not have sufficient energy to break bonds and create ions.
Non-ionizing radiation
An expression of the amount of dissolved hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution.
pH
A transformation in which a material changes its state of matter—for instance, from a liquid to a solid.
Physical change
The process of reacting monomers together in a chain reaction to form polymers.
Polymerization
Fluid build-up in the lungs.
Pulmonary edema
The combined process of emission, transmission, and absorption of energy traveling by electromagnetic wave propagation (e.g., infrared radiation) between a region of higher temperature and a region of lower temperature.
Radiation
