Definitions Flashcards
Pollution
the introduction by man into the environment of substances or energy liable to cause hazard to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to structure or amenity or interference with legitimate use of the environment
anthropogenic
pollution arising from human activities
biogenic
pollution from natural origins- such as animals or plants
wildfire
uncontrolled fire in an area of combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside area
quasi-natural hazards
hazards that are caused by anthropogenic activities as well as being natural features.
such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and tropical storms.
relative humidity
ratio of actual to saturated vapour pressure, often expressed as a percentage
mixing ratio in atmospheric chemistry
ratio of the amount of the substance of concern in a given volume to the amount of all constituents of air in that volume.
relationship between volume mixing ratio and mass per unit volume
ugm-3 - ppb x molecular weight/molar volume (litres).
22.4= volume in litres occupied by one mole of gas at one atmosphere of pressure
T= absolute temperature (k)
P= atmospheric pressure (MB or Torr)
molar volume equation
22.4 x T/273 x 1013/P
22.4= volume in litres occupied by one mole of gas at one atmosphere of pressure T= absolute temperature (k) P= atmospheric pressure (MB or Torr)
primary pollutants
those which are emitted directly into the atmosphere.
example: CO comes directly from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels in motor vehicles
secondary pollutants
formed in the air as a result of chemical reactions with other pollutants and atmospheric gases
natural pollutants
air pollutants from natural processes- such as volcanic eruptions, sand storms, lightning and forest fires
examples of man-made pollutants
coal mining, domestic and industrial solvent use, natural gas leakage
point sources
large, geographically-concentration emitters whose emission rates are large enough to be significant by themselves even if no other sources are present- such as coal fired power stations
area sources
collections of small geographically, dispersed emitters that are not significant individually, but are important collectively, such as residential and commercial areas.
line sources
a collection of relatively small sources that are distributed roughly uniformly along a line, such as a motorway or industries along a major river, a main road, or railway line.
emissions inventories
systematic compilation of detailed information on pollutant emissions in a given area
emission factors
is a number that represents the relationship between the mass of a given pollutant emitted from a particular source and the given amount of raw material processes.
activity rate x emission factor = emission rate
acute symptoms
immediate symptoms
eg- eye, nose and throat irritation, aching lungs, wheezeing, coughing, nausea.
chronic effects
long term
examples: heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, genotoxic effects (leukaemia, lymphonas, lung cancer)
ODS
ozone depleting substances
CFCs
chloroflurocarbons
HCFCs
hydrochlorofluorocarbons
sick building syndrome
of occupants of building expereince various aliments and illnesses characterised by headaches, respiratory problems etc- the building is described as having sick building syndrome.
emissions map
emissions of pollutants given in the form of UK maps. these maps give emissions of various pollutants on a 1x1km resolution.
data warehouse
emissions data is made available in numerous formats through a database. this allows extraction of overview summary tables.
time-series plot
a set of ordered observations taken over time which may be plotted as a graph and analysed for the identification of trends and other factors such as daily or seasonal variations
DAs
Devolved Administrations
emission standards
many national and international authorities issue legislative standards that aim to control the emissions of pollutants from source.
air quality standard
a pollutant concentration that is regarded as acceptable - the concentration of a pollutant in the air that is unlikely to cause any significant detrimental effects on human health or the environment.
limit values in air quality standards
mandatory values and should not be exceeded anywhere, being designed to improve the protection of human health
guide values in air quality standards
intended to serve as long-term precautions for health and the environment.
ambient concentration
the normal level of concentration of pollutant on an average day
devolved administrations
power generation dominating and emissions falling rapidly across the time series
VOC
volatile organic compounds
NMVOC
non-methane volatile organic compounds
PAHs
Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, usually particulate-associated
THC
total hydrocarbons
EPAQS
Expert Panel in Air Quality Standards
aldehydes
general formula of RHC=O, with R being an organic stem. they are volatile and present as gases in urban air.
free radical
an atom or group of atoms possessing an odd (unpaired) electron.
ketone
C=O functional group, but different formular with 2 R groups.
alcohols
-OH functional group
heterocycles
organic compounds that contain rings possessing atoms other than carbon and hydrogen.
TOMPS
toxic organic micropollutants
PAN
peroxyacetyl nitrate
particles
aggregations of matter (either solid or liquid), which are larger than individual molecules. the size is expressed as diameter.
SPM
suspended particulate matter
suspended particulate matter
a general term embracing all airborne particles
Aerosol
a suspension of particles in a gas. these can be liquid or solid. they are classified by regional type - eg, marine, urban, desert etc.
PM10
particles that are able to pass through a size selective inlet with a 50% efficiency cut off at 10um aerodynamic diameter.
aerodynamic diameter
unit density spherical particles with the same aerodynamic properties
inhalable particles
particles which can enter the human nose or mouth during normal breathing
respirable particles
those inhalable particles that are able to penetrate to the unciliated regions of the deep lung (alveolar region).
smoke
suspended particulate air pollutant with a diameter of less than 15 um, arising from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
two types- dark smoke and gravimetric smoke
dark smoke
measures by reflectance
gravimetric smoke (or TSP)
measured in terms of mass
AD
aerodynamic diameter
nuclei mode
particles formed by the condensation from the gaseous phase, as a result of recent combustion. short lifetime
accumulation mode
particles formed by the coagulation of particles from the nuclei mode and condensation on existing material. have a lifetime of days
coarse particle mode
generally produced by mechanical processes, such as comminution. they are few in number and have a very short atmospheric lifetimes.
dry deposition
this is the continuous transfer of particles (and gases) by impaction, sedimentation (removal by gravity) and Brownian motion
Brownian motion
erratic movement due to the movement of air molecules
deposition velocity
calculates the rate of dry deposition.
wet deposition
transport of particles and gases to the earth;s surface in aqueous form.
rain-in or in-cloud scavenging
the main route for wet deposition, particles are included in the developing water droplet in a cloud
wash-out, or below-cloud scavenging
less efficient removal process whereby particles are scavenged by precipitating droplets
primary particulate matter
that whcih is emitted directly to the atmosphere from a combustion source
coarse particles
arise from the re-suspension of soils and dist, sea spray and construction activity
secondary particulate matter
forms within the atmosphere from the condensation of vapours or by the chemcial reaction of gases of natural or anthropogenic origin
PEC
particulate elemental carbon
particulate elemental carbon
derived from combustion processes, it is the black component of smoke responsible for the soiling of materials and the absorption of light.
soil-derived minerals
due to the re-suspension of the earth’s surface.
particle mass concentrations
the mass of particles per unit volume of air
particle number density
the number of particles per unit volume of air
respiratory particles
those finer than 10um
LA-IPPC
Local Authority Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control
BAT
best available techniques
network design
design parameters for monitoring networks
quality assurance and quality control
procedures and systems applied to activities within a programme such that the overall programme meets defined and appropriate standards with a stated level of confidence.
automatic networks
produce hourly pollutant concentrations, with the data being collected remotely from the monitoring site via a modern link
non-automatic networks
measures pollutants less frequently. daily, weekly or monthly. samples are collected by some physical means. the samples are then subjected to chemcial analysis before the final pollutants concentrations are determined
hot-spots
source monitoring, focusing only on areas with high pollution levels
source monitoring
focusing just on hotspots
background or baseline monitoring
designed to assess the exposure of the general population or ecosystem to key pollutants
data validation
rapid initial screening of the data to identify or remove data that is clearly incorrect
data ratification
performed by independent QA units
UKEAP
Eutrophying and acidifying pollutants
biological monitoring
bacteriological measurements
physical measurements
measurement of airbourne particle concentrations using filter papers or light obscuration
chemical analysis
spectroscopic methods
DOAS
Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy
FEAT
fuel efficiency automobile tests
ESP
electrostatic precipitation
TEOM
Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance
AURN
automatic urban and rural network
dispersion models
detailed understanding of physical, chemical and fluid dynamical processes in the atmosphere
receptor models
which are based on the relationships between a data set of measured concentrations at the recep
receptor models
which are based on the relationships between a data set of measured concentrations at the receptor and the data set of emissions that might affect those concentrations
stochastic models
based on semi-empirical statistic relationships between the pollutant concentration and any factors that might affect them
compartment or box model
inputs and outputs from a defined volume of the atmosphere are used to calculate the mean concentration within taht volume.
coriolis effect
deflection from its path, as a result of the earths rotation
LaGrange models
class of distribution model derived from statistic diffusion theory
diffusion
process by which different substances mix as a result of random motions
wind
the movement of air parallel to the earth’s surface caused by differences in atmospheric pressure and the earth’s rotation
macroscale
~1000km, or days
mesoscale
~10s-100s of km, or hours
microscale
less than 1km, or minutes
turbulence
the motion of wind within time-scales smaller than the averaging time used to determine the mean wind speed and direction
CFD
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Computational Fluid Dynamics
powerful technique for calculating the movement of fluids
troposphere
inner layer of the atmosphere
stratosphere
atmosphere’s second layer, just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere
photon
the packet (or quantum) of energy in which light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation, are emitted.
photosynthesis
process by which green plants trap light energy and use it to drive a series of chemcial reactions that lead to the formation of carbohydrates
ground state
molecular orbitals for an organic molecule
excited state
when one or more electrons are not in the lowest energy orbitals
EES
electronic excited state
HOMO and LUMO
highest and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital
photodissociation/ photolysis/photodecomposition
a chemical process whereby a single molecule or compound splits into two or more smaller products, which may be capable of recombining to form the reactants
photo-ionisation
process wehreby radiation knocks electrons from atoms, leaving ions in its path
new product formation
when a free radical reacts with a compounds or molecule in the atmosphere, a new product may be formed
intramolecular re-arrangement
when a new electronic state is produced
intermolecular energy transfer
when the absorbed energy is transferred to another molecule
quenching
molecule in an excited state interacts with a chemically unreactive molecule, to which it transfers its energy. the electronic energy is converted into vibrational and rotational energy
luminescence
general term that describes any process in which energy is emitted from a material at a different wavelength from that at which it was absorbed
fluorescence
short-lived luminescence
phosphorescence
long-lived luminescence
triboluminescence
very rare type of luminescence
allotropy
property of some chemical elements to exist in two or more different forms.
free radical
any atom or group of atoms that has an odd number of electrons
chromophore
parts of a molecule (atom or group of atoms) responsible for its colour. the colour arises when a molecule absorbs specific wavelengths of visible light and transmits or reflects others.
PAN
peroxyacetyl nitrate
LGA
Local Government Association, which establishes that the parties will cooperate to encourage ambitious GHG reduction targets.
noise
“unwanted sound”, which can cause irritation and stress.
occupational noise
noise experienced at work
neighbour noise
noise from inside and outside peoples homes
environmental (ambient) noise
noise arising from transport and industry
NPSE
Noise Policy Statement for England
NAZ
Noise Abatement Zone
photochemistry
branch of chemistry that is concerned with the chemical effects of light
quantum yield
the number of times a specific event occurs per photon absorbed by the system
positive lapse rate
when the tempearture decreases with elevation in meteorology
glare
excessive brightness which causes visual discomfort. high levels of glare can decrease visibility
clutter
bright, confusing and excessive groupings of light sources, commonly found in over-lit urban areas. the proliferation of clutter contributes to skyglow, trespass and glare.
BPM approach
best practical means
BATNEEC approach
Best Available Technique Not Entailing Excessive Cost
photo-stationary state
the equilibrium chemical composition under a specific kind of electromagnetic irradiation.
enhancing dispersion
improving the dispersion of an emission which lowers the pollutant concentrations to which living beings are exposed within an acceptable threshold
pollution prevention by process change
involves the modification of the production process in order to reduce emissions
intervention
“downstream pollution control”. it is a technical premise to remove or destroy sufficient contaminants from the gas stream through chemical or mechanical processes.
LCA
Life cycle assessment
MFA
Material Flow Analysis
fuel desulphurisation
the removal of sulphur from fuel
fuel switching
a change from fuels with a high sulphur content to those with a lower S content
fuel blending
blending fuels with a higher and lower S content to produce a medium-level S fuel.
FBC
Fluidised Bed Combustion
Fluidised Bed Combustion
finely ground limestone is mixed with coal and burnt in suspension
LIMB
Limestone Injection in Multi-Stage Burners
Limestone Injection in Multi-Stage Burners
finely ground limestone is injected with the hot gases into a special burner
FGD
Flue-Gas Desulphurisation
Flue-Gas Desulphurisation
technique used to remove SO2 from flue gases. burn the fuel and treat the plant’s exhaust gas.
electrostatic precipitators
this is a control technology for atmospheric pollution, utilising electrostatic forces that are more powerful than both gravity or centrifugal force
IPC
Integrated Pollution Control
IPCC
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change
BPM
Best Practicable Means
SIPs
State Implementation Plans
HAP
Hazardous Air Pollutants
BREF
BAT Reference Documents
EURO 6
light duty vehicle standards for light passenger and commercial vehicles
IED
Directive on Industrial Emissions
Green Infrastructure
network of trees, parks, gardens, found in the urban areas which provide a variety of environmental, social and economic benefits.
Lean waste gas
unnecessary use of resources or a substance released to the air, water, or land that could harm human health or the environment
pre-combustion technique
involve some modification of furnace design and/or fuel treatment.
refers to removing CO2 from fossil fuels before combustion is completed.
regenerative process
alkaline absorbent liquor is used to react with the flue gases and form a sulphurated product that may be separated off for further treatment/disposal
Wellman-Lord Process
this is a process that recovers SO2.
it is a regenerable process to remove SO2 from flue gas without creating a throwaway sludge product.
magnetic susceptibility
where the iron pyrites, which has a relatively high magnetic susceptibility, may be separated from the carbonaceous material using high magnetic fields
centrifugal force
a force which separates heavier particles from lighter gas molecules. the force of the spinning causes the particles to move to the end of the collector.
cyclone
circular collector
venturi scrubber
designed to effectively use the energy from a high-velocity inlet gas stream to atomize the liquid being used to scrub the gas stream.
baghouse filter
air pollution control device and dust collector that removes particulates or gas released from commercial processes out of the air.
fine particles
atmospheric aerosol particles, are particles suspended in the air that are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter.
air quality management area
AQMA, means that, within that area, the levels of a certian pollutant are above those requried by legislaiton for health reasons.
Scope 3 Emissions
are the result of activities from assets not owned or controlled by the reporting organisation, but that the organisation indirectly imapcts in its value chain.
radiative forcing
is the change in energy flux in the atmosphere caused by natural or anthropogenic factors of climate change as measured by watts/metres squared. it is used to quantify and compare the external drivers of change to earths energy balance.
ionosphere
this is the ionised part of the earth’s upper atmosphere. it includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesophere and exosphere.
density
where the coal is crushed and placed in a liquid, and the iron pyrites are removed from the lower density coal through a process of very fine grading
resistivity
where the iron pyrites, which have a relatively low resistivity, may be separated from the carbonaceous material using electrostatic separation
attitude
an individuals organised, stable and usually strongly held view about an issue
environmental education
organised efforts to teach how natural environments function and how human beings can manage behaviours and ecosystems to live sustainably
ISB Model
Infrastructure, service, behaviour
Edutainment
media designed to educate through entertainment
affect
an individual’s feelings about performing an action, positive or negative
agency
an individuals sense that they can carry out an action successfully and that thier action will assist in the achievement of an expected outcome
behavioural intention
a measure of the strength of an individual’s attention to perform a specific behaviour
cognition
an individuals positive or negative thoughts and beliefs associated with a particular object or system
habitat and routine
an individuals behaviour that occurs automatically
personal norms
self-expectations for behaviour, backed by anticipation of self-enhancement or self-deprecation
self-identity
the extent to which performing a specific behaviour is an important component of an individuals self-concept
situational factors
location, logistics, barriers, infrastructure, service, awareness
social norms
sets of beliefs regarding what other people are doing or what they approve of doing
values
an individuals guiding principles; broad preferences concerning appropriate courses of actions or outcomes
public good
perfectly non-rival in consumption and non-excludable. they satisfy conditions to some extent, but not perfectly
free rider
someone who enjoys the benefits of a good without paying for it
non-excludable
non-paying consumers cannot be prevented from accessing a good
non-rivalrous
a good whose consumptions by one consumer does not prevent simultaneous consumption by other consumers
Tbilisi Declaration
1977 declaration, goals of environmental education
edutainment
form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse
attitude
organised and strongly held views of salient issues
behaviour
the action or reaction of someone or something under specified circumstances
opinions
subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic, the result of emotion or interpretation of facts
belief
a psychological state in whcih an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true
what does ISB stand for? and what does each of them mean?
infrastructure, service, behaviour
infrastructure: built environment, products and objects
service: systems, providers and enablers
behaviour: relates to people.
what is Planck’s Equation?
E = hv = = hc
RPK
Revenue Passenger KM
SECA
sulphur emission control areas
top down approach
uses global fuel use data to calculate overall bunker fuel consumption, then uses statistics on fuel types and engine types to attribute emissions
bottom-up approach
uses real fleet statistics, engine characterisation and fuel use to estimate the emissions taking into account assumed activity data
this is harder and relies on more data
UNCLOS
united nations convention on the laws of the sea
IMO
the international maritime organisation
MEPC
marine environment protection committee
CBDR
common by differentiated responsibility
closed loop scrubbers
scrubbing SOx with large quantities of seawater, with a consequent release of wash water to the sea.
open loop scrubber
acidic seawater is continuously discharged into the marine enviornment, and a smaller amount of water is released
ECR
Exhaust Gas Recirculation
EEDI
energy efficiency design index
SEEMP
ship energy efficiency management plan
LNG
liquefied natural gas
GESAMP
group of experts on scientific aspects if marine environmental protection
ICAO
International civil aviation organisation
