Hit Parade (ch9-10) Flashcards
acid rain, acid hail, acid snow; all of which occur as a result of pollution in the atmosphere
acid precipitation
the effect caused by a short exposure to a high level of toxin
acute effect
a platinum-coated device that oxidizes most of the VOCs and some of the CO that would otherwise be emitted in exhaust, converting them to CO2.
catalytic converter
when materials, such as plastic or aluminum, are used to rebuild the same product. An example of this is the use of the aluminum from aluminum cans to produce more aluminum cans.
closed-loop recycling
a process that allows the organic material in solid waste to be decomposed and reintroduced into the soil, often as fertilizer
composting
when the signs and symptoms of an illness can be attributed to a specific infectious organism that resides in the building
building-related illness
an effect that results from long-term exposure to low levels of toxin
chronic effect
drilling a hole in the ground that’s below the water table to hold waste
deep well injection
occurs when infection causes a change in the state of health
disease
a process in which an organism is exposed to a toxin at different concentrations, and the dosage that causes the death of the organism is recorded
dose-response analysis
the result of graphing a dose-response analysis
dose-response curve
the point at which 50 percent o the test organisms show a negative effect from a toxin
ED50
an intensification of the Greenhouse Effect due to the increased presence of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere
global warming
smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal
gray smog (industrial smog)
any waste that poses a danger to human health; it must be dealt with in a different way from other types of waste
hazardous waste
urban areas that heat up more quickly and retain heat better than nonurban areas
heat islands
radioactive wastes that produce high levels of ionizing radiation
high-level radioactive waste
the result of a pathogen invading a body
infection
the point at which 50 percent of the test organisms die from a toxin
LD50
the liquid that percolates to the bottom of a landfill
leachate
radioactive wastes that produce low levels of ionizing radiation
low-level radioactive waste
any noise that causes stress or has the potential to damage human health
noise pollution
pollution that does no have a specific point of release
non-point source pollution
when materials are reused to form new products
open-loop recycling
the thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica (and to some extent, over the Arctic)
ozone holes
bacteria, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease
pathogens
usually formed on hot sunny days when NOx compounds, VOCs, and ozone combine to form smog with a brownish hue
photochemical smog
a specific location from which pollution is released; an example of a location is a factory where wood is being burned
point-source pollution
any substance that has an LD50 of 50 mg or less per kg of body weight
poison
in a sewage treatment plant, the initial filtration that is done to remove debris such as stones, sticks, rags, toys, and other objects that were flushed down the toilet
physical treatment
pollutants that are released directly into the lower atmosphere
primary pollutants
when physically treated sewage water is passed into a settling tank, where suspended solids settle out as a sludge, chemically treated polymers may be added to help the suspended solids separate and settle out
primary treatment
calculating risk, or the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen
risk assessment
using strategies to reduce the amount of risk (the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen)
risk management
pollutants that are formed by the combination of primary pollutants in the atmosphere
secondary pollutants
the biological treatment of wastewater in order to continue to remove biodegradable waste
secondary treatment
a condition in which the majority of a building’s occupants experience certain symptoms that vary with the amount of time spent in the building, without being able to identify a specified cause or illness
sick building syndrome
the solids that remain after the secondary treatment of sewage
sludge
a tank filled with aerobic bacteria that’s used to treat sewage
sludge processor
can consist of hazardous waste, industrial solid waste, or municipal waste. Many types of solid waste provide a threat to human health and the environment
solid waste
non-moving sources of pollution, such as facatories
stationary sources
a program funded by the federal government and a trust that’s funded by taxes on chemicals; identifies pollutants and cleans up hazardous waste sites
Superfund Program
the dosage level of a toxin at which a negative effect occurs
threshold dose
the degree to which a substance is biologically harmful
toxicity
any substance that is inhaled, ingested, or absorbed at dosages sufficient to damage a living organism
toxin
ozone that exists in the troposphere
tropospheric ozone
gave the EPA power to set emission standards for major sources of noise, including transportation, machinery, and construction
US Noise Control Act
the carrier organism through which pathogens can attack, such as a tick
vector
any water that has been used by humans. This includes human sewage, water drained from showers, tubs, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, water from industrial processes, and storm water runoff
wastewater
when the energy released from waste incineration is used to generate electricity
Waste-to-Energy (WTE) program
a fiscal policy that lowers taxes on income, including wages and profit, and raises taxes on consumption, particularly the unsustainable consumption of non-renewable resources
green tax
when companies are allowed to buy permits that allow them a certain amount of discharge of substances into certain environmental outlets. If they can reduce their amount of discharge, they are allowed to sell the remaining portion of their permit to another company.
market permits
