Environmental (17/21)

pandemic

a global epidemic

epidemic

a large-scale outbreak of an infectious disease in an area or country

toxicity

a measure of the harmfulness of a substance

environmental justice

an ideal whereby every person is entitled to protection from environmental hazards regardless of race, gender, age, national origin, income, social class, etc.

transmissible disease

an infectious disease that can be transmitted from one person to another (HIV, Malaria, Ebola, Flu)

pathogen

an organism that can cause disease in another organism

solid waste

any unwanted or discarded material that we produce that is not liquid or gas

open dumps

are essentially fields or holes in the ground where garbage is deposited and sometimes burned

waste management

attempts to control wastes in ways that reduce their environmental harm without seriously trying to reduce the amount of waste produced

waste reduction

attempts to produce fewer amounts of waste and pollution while considering the wastes produced as potential resources that can be reused, recycled, or composted

mutagens

chemicals or forms of radiation that cause or increase the frequency of mutations, or changes, in the DNA molecules found in cells

teratogens

chemicals that cause harm or birth defects to a fetus or embryo

carcinogens

chemicals, types of radiation, or certain viruses that can cause or promote cancer

postconsumer

external waste

acute effect

immediate or rapid

preconsumer

internal waste

risk management

involves deciding whether or how to reduce a particular risk to a certain level and at what cost (how to reduce such risks)

risk analysis

involves identifying hazards and evaluating their associated risks, ranking risks, determining options and making decisions about reducing or eliminating risks and informing decision makers and the public about risks

phytoremediation

involves using various types of plants that function as pollution sponges to clean up contaminants from soil and water

nontransmissible disease

is caused by something other than a living organism and does not spread from one person to another

infectious disease

is caused when a pathogen such as a bacterium, virus, or parasite invades the body and multiplies in its cells and tissues

sanitary landfills

landfills where solid wastes are spread out in thin layers, compacted, and covered daily with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam, which helps to keep material dry and reduces leakage of contaminated water (leachate) from the landfill

reduce

means to consume less and live a simpler lifestyle

reuse

means to rely more on items that we can use repeatedly

recycle

means to separate and recycle paper, glass, cans, plastics, metal, and other items, and buy products made from recycled materials

municipal solid waste (MSW)

often called garbage or trash which consists of the combined solid waste produced by homes and workplaces other than factories

toxic chemical

one that can cause temporary or permanent harm or death to humans and animals

bioaccumulation

organisms that consume toxic materials that do not break down will eventually excrete or store these chemicals in their fatty tissues over time

chronic effect

permanent or long-lasting

dose-response curve

plots the results if scientific estimates of the toxicity of a chemical based by determining the effects of various doses 0f the chemical on test organisms

emergent diseases

previously unknown diseases that have been newly discovered or have been absent in human populations for at least 20 years

industrial solid waste

produced by mines, farms, and industries

probability

provides us with an estimate of the likelihood of such a event

brownfields

refer to properties whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant

possibility

refers to an event that could happen

response

the damage to health resulting from exposure to a chemical

LD50 (median lethal dose)

the dose required to be lethal for 50% of the population

biomagnification

the increased concentration of toxins in the tissues of organisms that are in higher levels of the food web/chain

risk

the probability of suffering harm from a hazard that can cause injury, disease, death, economic loss, or damage

risk assessment

the process of using statistical methods to estimate how much harm a particular hazard can cause to human health or to the environment (seriousness of various risks)

toxicology

the study of the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and other organisms

hazardous waste (toxic waste)

threatens human health or the environment because it is poisonous, dangerously chemically reactive, corrosive, or flammable

integrated waste management

uses a variety of strategies (first priority, second priority, last priority) for both waste disposal and waste reduction

secondary recycling

when materials are converted into other products

primary, closed-loop recycling

when materials are recycled into similar products