APES Unit 9: Chapter 21; Chapter 17 AP Environmental Science
NIMBY
"not in my back yard"; and approach from citizens that calls for drastically reducing production of wastes by emphasizing pollution prevention
municipal solid waste (MSW)
(aka garbage or trash) consists of the combined solid waste produced by homes and workplaces
Infectious Disease
A disease caused by a pathogen such as bacterium, virus, or parasite invading the body and multiplying in its cells and tissues
Pandemic
A global epidemic such as tuberculosis or AIDS
Epidemic
A large scale outbreak of an infectious disease in an area or a country
Toxicity
A measure of the harmfulness of a substance -- its ability to cause injury, illness, or death to a living organism
Chronic Effect
A permanent or long lasting consequence of exposure to a singel dose or to repeated lower doses of a harmful substance.
Superfund site
A site where hazardous waste has been spilled- that company is responsible for cleaning the site
Acute Effect
An immediate or rapid harmful reaction ranging from dizziness to death
Transmissible Disease (also called a contagious or communicable disease)
An infectious disease that can be transmitted from one person to another
Nontransmissible Disease
Caused by something other than a living organism and does not spread from one person to another
Mutagens
Chemicals or forms of radiation that caues or increase the frequency of mutations, or changes, in the DNA molecules found in cells
Antibiotics
Chemicals that can kill bacteria
Teratogens
Chemicals that harm or cause birth defects in a fetus or embryo (i.e. ethyl alcohol)
Carcinogens
Chemicals, some types of radiation and certain viruses that can cause or promote cancer
Chemical Hazards
Hazards from harmful chemicals in our air, water, soil, food, and human made products
Natural Hazards
Hazards such as fire, earhthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, and storms
Lifestyle Choices
Hazards such as smoking, making poor food choices, drinking too much alcohol, and having unsafe sex
Risk Management
Involves deciding whether and how to reduce a particular risk to a certain level and at what cost
Pathogen
Organisms that can cause disease in another organism
Biological Hazards
Organisms that can cause disease in another organism -- including bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa, and fungi
Dose-Response Curve
Plot of data showing the effects of various doses of a toxic agent on a group of test organisms
Dose
The amount of a harmful chemical that a person has ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin at any one time
Response
The health damage resulting from exposure to a chemical
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 statisticsal methods to estimate how much harm a particular hazard can cuase to human health or to the environment
Toxicology
The study of the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and other organisms
plasma arc hazardous waste removal
Use arcs of electricity to heat hazardous waste to high enough temperatures to vaporize most of the waste. Can produce gaseous fuel and encapsulate waste into glassy lumps. Very expensive.
bioremediation
Use of living organisms such as prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to detoxify polluted ecosystems. The biological treatment of hazardous waste by living organisms
composting
a form of recycling that mimics nature's recycling of nutrients conversion of organic waste into something useful forming organic fertilizer from a mixture of leaf litter, manure, and household waste
integrated waste management
a variety of strategies for both waste reduction and waste management
brownfields
abandoned industrial and commercial sites such as factories, junkyards, older landfills, and gas stations
environmental justice
an ideal whereby every person is entitled to protection from environmental hazards regardless of race, gender, age, national origin, income, social class, or any political factor
solid waste
any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or a gas
reduce
consume less and live a simpler lifestyle
E-waste
discarded electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, television sets, etc.
waste reduction
in which much less waste and pollution are produced, and the wastes that are produced are viewed as potential resources that can be reused, recycled, or composted
waste management
in which we attempt to reduce the environmental impact of MSW without seriously trying to reduce the amount of waste produced
Superfund (CERCLA)
legislation designed to oversee the cleanup of toxic waste disposal sites, a fund established to finance a long-term, expensive project. CERCLA. Provides money for cleaning up hazardous waste sites.
deep-well disposal
liquid hazardous wastes are pumped through a pipe into dry, porous rock formations far beneath aquifers
primary/closed-loop recycling
materials are recycled into new products of the same type
leachate
polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill water that has passed through buried wastes in a landfill, solution created by liquid passing through layers of waste
surface impoundments
ponds, pits, or lagoons into which liners are placed and liquid hazardous wastes are stored, shallow depressions
reuse
rely more on items that can be used repeatedly instead of throwaway items (cleaning and using materials over and over)
recycle
separate and recycle paper, glass, cans, plastics, metal, and other items, and buy products made from recycled materials
sanitary landfills
solid wastes are spread out in thin layers, compacted, and covered daily with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam to help keep the material dry and reduce leakage
phytoremediation
the use of plants to absorb and accumulate hazardous materials from the soil, how toxins are naturally removed from the soil by plants
hazardous/toxic waste
threatens human health or the environment because it is poisonous, dangerously chemically reactive, corrosive, or flammable
cradle to grave (RCRA)
tracking waste from its creation to its disposal
secondary recycling/open-loop recycling
waste materials are converted into different products
industrial solid waste (ISW)
waste produced by mines, agriculture, and industries that supply people with goods and services
plasma arc
wielding torch to incinerate them at high temps