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