A property possessed by some elements that emit energy as rays, waves, or streams of energetic particles. Radioactive materials are often mixed with hazardous waste, usually from nuclear reactors, research institutions, or hospitals.
Radon:
A colorless, naturally occurring gas formed by radioactive decay of radium atoms. Radon accumulating in basements and other areas of buildings without proper ventilation has been identified as a leading cause of lung cancer.
Reactive:
The property possessed by a substance that is normally unstable and readily undergoes violent chemical change but does not explode.
Recycling:
Collecting and reprocessing a resource or product to make into new products.
Regulated:
To control or direct according to a rule or law; to adjust to a specification or requirement.
Regulation:
A rule or order issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government and having the force of law.
Release:
Any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the envirnment of hazardous or toxic chemical, or extremely hazardous substance.
Renewable:
A naturally occurring raw material or form of energy that will be replenished through natural ecological cycles or sound management practices (e.g., the sun, wind, water, trees)
Renewable Water Supply:
The water from the hydrologic cycle that recharges the supply of rivers lakes and aquifers. It is found mostly as surface water; but groundwater that is easily recharged is also part of our renewable water supply.
Reservoir:
A reservoir is a manmade lake that is created when a dam is built on a river. River water backs up behind the dam creating a reservoir.
Resins:
A viscous substance of plant origin, such as rosin or amber, used in varnishes, adhesives, synthetic plasticsand pharmaceuticals. Any of various synthetic substances similar to natural resins, used in plastics.
Respiratory:
The system of organs involved in the intake and exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between organism and the environment.
Risk Management:
A strategy developed to reduce or control the chance of harm or loss to one's health or life; the process of identifying, evaluating, selecting and implementing actions to reduce risk to human health and to ecosystems
When some of the water in tanks or basins flows faster than the rest; may result in shorter contact, reaction, or settling times than calculated or presumed.
Shredder:
Through chewing and/or grinding, microorganisms feed on non-woody coarse particulate matter, primarily leaves.
Sink Hole:
Similar to land subsidence, which results from over drawing an underground aquifer, however it occurs over a much smaller area.
Smog:
Dust, Smoke, ozone, or chemical fumes that pollute the air and make hazy, unhealthy conditions. (the word "smog" is literally a blend of the words smoke and fog.) Automobile, truck, bus, and other vehicle exhausts and particulates are usually trapped close to the ground, obscuring visibility and ontributing to a number of respiratory problems.
Stream Order:
Energy and nutrient flow that increases as water moves toward the oceans (e.g., the smallest stream (primary) that ends when rivers flow into oceans)
Stressors:
Physical, chemical, or biological entities that can induce adverse effects on ecosystems or human health.
Stationary Source:
The term used to refer to point source pollution from building, utilities, manufacturing plants, etc. These pollution sources are consistant or not mobile.
Statosphere:
The region of the atmosphere above the troposhere approximatly seven to 18 miles above the Earth's surface. Source Test:
taking measurments of the pollutants that are emitted from point sorces, such as smokestackes, as opposed to ambient air quality testing. Succession:
The series of changes that occur in an ecosystem with the passing of time Surface Water:
Water that flows or is stored on the surface of the earth Sustainability:
The ability to keep in existence or maintain. A sustainable ecosystem is one that can be maintained
When the temperature of the water reaches high enough temperature to inhibit the growth of plant and animal populations Trophic Levels:
The role of an organism in nutrient and energy flow within an ecosystem (e.g., herbivore, carnivore, decomposer) Threatened Species:
A species of plant or animal whose population it threatened and may about to become endangered Toxic:
A word used to describe a substance that can cause severe illness, poising, birth dfects, disease, or death when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by a living organism.
Coal that is washed, ground into fine particles, then chemically treated to remove sulfur, ash, silicone, and other substances; usually briquetted and coated with a sealant made from coal Ultraviolet Rays:
Radiation from the sun that can be useful or potentially harmful. UV rays from one part of the spectrum (UV-A) enhance plant life. UV rays from other parts of the spectrum (UV-B) can cause skin cancer or other tissue damage. The ozone layer in the atmosphere partly shields us from ultraviolet rays reaching the earth's surface Unconfined Aquifer:
an aquifer where the water has an impermeable layer under it, but not above it, this is the most common type. If accessible to us, these are the types of aquifers that make up our renewable water supply. (See: Aquifer) Unsaturated Zone:
The area above the water table where soil pores are not fully saturated, although some water may be present
Underground Injection Wells: Steel- and concrete-encased shafts into which hazardous waste is deposited by force and under pressure Underground Sources of Drinking Water:
Aquifers currently being used as a source of drinking water or those capable of supplying a public water system. They have a total dissolved solids content of 10,000 milligrams per liter or less, and are not "exempted aquifers." (See: exempted aquifer.) Underground Storage Tank (UST): A tank located at least partially underground and designed to hold gasoline or other petroleum products or chemicals Urban Runoff:
Storm water from city streets and adjacent domestic or commercial properties that carries pollutants of various kinds into the sewer systems and receiving waters Urea-Formaldehyde Foam Insulation:
A material once used to conserve energy by sealing crawl spaces, attics, etc.; no longer used because emissions were found to be a health hazard Use Cluster:
A set of competing chemicals, processes, and/or technologies that can substitute for one another in performing a particular function Utility Load:
The total electricity demand for a utility district
Vadose Zone: The zone between land surface and the water table within which the moisture content is less than saturation (except in the capillary fringe) and pressure is less than atmospheric. Soil pore space also typically contains air or other gases. The capillary fringe is included in the vadose zone (See: Unsaturated Zone) Vapor Plumes:
Flue gases visible because they contain water droplets Vapor Pressure:
A measure of a substance's propensity to evaporate, vapor pressure is the force per unit area exerted by vapor in an equilibrium state with surroundings at a given pressure. It increases exponentially with an increase in temperature. A relative measure of chemical volatility, vapor pressure is used to calculate water partition coefficients and volatilization rate constants Vector:
1. An organism, often an insect or rodent, that carries disease 2. Plasmids, viruses, or bacteria used to transport genes into a host cell. A gene is placed in the vector; the vector then "infects" the bacterium Vegetative Controls:
Non-point source pollution control practices that involve vegetative cover to reduce erosion and minimize loss of pollutants. Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT): A measure of the extent of motor vehicle operation; the total number of vehicle miles travelled within a specific geographic area over a given period of time Venturi Scrubbers:
Air pollution control devices that use water to remove particulate matter from emissions Virgin Materials:
Resources extracted from nature in their raw form, such as timber or metal ore Volatile:
Evaporating readily Volatile Organic Compounds:
VOCs - Any organic compound which evaporates readily to the atmosphere. VOCs contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certian health problems. Vulnerability Analysis:
Assessment of elements in the community that are susceptible to damage if hazardous materials are released Vulnerable Zone:
An area over which the airborne concentration of a chemical accidentally released could reach the level of concern
1. Unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. 2. Refuse from places of human or animal habitation Waste Exchange:
Arrangement in which companies exchange their wastes for the benefit of both parties Waste Feed:
The continuous or intermittent flow of wastes into an incinerator Waste Load Allocation:
1. The maximum load of pollutants each discharger of waste is allowed to release into a particular waterway. Discharge limits are usually required for each specific water quality criterion being, or expected to be, violated. 2. The portion of a stream's total assimilative capacity assigned to an individual discharge Waste Piles:
Non-containerized, lined or unlined accumulations of solid, nonflowing waste Waste Stream:
The flow of (waste) materials from generation, collection and separation to disposal Waste Treatment Lagoon:
Impoundment made by excavation or earth fill for biological treatment of wastewater Waste Treatment Plant:
A facility containing a series of tanks, screens, filters and other processes by which pollutants are removed from water Waste Treatment Stream:
The continuous movement of waste from generator to treater and disposer Wastewater:
The spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contains dissolved or suspended matter.Water Pollution: The presence in water of enough harmful or objectionable material to damage the water's quality Wastewater Infrastructure:
The plan or network for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage in a community. The level of treatment will depend on the size of the community, the type of discharge, and/or the designated use of the receiving water Water Quality Criteria:
Levels of water quality expected to render a body of water suitable for its designated use. Criteria are based on specific levels of pollutants that would make the water harmful if used for drinking, swimming, farming, fish production, or industrial processes Water Quality Standards:
State-adopted and EPA-approved ambient standards for water bodies. The standards prescribe the use of the water body and establish the water quality criteria that must be met to protect designated uses Water Scarcity:
When a country has below 1000 cubic meters of renewable fresh water per person per year available for use Water Source Heat Pump:
Heat pump that uses wells or heat exchangers to transfer heat from water to the inside of a building. Most such units use ground water (See: Heat Pump; Geothermal Heat Pump) Water Stress:
When a country has below 1700 cubic meters of renewable fresh water per person per year available for use Water Table:
The level of groundwater Watershed:
The land area from which surface runoff drains into a stream, channel, lake, reservoir or other body of water; also called a drainage basin Weir:
1. A wall or plate placed in an open channel to measure the flow of water. 2. A wall or obstruction used to control flow from settling tanks and clarifiers to ensure a uniform flow rate and avoid short-circuiting (See: Short-Circuiting) Well:
A bored, drilled, or driven shaft, or a dug hole whose depth is greater than the largest surface dimension and whose purpose is to reach underground water supplies or oil, or to store or bury fluids below ground Well Field:
Area containing one or more wells that produce usable amounts of water or oil Well Injection:
The subsurface emplacement of fluids into a well Well Monitoring:
Measurement by on-site instruments or laboratory methods of well water quality Wetlands:
Lands where water saturation is the dominant factor determining the nature of the soil development and the plant and animal communities (e.g., sloughs, estuaries, marshes)
Wheeling: The transmission of electricity owned by one entity through the facilities owned by another (usually a utility) Wildlife Refuge:
An area designated for the protection of wild animals, within which hunting and fishing are either prohibited or strictly controlled
The part of solid waste composed of grass clippings, leaves, twigs, branches, and other garden refuse
Yield: The quantity of water (expressed as a rate of flow or total quantity per year) that can be collected for a given use from surface or groundwater sources Zero Air:
Atmospheric air purified to contain less than 0.1 ppm total hydrocarbons.