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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Chief Editor & Compiler:
Norah D. Ben

~
ABHISHEK
 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any
form, electronically or otherwise, in print, photoprint, micro film or
by any other means without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-81-8247-338-6

Copyright Publisher
Revised Edition 2010

Published by
ABHISHEK PUBLICATIONS,
S.C.O. 57-59, Sector 17-C,
CHANDIGARH-1600 17 (India)
Ph.-2707562,Fax-OI72-2704668
Email: abhpub@yahoo.com
Preface

Environment comprises living conditions, circumstances,

surroundings, ambience, climate, atmosphere, entourage,
scene, external conditions, habitat, ecosystem, situation
and context. The context of environment studies is as vast
as the environment itself. Environment glossary has been
classified into three main divisions so as to remain in the
purview of the most appropriate terms used in the field.
The application of geologic knowledge to practical prob-
lems is the focus of the fields of environmental, economic,
and engineering geology. Environmental geology involves
the protection of human health and safety through under-
standing geological processes. For example, it is critically
important to understand the geology of areas where people
propose to store nuclear waste products. The study of
geologic hazards, such as earthquakes and volcanic erup-
tions, can also be considered part of environmental geol-
ogy.
Economic geology is the use of geologic knowledge to
find and recover materials that can be used profitably by
humans, including fuels, ores, and building materials. Be-
cause these products are so diverse, economic geologists
must be broadly trained; they commonly specialise in a
particular aspect of economic geology, such as petroleum
geology or mining geology.
Engineering geology is the application of engineering prin-
ciples to geologic problems. Two fields of engineering that
use geology extensively are civil engineering and mining
engineering. For example, the stability of a building or
bridge requires an understanding of both the foundation
material (rocks, soil) and the potential for earthquakes in
the area.
II abandoned water right I abutment .. ===========5
• abandoned water right ~ • absorb
a water right which was not put I to take in.
to beneficial use for a number I • absorbed dose
of years, generally five to seven
years. ; in exposure assessment, the
: amount of a substance that
• abandoned well ~ penetrates an exposed
a well which is no longer used. ; organism's absorption barri-
In many places, abandoned : ers (e.g. skin, lung tissue, and
wells must be filled with cement ~ gastrointestinal tract) through
or concrete grout to prevent I physical or biological pro-
pollution of ground water bod- : cesses. The term is synony-
Ies. ~ mous with internal dose.
• abatement l
:•b '
a sorptIon
reducing the degree or intensity ~ the uptake of water, other flu-
of, or eliminating, pollution. ; ids, or dissolved chemicals by a
: cell or an organism (as tree
• abatement debris
~ roots absorb dissolved nutri-
waste from remediation activi- ; ents in soil).
ties.
; • absorption barrier
• ablation
~ any of the exchange sites of the
the process by which ice and : body that permit uptake of
snow dissipate owing to melt- ~ various substances at different
ing and evaporation. ; rates (e.g. skin, lung tissue,
: and gastrointestinal-tract
~ wall).
~ • abutment
I the part of a valley or canyon
~ wall against which a dam is con-
: structed. Right and left abut-
~ ments are those on respective
i. ,
;
:
sides of an observer looking
downstream

=====------== II
~6============:tmentseepage I Reid mine drainage II
• abutment seepage
reservoir water that moves
through seams or pores in the
natural abuonent material and
exits as seepage.
• accident site
the location of an unexpected
occurrence, failure or loss, ei-
ther at a plant or along a trans-
portation route, resulting in a
release of hazardous materials.
• acclimatisation
the physiological and
behavioural adjusonents of an
organism to changes in its en-
vironment.
II ================= B"vi"",_ttU Strulia
I • accretion
I a gradual increase in land area
adjacent to a river.
• acid aerosol
acidic liquid or solid particles
I small enough to become air-
I borne. High concentrations can
irritate the lungs and have been
associated with respiratory dis-
I eases like asthma.
I • acid deposition
a complex chemical and atmo-
spheric phenomenon that oc-
I curs when emissions of sulphur
I and nitrogen compounds and
other substances are trans-
I formed by chemical processes
I in the atmosphere, often far
from the original sources, and
then deposited on earth in ei-
I ther wet or dry form. The wet
forms, popularly called 'acid
rain', can fall to earth as rain,
I snow, or fog. The dry forms are
I acidic gases or particulates.
• acid mine drainage
I drainage of water from areas
that have been mined for coal
I or other mineral ores. The wa-
ter has a low pH because of its
contact with sulphur-bearing
I material and is harmful to
aquatic organisms.
II acid neutralising capacity I active (US:""le)""st""01'i='RD""e""c.""'RP""ac""',,,,·ty======7,,,,
• acid neutralising capacity ~. activated carbon adsorp-
measure of ability of a base (e.g. I tion
water or soil) to resist changes ~ the process of pollutants mov-
in pH.
• acid rain
rain with a pH of less than
5.6, results from atmospheric
moisture mixing with sulphur
and nitrogen oxides emitted
from burning fossil fuels or
from volcanic activity, may
cause damage to buildings,
monuments, car finishes,
crops, forests, wildlife habi-
tats, and aquatic life.
• acre-foot
the amount of water required
to cover one acre to a depth of
one foot. An acre-foot equals
325,851 gallons, or 43,560 cu-
bic feet. A flow of 1 cubic feet
per second produces 1.98 acre-
feet per day.
• activated carbon
a highly adsorbent form of car-
bon used to remove odours and
toxic substances from liquid or
gaseous emissions. In waste
treatment, it is used to remove
dissolved organic matter from
waste drinking water. It is also
used in motor vehicle evapora-
tive control systems.
: ing out of water and attaching
I on to activated carbon .
~ • activated sludge
; product that results when pri-
: mary effluent is mixed with
~ bactgria-Iaden sludge and then
I agitated and aerated to promote
: biological treatment, speeding
~ the breakdown of organic mat-
I ter in raw sewage undergoing
~ secondary waste treatment.
I
I
I
I • activator
; a chemical added to a pesticide
: to increase its activity.
I
: • active (usable) storage
I capacity
I the total amount of reservoir
: capacity normally available for
~ release from a reservoir below
I the maximum storage level. It
~ is total or reservoir' capacity
: minus inactive storage capacity.
I
8 active conservation storage I adequately wet II
=========* .
More specifically, it is the vol- I Acute exposures are usually
ume of water between the out- I characterised as lasting no
let works and the spillway crest. longer than a day, as compared
I to longer, continuing exposure
• active conservation stor-
lover a period of time.
age ..
the portion of water stored in a I • acute toxicity
reservoir that can be released the ability of a substance to
for all useful purposes such as cause severe biological harm or
municipal water supply, power, I death soon after a single expo-
irrigation, recreation, fish, wild- sure or dose. It is any poison-
life, etc. Conservation storage ous effect resulting from a
is the volume of water stored I single short-term exposure to a
between the inactive pool eleva- I toxic substance.
tion and flood control stage. I • adaptation

changes in an organism's physi-

• active ingredient
in any pesticide product, the
component that kills, or other-
wise controls, target pests. Pes-
ticides are regulated primarily
on the basis of active ingredi-
ents.
• acute exposure
a single exposure to a toxic sub-
stance which may result in se-
vere biological harm or death.
ological strUcture or function or
I habits that allow it to survive in
new surroundings .
• add-on control device
an air pollution control device
such as carbon absorber or in-
I cinerator that reduces the pol-
I
lution in an exhaust gas. The
control device usually does not
I affect the process being con-
I
trolled and thus is 'add-on' tech-
nology, as opposed to a scheme
I to control pollution through al-
tering the basic process itself.
• adequately wet
I
I
asbestos containing material
that is sufficiently mixed or

II ================= Bnf'ironmentlll Studies

II adhesion I aerated lagoon 9
*================
penetrated with liquid to pre- ~ - adulterants
vent the release of particu- I chemical impurities or sub-
lates. ~ stances that by law do not be-
_ adhesion : long in a food, or pesticide.
I
the molecular attraction as- : _ adulterated
serted between the surfaces of ~ 1. any pesticide whose strength
bodies in contact. ; or purity falls below the quality
_ adjudication ~ stated on its label.
a court proceeding to determine : 2. a food, feed, or product that
all rights to the use of water on I contains illegal pesticide resi-
: dues.
a particular stream system or I
ground water basin.
- administered dose
In exposure assessment, the
amount of a substance given I
to a test subject (human or
animal) to determine dose-re-
sponse relationships. Since I

exposure to chemicals is usu-

ally inadvertent, this quantity
is often called potential dose.
_ adsorption
the adhesion of a substance to
the surface of a solid or liq-
uid. Adsorption is often used
to extract pollutants by caus-
ing them to be attached to such
ads or bents as activated carbon
or silica gel. Hydrophobic, or
water-repulsing adsorbents
are used to extract oil from
waterways in oil spills.
~ - advanced wastewater
I treatment
~ any treatment of sewage that
: goes beyond the secondary or
~ biological water treatment
; stage and includes the removal
: of nutrients such as phosphorus
~ and nitrogen and a high percent-
; age of suspended solids.
; - aerated lagoon
; a holding and/or treatment

Environmmtld StJulies ================= II

10 aeration I tUrOsol II
================*
pond that speeds up the natu- ~ • aerial photography
ral process of biological decom- I high altitude pictures taken
position of organic waste by : from an aircraft or satellite.
stimulating the growth and ac- ~
tivity of bacteria that degrade I
organic waste.

..
I • aerobic
life or processes that require, or
are not destroyed by, the pres-
• aeration I ence of oxygen.
the miXing or turbulent expo- I • aerobic treatment
sure of water to air and oxygen
to dissipate volatile contami- I process by which microbes de-
nants and other pollutants into compose complex organic com-
the air. I pounds in the presence of oxy-
I gen and use the liberated en-
• aeration tank
ergy for reproduction and
a chamber used to inject air into growth. (Such processes include
water. I extended aeration, trickling fti-
• aeration zone· tration, and rotating biological
a portion of the lithosphere in contactors. )
which the functional inter- • aerosol
stices of permeable rock or I 1. small droplets or particles
earth are not filled with wa- I suspended in the atmosphere,
ter under hydrostatic pres- typically containing sulphur.
sure. The interstices either are ~ They are usually emitted natu-
not filled with water or are I rally (e.g. in volcanic eruptions)
filled with water that is no and as the result of anthropo-
held by capillarity. genic (human) activities such as

II ================= E"",ron_tld Shulies

II afficted public I agricttltttral sewage .. 11

burning fossil fuels. ~ feeder. Also called a day tank.

2. the pressurised gas used to ~ _ agent
propel substances out of a con-
tainer. I any physical, chemical, or bio-
: logical entity that can be harm-
- affected public ~ ful to an organism (synonymous
1. the people who live and/or ~ with stressors.)
work near a hazardous waste I _ agglomerate
site.
2. the human population ad- ; an ice cover of floe formed by
versely impacted following ex- : the freezing together of various
posure to a toxic pollutant in ~ forms of ice.
I •
food, water, air, or soil. : - aggressIve water
I water which is soft and acidic
- after bay
the tail race of a hydroelectric and can corrode plumbing, pip-
;
power plant at the outlet of the : ing, and appliances.
I
turbines. The term may be ap- : - agricultural pollution
plied to a short stretch of ~ farming wastes, including run-
stream or conduit, or to a pond I off and leaching of pesticides
or reservOIr. ~ and fertilisers, erosion and dust
- afterburner
in incinerator technology, a
burner located so that the com- I
bustion gases are made to pass
through its flame in order to
remove smoke and odours. It I
: from ploughing, improper dis-
may be attached to or be sepa-
~ posal of animal manure and car-
rated from the incinerator
; casses, crop residues, and de-
proper.
: bris.
I
- age tank : - agricultural sewage
a tank used to store a chemical I
: waste produced through the
solution of known concentra-
I agricultural processes of culti-
tion for feed to a chemical
~ vating the soil, producing crops,

=====11
",,12===========.. agriculture I airgap II
or raising livestock. I a house has one air change per
hour, it means that the air in the
• agriculture house will be replaced in a one-
the science, art, and business of I hour period.
cultivating the soil, producing :
crops, and raising livestock, I • air cleaning
farming. I indoor-air quality-control strat-
egy to remove various airborne
particulates and/or gases from
I the air. Most common methods
are particulate flltration, elec-
trostatic precipitation, and gas
sorption .
• air contaminant
• agro ecosystem I any particulate matter, gas, or
combination thereof, other than
land used for crops, pasture, and I
water vapour.
livestock, the adjacent unculti-
vated land that supports other • air curtain
vegetation and wildlife, and the I a method of containing oil
associated atmosphere, the un- I spills. Air bubbling through a
derlying soils, groundwater, and perforated pipe causes an up-
drainage networks. ward water flow that slows the
• AHU I spread of oil. It can also be used
to stop fish from entering pol-
see air handling unit.
luted water.
• air binding • air gap
situation where air enters the I open vertical gap or empty
filter media and harms both the
I space that separates drinking
filtration and backwash pro-
water supply to be protected
cesses.
from another water system in
• air changes per hour (ach) I a treatment plant or other 10-
the movement Qf a volume of ; cation. The open gap protects
air in a given period of time, if : the drinking water from con-
I

II ================ E"Pirrm_tIIl Stflilia

II airmass I air pollutant 13
*================
tamination by backflow or back ~ spect to air. It is measured in
siphonage. ; Darcy's or centimetres-per-sec-
_ airmass : ond.
I

a large volume of air with cer- : - air plenum

tain meteorological or polluted ~ any space used to convey air in
characteristics. E.g., a heat in- I a building, furnace, or strUcture.
version or smogginess, while in ~ The space above a suspended
one location. The characteristics : ceiling is often used as an air
can change as the air mass ~ plenum.
moves away.
~ - air pollutant
<

; any substance in air that could,

: in high enough concentration,
~ harm man, other animals,
I vegetation, or material. Pol-
~ lutams may include almost
: any natural or artificial com-
~ position of airborne matter
- air padding ; capable of being airborne.
pumping dry air into a con- : They may be in the . form of
tainer to assist with the with- ~ solid particles, liquid droplets,
drawal of liquid or to force a liq- ; gases, or in combination
uefied gas such as chlorine out : thereof. Generally, they fall
of the container. ~ into two main groups those
; emitted dir~ctly from identi-
- air passages
: fiable sources and those pro-
openings through or within ~ duced in the air by interaction
walls, through floors and ceil- I between two or more primary
ings, and around chimney flue.s : pollutants, or by reaction with
and plumbing chases, that per- ~ normal atmospheric constitu-
mit air to move out of the con- I ents, with or without photo
ditioned spaces of the building. ~ activation. Exclusive of pollen,
- air permeability : fog, and dust, which are of
permeability of soil with re- ~ natural origin, about 100 con-
""14===========",,,;ir pollution control device I air ttmcs "II
taminants have been identi-
fied. Air pollutants are often
grouped in categories for ease
in classification, some of the
categories are: solids, sulphur
compounds, volatile organic
chemicals, particulate matter,
nitrogen compounds, oxygen
compounds, halogen com-
pounds, radioactive com-
pound, and odours.
• air pollution control "
device
mechanism or equipment that
cleans emissions generated by
a source (e.g. an incinerator,
industrial smokestack, or an
automobile exhaust system) by
removing pollutants that would
otherwise be released to the at-
mosphere.
• air pollution episode
a period of abnormally high
concentration of air pollutants,
often due to low winds and
11 __================ B"nron_tlJl StNlliR
I temperature inversion, that can
I cause illness and death.
• air quality criteria
I
I
the levels of pollution and
lengths of exposure above,
I which a<;lverse health and wel-
I
fare effects may occur.
I • air sparging
injecting air or oxygen into an
I aquifer to strip or flush volatile
I contaminants.
I • air stripping
a treatment system that re-
moves volatile organic com-
I pounds (VOC's) fromcontami-
nated ground water or surface
water by forcing an air stream
I through the wa;er and causing
I the compounds to evaporate.
I • air toxics
any air pollutant for which a
national ambient air quality
I standard (NAAQS) does not
exist (i.e. excluding orone, car-
bon monoxide, PM -10, sulphur
I dioxide, nitrogen oxide) that
I may reasonably be anticipated
to cause cancer, respiratory,
I cardiovascular, or developmen-
I tal effects, reproductive dys-
functions, neurological disor-
ders, heritable gene mutations,
II air/oil table I alachlor 15
*================
or other serious or irreversible ~ • airborne pollutants
chronic or acute health effects ; contaminants borne by air that
in humans. : cause harm to human health or
I .
• air/oil table : the enVlron..-nent.
The surface between the vadose ~ • airborne release
zone and ambient oil, the pres- ~ release of any pollutant into the
sure of oil in the porous me- I alr.
dium is equal to atmospheric
; • airborne snow water
pressure. equivalent measurement
• airborne particulates theory
total suspended particulate ~ a theory based on the fact that
matter found in the atmo- ; natural terrestrial gamma radia-
sphere as solid particles or liq- : tion is emitted from the potas-
uid droplets. Chemical com- ~ si~ uranium, and thorium ra-
position of particulates varies ; dioisotopes in the upper eight
widely, depending on location : inches of the soil. The radiation
and time of year. Sources of ~ is sensed from low flyirig aircraft
airborne particulates include: ; 500 feet above the ground. Wa-
dust, emissions from indus- : ter mass in the snow cover at-
trial processes, combustion ~ tenuates the terrestrial radiation
products from the burning ; signal. The difference between
:I airborne radiation measurements
: made over bare ground and
I snow-covered ground can be
: used to calculate a mean area
~ snow water equivalent value with
~ a root mean square error of less
; than a half inch.
of wood and coal, combustion ; • alachlor
products associated with motor : a herbicide, marketed under
vehicle or non-road engine ex- ~ the trade name Lasso, used
hausts, and reactions to gases I mainly to control weeds in corn
in the atmosphere. ~ and soybean fields.
16
=================*
- alar
trade name for daminozide, a
pesticide that makes apples red-
der, firmer, and less likely to
drop off trees before growers
are ready to pick them. It is also
used to a lesser extent on pea-
nuts, tart cherries, concord
grapes, and other fruits.
_ albedo
the portion of incoming radia-
tion which is reflected by a sur-
face.
_ aldicarb
an insecticide sold under the
trade name Temik. It is made
from ethyl isocyanate.
- algae
simple rootless plants that
grow in sunlit waters in propor-
tion to the amount of available
nutrients. They can affect wa-
ter quality adversely by lower-
ing the dissolved oxygen in the
water. They are food for fish
and small aquatic animals. They
are a large group of simple
plants that contain chlorophyll,
are not divisible into roots,
stems and leaves, do not pro-
duce seeds, and include the
seaweeds and related freshwa-
ter and land plants.
II ================= B"f1i"",_tIIl StuilUs
alar I alludine "
I
I
I -
- algae bloom
a heavy growth of algae in and
I on a body of water, usually re-
I suits from high nitrate and
phosphate concentrations enter-
ing water bodies from farm
I fertilisers and detergents, phos-
I phates also occur naturally un-
der certain conditions.
_ algicide
I substance or chemical used spe-
I cifically to kill or control algae.
I - aliquot
a measured portion of a sample
I
taken for analysis. One or more
I aliquots make up a sample.
I _ alkali
I any strongly basic substance of
hydroxide and carbonate, such
as soda, potash, etc., that is
I soluble in water and increases
the pH of a solution.
_ alkaline
I
the condition of water or soil
II alkalinity I alum 17
*=================
which contains a sufficient ~ of the two or more possible
amount of alkali substance to ; choices.
raise the pH above 7.0. ; • alternative compliance
• alkalinity ~ a policy that allows facilities to
the measurement of constitu- : choose among methods for
ents in a water supply which ~ achieving emission-reduction or
determine alkaline conditions. ; risk-reduction instead of com-
The alkalinity of water is a mea- : mand-and control regulations
sure of its capacity to neutralise ~ that specify standards and how
acids. ; to meet them. Use of a theo-
: retical emissions bubble over a
• allergen
. ~ facility to cap the amount of
a subst~ce cap~ble of causmg ; pollution emitted while allow-
an .all~r$lC r~actlor: .~cause of : ing the company to choose
an mdivldual s SenSltlV1ty to that ~ where and how (within the fa-
substance. ; cility) it complies.
• allergic rhinitis ; • alternative fuels
inflammation of the mucous I substitutes for traditional liq-
membranes in the nose that is : uid, oil-derived motor vehicle
caused by an allergic reaction. ~ fuels like gasoline and diesel.
• alluvium ; Includes mixtures of alcohol-
sediments deposited by erosion based fuels with gasoline,
processes, usually by streams. ~ methanol, ethanol, compressed
; natural gas, and others.
; • alum
~ as used in drinking water
: treatment, aluminium sul-
~ phate, added to water in
; drinking water treatment fa-
: cilities to cause dirt and other
• alternative ~ particles to clump together
a chance to choose between ; and fall to the bottom of set-
two or more possibilities, one :I ding basins.

Environment41 Studies
=====11
",,18==========~. alvusion I annerobicdecomposition II
• alvusion I • ambient temperature

a sudden or perceptible change I temperature of the surrounding

in a river's margin, such as a : air or other medium.
change in course or loss of ~
• amendments
banks due to flooding.
revisions or changes (as to
I laws).

• ambient air
any w1wnfined portion of the
atmosphere: open air, sur-
rounding air.
• ambient measurement
a measurement of the concen-
tration of a substance or pollut-
ant within the immediate envi-
rons of an organism, taken to
relate it to the amount of pos-
sible exposure.
• ambient medium
material surrounding or con-
tacting an organism (e.g. out-
door air, indoor air, water, or
soil, through which chemicals or
pollutants can reach the organ-
Ism.
• amprometric titration
I a way of measuring concentra-
tions of certain substances in
water using an electric current
I that flows during a chemical
reaction.
• an open mineral mine
where the topsoil and overbur-
den is removed to expose and
I extract the mineral.
I • anabranch
a diverging branch of a river
which re-enters the main
I stream.
I • anaerobic
I a life or process that occurs in,
I or is not destroyed by, the ab-
sence of oxygen.
• anaerobic bacteria
I any bacteria that can survive in
I the complete or partial absence
of air.
• anaerobic decomposition
I
reduction of the net energy

II ================== E"vironment"J Stu/t°;es

II anchorice I apimethod 19
*===============
level and change in chemical ~ • annular space
composition of organic matter I the space between two concen-
caused by micro organisms in ~ tric. cylindrical objects, one of
an oxygen-free environment. : which surrounds the other, such
• anchor ice ~ as the space between the walls

submerged ice attached or an- of a drilled hole and a casing.

;
chored to the river bottom, ir- ; • antagonism
respective of its formation. : interference or inhibition of the
~ effect of one chemical by the
I action of another.

I • antarctic
; refers to the seasonal depletion
: of ozone i.n the upper atmo-
~ sphere above a large area of
; Antarctica .
• anchor ice dam
; • anti-degradation clause
an accumulation of anchor ice
which acts as a dam and raises : part of federal air quality and
the water level. ~ water quality requirements pro-
~ hibiting deterioration where
• animal dander ; pollution levels are above the
tiny scales of animal skin, a : legal limit.
common indoor air pollutant. ~. anti-microbial
• animal studies ~ agent that kills microbial
investigations using animals as ~ growth.
surrogates for humans with the .• ; api method
expectation that the results are
pertinent to humans. ; a statistical method to estimate
' : the amount of surface runoff
• anisotropy ~ which will occur from a basin
in hydrology, the conditions ; from a given rainstorm based
under which one or more hy- : on the antecedent precipitation
draulic properties of an aquifer ~ index, physical characteristics of
vary from a reference point. ; the basin, time of year, storm

Environmental Studies ================= II

20 applied tkJse I aquarium II
================*
duration, rainfall amount, and I

rainfall intensity.
• applied dose
in exposure assessment, the
amount of a substance in con-
tact with the primary absorp-
tion boundaries of an organism
(e.g. skin, lung tissue, gas-
trointestinal track) and available
for absorption.
• aqua lung
a trademark for a self-contained
underwater breathing appara-
tus (scuba).
I
• aqua naut
I a person trained to live in un-
I derwater installations and con-
duct, assist in, or be a subject
of scientific research.
• aqua plane
I a board on which one rides in a
standing position while it is
pulled over the water by a mo-
I torboat.

• aqua culture I • aqua reUe

the science, art, and business of I a drawing done in transparent

cultivating marine or freshwa- : water colours.
ter food fish or shellfish, such
• aquarist
as oysters, clams, salmon, and I
trout, under controlled condi- one who maintains an
tions. aquarIUm.

• aqua marine • aquarium

a transparent blue-green vari- I a tank, bowl, or other water-
ety of beryl, used as a gemstone. I filled enclosure in which living

II ================= Bnflirtmtllmt.l Stullies

II RlJU4tU I RlJuitard 21
*===============
aquatic animals and, often, ~ - aquiclude
plants are kept. ~ a formation which, although
; porous and capable of absorb-
: ing water slowly, will not trans-
~ mit water fast enough to furnish
; an appreciable supply for a well
: or a spring.
I
: - aquiculture
- aquatic ~ the raising or fattening of fish
growing in, living in, or fre- I in enclosed ponds. Compare
quenting water. : mariculture.
I
- aquatic ecosystem
~ - aquifer
basic ecological unit composed : a geologic formation that will
of living and nonliving elements ~ yield water to a well in sufficient
interacting in an aqueous mi- ; quantities to make the produc-
lieu. : tion of water from this forma-
- aquatic life .~ tion feasible for beneficial use '
plants, animals, and micro or- I permeable layers of under-
ganisms that spend all or part : ground rock or sand that hold
I .
of their lives in water. : or transffilt groundwater below
I the water table.
- aqueduct
a conduit designed to transport ~ - aquifer test
water from a remote source , ; a test to determine hydraulic
usually by gravity. : properties of an aquifer.
I
_ aqueous : - aquifuge
I
something made up of water. : a geologic formation which has
1 b' . I no interconnected openings and
- aqueo~ so u tlity ~ cannot hold or transmit water.
the maxunum concentration of .
. al that w ill dissolve .
a ch effilC m 'I - aquitard
pure water at a reference tem- : geological formation that may
perature. :I .
contam groundwater but is not
I capable of transmitting signifi-

II
22 arch dRm I arotlUJtics II
cant quantities of it under nor- I flow between aquifers will be
mal hydraulic gradients. May I induced by the injection opera-
function as confining bed. tion.
• arch dam • area source
a concrete arch dam is used in any source of air pollution that
sites where the ratio of width I is released over a relatively
between abutments to height small area but which cannot be
is not great and where the classified as a point source. Such ·
foundation at the abutments I sources may include vehicles
is solid rock capable of resist- and other small engines, small
ing great forces. The arch pro- businesses and household ac-
vides resistance to movement. I tivities, or biogenic sources such
When combined with the I as a forest that releases hydro-
weight of concrete (arch-grav- carbons.
ity dam), both the weight and I
• area-capacity curve
shape of the structure provide I
great resistance to the pres- a graph showing the relation
sure of water. I between the surface area of the
water in a reservoir, the corre-
sponding volume, and eleva-
tion.
I • arid
Idescribes regions where pre-
cipitation is insufficient in quan-
• architectural coatings tity for most crops and where
coverings such as paint and roof ~ agriculture is impractical with-
tar that are used on exteriors of I out irrigation.
buildWngs. : • aromatics
• area of review a type of hydrocarbon, such as
I benzene or toluene, with a spe-
in the VIC program, the area
surrounding an injection well I cifIc type of ring structure. Aro-
that is reviewed during the per- I matics are sometimes added to
mitring process to determine if : gasoline in order to increase oc-
t tane. Some aromatics are toxic.

II ================= B"";,.,,,._tlJl ShIIIUs

II arroyo I a-scale sound level 23
*==============~
_ arroyo ~ well casing or drilled hole above
a water-carved channel or gully ; the bottom of the confining
in arid country, usually rather ~ layer overlying the aquifer.
small with steep banks, dry : _ artificial control
most of the time, due to infre- I
: a weir or other man-made
quent rainfall and the shallow- I structure which serves as the
ness 0 f the cut which does not : .
penetrate below the level of I c~.>ntrol for a stream-gagmg sta-
: tlOn.
permanent ground water. I
: - asbestos assessment
- arsenicals
~ in the asbestos-in-schools pro-
pesticides containing arsenic.
I gram, the evaluation of the

- artesian ~ physical condition ~d potential

water held under pressure in for damage of all fnable asbes-
:
porous rock or soil confmed by I tos containing materials and
impermeable geological forma- ~ thermal insulation systems.
tions. ~ - asbestos program manager
- artesian aquifer : a building owner or designated
a geologic formation in which ~ representative who supervises
water is under sufficient hydro- I all aspects of the facility asbes-
static pressure to be discharged :I tos management and control
~o the surface without pump- : program.
mg. l.-b '
as estoslS
- artesian well ~ a disease associated with inha-
a water well drilled into a con- ; lation of asbestos fibres. The
fined aquifer where enough hy- : disease makes breathing pro-
draulic pressure exists for the ~ gressively more difficult and can
water to flow to the surface ; be fatal.
without pumping. ; - a-scale sound level
- artesian zone ; a measurement of sound ap-
a wne where water is confmed proximating the sensitivity of
:
in an aquifer under pressure so ~ the human ear, used to note the
that the water will rise in the ; intensity or annoyance level of

======"
24 ash I attainmmtana II
=======*
sounds. ~ - association of boards of
; certification
- ash
the mineral content of a prod- ; an international organisation
uct remaining after complete : rep.resenting boards which
~ certify the operators of water-
combustion.
; works and wastewater facili-
- assay ties.
I
a test for a specific chemical : _ atmosphere
. '
mlCrobe, or effect. I
: the layer of gases surrounding
- assessment endpoint I the earth and composed of con-

in ecological risk assessment siderable amounts of nitrogen,

an explicit expression of th~ hydrogen, and oxygen.
environmental value to be I
protected, includes both an : - atmospheric transport
eco~ogical entity and specific ; the movement of air pollutants
attnbuted thereof entity (e.g. ~ fr,?m one region to another by
salmon are a valued ecologi- . wmd, may be hundreds of
I '1
cal entity, reproduction and : mi es.
population maintenance of ~ - atmospheric water
the attribute. form an assess- ; water present m . t h e atmo-
ment end pomt). h .
sp ere eIther as a solid (snow,
- assimilation h~), liquid (rain) or gas (fog,
I mIst).
the ability of a body of water to
purify itself of pollutants. I _ attainment area

I an area considered to have air

- assimilative capacity
quality as good as or better than
the capacity of a natural body
of water to receive wastewa- ~e national ambient air qual-
ters or toxic materials without I Ity standards as defmed in the
deleterious effects and with- I Clean ~ Act. An area may be
an attainment area for one pol-
out damage to aquatic life or :
lutant and a non-attainment
humans who consume the ~
area for others.
water.

II ================ En-nronmenml Studies

II attenuation I al'erageannualrecharg~ ===========""2,,,,5
• attenuation ~ • auxiliary or emergency
the process by which a com- I spillway
pound is reduced in concentra- I a secondary spillwa~ designed
tion over time, through ab- : to operate only dunng excep-
sorption, adsorption, degra- ~ tionally large flood flows. Al-
dation, dilution, and/or trans- ; lows inflows from large storms
formation. It can also be de- : to be released from the reser-
creased with distance of sight ~ voir before the water level
caused by attenuation of light raises high enough to overtop
by particulate pollution. the dam.
• attractant
a chemical or agent that lures
insects or other pests by I
stimulating their sense of ~
smell.
• attrition
wearing or grinding down of a I
substance by friction . Dust I • available chlorine
from such processes contributes ; a measure of the amount of
to air pollution. : chlorine available in chlorinated
• Automated Local Evalua- I lime, hypochlorite compounds,
tion In Real Time I and other materials used as a
(ALERT) source of chlorine when com-
a local flood warning system pared with that of liquid or gas-
:
where river and rainfall data are I eous chlorines.
collected via radio signals in I • average annual recharge
real-time at an ALERT base I amount of water entering the
station. : aquifer on an average annual
• autotroph ~ basis. Averages mean very little
an organism that can make its ; for the Edwards because the cli-
own food (usually using sun- : mate of the region and struc-
light). ~ ture of the aquifer produce a

=====11
26 R11oidedcost I backwater curve II
=================*
situation in which the area is I tended one.
usually water rich or water I • background level
pqor.
I 1. the concentration of a sub-
• avoided cost stance in an environmental me-
the cost a utility would incur to dia (air, water, or soil) that oc-
generate the next increment of ~ curs naturally or is not the re-
electric capacity using its own . sult of human activities.
resources, many landfill gas 2. in exposure assessment the
projects' buy back rates are I concentration of a substance in
based on avoided costs. a defmed control area, during a
fixed period of time before,
• b-44 form, cooperative
I during, or after a data-gather-
station report
I ing operation.
a weather service form docu-
menting station management, I • back sight
exposure, topography, driving a rod reading taken on a point
instrUctions, payment informa- of known elevation, a bench-
tion, hydro-meteorlogic equip- I mark or a turning point. Back
ment, and observing informa- sights are added to the known
tion. elevation to arrive at the height
I of the instrument. With a
• back pressure
I known height of the instru-
a pressure that can cause water ment, the telescope can be used
to backflow into the water sup- I to determine the elevation of .
ply when a user's waste water I other points in the vicinity.
system is at a higher pressure
than the public system. I • backwashing

reversing the flow of water

• back flow/back siphonage
through a home treatment de-
a reverse flow condition created I vice fUter or membrane to clean
by a difference in water pres- and remove deposits.
sures that causes water to flow I
back into the distribution pipes I • backwater curve
of a drinking water supply from the longitudinal profUe of the
any source other than the in- surface of a liquid in a non-uni-

II ================= E"pjnmn.mttll Shill,"

II backwatereffict I baffle 27
*================
form flow in an open channel, ~ not recycling, because the
when the water surface is not ; compos ted materials never
parallel to the invert owing to : enter the municipal waste
the depth of water having been ~ stream.
increased by the interposition of ~ • bacteria
an obstruction such as a dam or
weir. The term is sometimes I microscopic living organisms
used in a generic sense to de- ~ that can aid in pollution control
note all water surface proflies, by metabolising organic matter
or for profIles where the water I in sewage, oil spills or other
is flowing at depths greater than I pollutants. However, bacteria in
the critical. soil, water or air can also cause
I human, animal and plant health
• backwater effect I problems.
the effect which a dam or other
obstruction has in raising the
surface of the water upstream I
from it.
• backwater flooding
upstream flooding caused by
downstream conditions such as I
channel restriction and/ or high I
flow in a downstream : . bacterial water pollution
confluence stream. ~ the introduction of unwanted
• backyard composting ~ bacteria into a water body.

diversion of organic food I • baftle

waste and yard trimmings
from the municipal waste
stream by composting hem in
one's yard through controlled
decomposition of organic mat-
ter by bacteria and fungi into
a humus-like product. It is
considered source reduction,
; a flat board or plate, deflector,
: guide, or similar device con-
~ structed or placed in flowing
; water or slurry systems to cause
: more uniform flow velocities to
~ absorb energy and to divert,
I guide, or agitate liquids.

E",';ronmmtlll Studies ================= II

28
=================*
• baffle chamber
in incinerator design, a cham-
ber designed to promote the
settling of fly ash and coarse
particulate matter ·by changing
the direction and/or reducing
the velocity of the gases pro-
duced by the combustion of the
refuse or sludge.
• bag limit
the number of a certain fish that
can be caught each day.
• baghouse filter
large fabric bag, usually made
of glass fibres, used to elimi-
nate intermediate and large
(greater than 20 PM in diam-
eter) particles. This device
operates like the bag of an
electric vacuum cleaner, pass-
ing the air and smaller par-
ticles while entrapping the
larger ones.
• bailer
a pipe with a valve at the lower
end, used to remove slurry
from the bottom or side of a well
as it is being drilled, or to col-
lect groundwater samples from
wells or open boreholes.
• baling
compacting solid waste into
II ================= Environ_till Studies
baffle chamber I bank full stage II
I blocks to reduce volume and
I simplify handling.
I • ballistic separator
a machine that sorts organic
I
from inorganic matter for
I composting.
I • band application
I the spreading of chemicals over,
or next to, each row of plants in
a field.
• bank
I the margins of a channel. Banks
are called right or left as viewed
I facing in the direction of the
I flow.
I • bank storage
I water absorbed and stored in
the void in the soil cover in the
bed and banks of a stream,
I lake, or reservoir, and re-
turned in whole or in part as
the level of water body surface
I falls.
I • bank full stage
I an established river stage at a
certain point along a river which
is intended to represent the
I maximum safe water level
which will not overflow the
river banks or cause any signifi-
I cant damage within the reach of
the river.
II banking I base flood 29
*================
- banking ~ _ barrel sampler

a system for recording qualified I open-ended steel tube used to

air emission reductions for later ~ collect soil samples.
use in bubble, offset, or netting
~ - barrier coating
transactions.
a layer of a material [hat ob-
- bar screen I structs or prevents passage of

in wastewater treatment, a de- I something through a surface

vice used to remove large sol- that is to be protected, e.g.,
ids. grout, caulk, or various sealing
I compounds, sometimes used
: with polyurethane membranes
~ to prevent corrosion or oxida-
I tion of metal surfaces, chemi-

~ cal impacts on various materi-

als, or, e.g., to prevent radon
I infiltration through walls,
cracks, or joints in a house.
- basal application
in pesticides, the application of
a chemical on plant stems or
_ barrage I tree trunks just above the soil
any artificial obstruction placed I line.
in water to increase water level : _ basalt
I
or divert it. Usually the idea is consistent year-round energy
to control peak flow for later I use of a facility. It also refers to
release. I the minimum amount of elec-
tricity supplied continually to a
facility.
~ - base flood
I the national standard for flood-
plain management is the base,
or one percent chance flood.

E"vi,·OlllllcIJtaJ Studics ================== II

30
========*
This flood has at least one
chance in 100 of occurring in
any given year. It is also called
a 100 year flood.
• base flow
stream flow which results from
precipitation that infiltrates into
the soil and eventually moves
through the soil to the stream
channel. This is also referred to
as ground water flow, or dry-
weather flow.
• basidiomycetes
fungal spores, which are from
mushrooms. The specific mush-
room species cannot be identi-
fied on the culture plate. Many
mushroom spores are reported
to be allergenic.
• basin
an area having a common out-
let for its surface runoff.
• basin boundary
the topographic dividing line
around the perimetre of a ba-
sin, beyond which overland
flow (i.e., runoff) drains away
into another basin.
• basin lag
the time it takes from the cen-
tre of rainfall for the
hydrograph to peak.
II .
baseflow I bed load II
I • basin recharge
I rainfall that adds to the residual
moisture of the basin in order
to help recharge the water defi-
I cit. i.e., water absorbed into the
I
soil that does not take the form
of direct runoff.
• bay
I a large estuarine system (Ex-
I ample Chesapeake Bay).
I
I
I • bean sheet
I common term for a pesticide
data package record.
• bed load
sand, silt, gravel, or soil and
I
rock detritus carried by a
stream on or immediately
I
above its bed. The particles of
I
this material have a density or
I grain size such as to preclude
movement far above or for a
long distance out of contact
I with the streambed under
natural conditions of flow.
EnPirtmmental Studies
II beginning offreeze up I bio assay 31
*=================
- beginning of freeze up ~ - Best Available Control
date on which ice forming a ; Measures (BACM)
stable winter ice cover is first ~ a term used to refer to the most
observed on the water surface. : effective measures for control-
~ ling small or dispersed particu-
- beginning of the break up
; lates and other emissions from
date of definite breaking, : sources such as roadway dust,
movement, or melting of ice ~ soot and ash from woodstoves .
cover or significant rise of wa- ; and open burning of rush, tim-
ter level. : ber, grasslands, or trash.
I
- benefit-cost analysis
: - bimetal
an economic method for as- ~ beverage containers with steel
sessing the benefits and costs I bodies and aluminium tops are
of achieving alternative ~ handled differently from pure
health-based standards at : aluminium in recycling.
given levels of health protec- I
tion. : - bio accumulants
~ substances that increase in con-
- benthic zone
; centration in living organisms
the lower region of a body of : as they take in contaminated
water including the bottom. ~ air, water, or food because the
- bentonite I substances are very slowly
a colloidal clay, expansible when ~ metabolised or excreted.
moist, commonly used to pro- : - bio accumulation (bio
vide a tight seal around a well :I concentration • )

casmg. ~ a term used to describe a pro-

- beryllium ; cess that occurs when levels of
a metal hazardous to human : toxic substances increase in an
health when inhaled as an air- ~ organism over time, due to con-
borne pollutant. It is discharged I tinued exposure.
by machine shops, ceramic and ; -bio assay
propellant plants, and found- ; a test to determine the relative .
ries. : strength of a substance by com- .
I

Enf'iromnentlJl Studies ================= 11

32 :;0 a:vailabiJiity I biological integrity /I

paring its effect on a test organ-be defmed as the number of dif-

I

ism with that of a standard ferent items and their relative

I
preparation. frequencies. For biological di-
• bio availabiliity versity, these items are
I organised at many levels, rang-
degree of ability to be absorbed ing from complete ecosystems
and ready to interact in organ- I to the biochemical structures
ism metabolism. I that ar.: the molecular basis of

• Bio Chemical Oxygen heredity. Thus, the term encom-

Demand (BOD) passes different ecosystems,
a measure of the amount of ~ species, and genes.
oxygen consumed in the bio- ; • biological contaminants
logical processes that break I living organisms or derivates
down organic matter in water. (e.g. viruses, bacteria, fungi,
• bio concentration and mammal and bird antigens)
the accumulation of a chemical I
that can cause harmful health
in tissues of a fish or other or- effects when inhaled, swal-
ganism to levels greater than in lowed, or otherwise taken into
the surrounding medium. I the body.

• bio control agent I • biological control

an organism used to control
pests.
• bio degradableTop of the
Document
capable of being broken down
by living organisms into inor-
ganic compounds.
• bio diversity
refers to the variety and vari-
ability among living organisms
and the ecological complexes in
which they occur. Diversity can
I in pest control, the use of ani-
mals and organisms that eat or
I otherwise kill or out-compete
I pests.
I • biological diversity
I
the variety of different species,
the genetic variability of each
I species, and the variety of dif-
ferent ecosystems that they
form.
I
• biological integrity
the ability to support and

II ================= E"virrmmentlll ShuliR

II biological magnification I bio solids .. ===========~3~3
maintain balanced, integrated, ~ standard population on the
functionality in the natural ; same type of organism.
habitat of a given region. Con-
; - biological oxidation
cept is applied primarily in
drinking water management. : decomposition of complex or-
~ ganic materials by micro-organ-
- biological magnification I isms. Occurs in self-purification
refers to the process whereby ~ of water bodies and in activated
certain substances such as pes- : sludge wastewater treatment.
ticides or heavy metals move up I
: - biological oxygen demand
the food chain, work their way I (bod)
into rivers or lakes, and are
eaten by aquatic organisms such I an indirect measure of the con-
as fish, which in turn are eaten : centration of biologically de-
by large birds, animals or hu- ~ grad able material present in
mans. The substances become I organic wastes. It usually re-
concentrated in tissues or inter- ~ flects the amount of oxygen
nal organs as they move up the : consumed in five days by bio-
~ logical processes breaking
chain.
; down organic waste.
- biological measurement
a measurement taken in a bio- ; - bio solids
logical medium. : a nutrient-rich organic mate-
~ rial resulting from the treat-
- biological medium I ment of wastewater. Bio sol-
one of the major component of : ids contain nitrogen and phos-
an organism, e.g. blood, fatty ~ phorus along with other
tissue, lymph nodes or breath, ~ supplementary nutrients in
in which chemicals can be ; smaller doses, such as potas-
stored or transformed. : sium, sulphur, magnesium,
~ calcium, copper and zinc. Soil
- bio monitoring
; that is lacking in the';e sub-
a test used to evaluate the rela- : stances can be reclaimed with
tive potency of a chemical by ~ bio solids use. The application
comparing its effect on a living ; of bio solids to land improves
organism with the effect of a : soil properties and plant pro-
I

Bn"nmMmmIS~w __________________________________ II
34
~=======.
ductivity, and reduces depen-
dence on inorganic fertilisers.
• bio stabiliser
a machine that converts solid
waste into compost by grinding
and aeration.
• biological stressors
organisms accidentally or in-
tentionally dropped into habi-
tats in which they do not
evolve naturally, e.g. gypsy
moths, Dutch elm disease,
certain types of algae, and bac-
teria.
• biological treatment
a treatment technology that
uses bacteria to consume or-
gaIllC waste.
• biologically effective dose
the amount of a deposited or
absorbed compound reaching
the cells or target sites where
adverse effect occur, or where
the chemical interacts with a
membrane.
• biological
vaccines, cultures and other
preparations made from liv-
ing organisms and their prod-
ucts, intended for use in diag-
nosing, immunising, or treat-
ing humans or animals, or in
II =================
hiD stabiliser I biotic community II
~ related research.
I • biomass
I all of the living material in a
given area, often refers to veg-
etation.
.biome
I entire community of living or-
I ganisms in a single major eco-
logical area.
I
• biosphere
I
the portion of Earth and its at-
I mosphere that can support life.
I • biota
I the animal and plant life of a
given region.
• biotechnology
techniques that use living or-
I ganisms or parts of organisms
I to produce a variety of prod-
ucts (from medicines to indus-
I trial enzymes) to improve
I plants or animals or to de-
velop micro organisms to re-
move toxics from bodies of
I water, or act as pesticides.
I • biotic community
I a naturally occurring assem-
blage of plants and animals
I that live in the same environ-
I ment and are mutually sus-
taining and interdependent.
Environ_t.l Studies
II bivalve I boiler 35
*===============
• bivalve ~ pollution, especially when pol-
a mollusk that has two shells lutants accelerate growth.
;
hinged together, such as the ; • blow down
oyster, clam, or mussel.
~ the water drawn from boiler
• black ice : systems and cold water basins
transparent ice formed in riv- ~ of cooling towers to prevent the
ers and lakes. ; build-up of solids.
• black water ~ .bod
wastewater from toilet, latrine, : the amount of dissolved oxygen
and ague privy flushing and ~ consumed in five days by bin·
sinks used for food preparation I logical processes breaking
or disposal of chemical or ~ down organic matter.
chemical-biological ingredients. : • body burden
I
• blinds : the amount of a chemical stored
water samples containing a ~ in the body at a given time, es-
chemical of known concentra- ; pecially a potential toxin in the
tion given a fictitious company : body as the result of exposure.
I
name and slipped into the : • bog
sample flow of the lab to test I
: a type of wetland that accu-
the impartiality of the lab
~ mulates appreciable peat de-
staff.
; posits. They depend primarily
• blood products : on precipitation for their wa-
any product derived from hu- ~ ter source, and are usually
man blood, including but not ; acidic and rich in plant matter
limited to blood plasma, : with a conspicuous mat or liv-
platelets, red or white cor- ~ ing green moss.
puscles, and derived licensed ~ • boiler
products such as interferon.
I a vessel designed to transfer
• bloom ~ heat produced by combustion
a proliferation of algae and/ or electric resistance to water.
:
or higher aquatic plants in a ~ Boilers may provide hot water
body of water, often related to ; or steam.
36
================*
• boiling point
the temperature at which a liq-
uid boils. It is the temperature
at which the vapour pressure
of a liquid equals the pressure
on its surface. If the pressure
of the liquid varies, the actual
boiling point varies. For wa-
ter it is 212 degrees Fahren-
heit or 100 degrees Celsius.
• boom
1. a floating device used to
contain oil on a body of wa-
ter.
2. a piece of equipment used
to apply pesticides from a
tractor or truck.
• border ice
an ice sheet in the form of a
long border attached to the
bank or shore.
II ================= Bnvinm_tIIl StruliR
boiliug point I bottom ash II
• borehole
I hole made with drilling equip-
I ment.
I • botanical pesticide
a pesticide whose active ingre-
I dient is a plant-produced chemi-
I cal such as nicotine or strych-
I nine. Also called a plant-derived
pesticide.
I • bottle bill
I
proposed or enacted legislation,
I which requires a returnable,
deposit on beer or soda contain-
ers and provides for retail store
I or other redemption. Such leg-
I islation is designed to discour-
age use of throwaway contain-
ers.
I • bottom ash
I the non-airborne combustion
residue from burning
pulverised coal in a boiler, the
I material which falls to the bot-
I tom of the boiler and is re-
moved mechanically, a concen-
II bottomland hardwoods I breakup 37

tration of non-combustible ma- ~ • brackish ice

terials, which may include I ice formed from Brackish wa-
toxics. ; ter.
• bottom land hardwoods ; • braided stream
forested freshwater wetlands : characterised by successive di-
adjacent to rivers in the south- ~ vision and rejoining of stream
eastern United States, espe- ; flow with accompanying is -
cially valuable for wildlife : lands. A braided stream is com-
I
breeding, nesting and habitat. : posed of anabranches.
~ • brash ice
• bottom lands
low-lying land along a water- accumulation of floating ice
I

made up of fragments not more

way.
than 2 metres across, the wreck-
• boundary water I age of other forms of ice.

a river or lake that is part of I • breach

the boundary between two or ~ the failed opening in a dam.
more countries or provinces
that have rights to the water. ~ • breakpoint chlorination
; addition of chlorine to water
• bounding estimate : until the chlorine demand has
an estimate of exposure, dose, ~ been satisfied.
or risk that is higher than
~ • breakthrough
that incurred by the person in
the population with the cur- I a crack or break in a filter bed
; that allows the passage of flock
rently highest exposure, dose,
: or particulate matter through a
or risk. Bounding estimates
~ filter, will cause an increase in
are useful in developing state- ; filter effluent turbidity.
ments that exposures, doses,
or risks are not greater than ; • break up
an estimated value. : the time when a river whose
I
: surface has been frozen from
• brackish I bank to bank for a significant
mixed fresh and salt water. ; portion of its length begins to

Envinm_t/d Shulies ================= II

38 break up date I buffir strips "
=================*
change to an open water flow I • British thermal unit
condition. Break up is sig- I unit of heat energy equal to the
nailed by the breaking of the amount of heat required to raise
ice and often associated with I the temperature of one pound
ice jams and flooding. I of water by one degree Fahren-
• break up date heit at sea level.
date on which a body of water • broadcast application
is first observed to be entirely the spreading of pesticides over
clear of ice and remains clear I an entire area.
thereafter.
• bubble
• break up jam I a system under which existing
ice jam that occurs as a result I emISSIons sources can propose
of the accumulation of broken alternate means to comply with
Ice pIeces. I a set of emissions limitations,

• break up period ~ under the bubble concept,

sources can control more than
the period of disintegration of ;
required at one emission point
an Ice cover.
I where control costs are rela-
• breathing zone tively low in return for a com-
area of air in which an organ- parable relaxation of controls at
ism inhales. I a second emission point where
costs are higher.
• brine
highly salty and heavily I • buffer
mineralised water containing a solution or liquid whose
heavy metal and organic con- I chemical makeup is such that
taminants. it minimises changes in pH
when acids or bases are added
• brine mud
to it.
waste material, often associ-
ated with well-drilling or min- I • buffer strips
ing, composed of mineral salts I strips of grass or other erosion-
or other 100rganic com- I resisting vegetation between or
pounds. below cultivated strips or fields.

II ================= BnPirrmmmtIIJ Stwlin

II building cooling load I buttrwdam • ==========~3=9
MuHi-5.,..IH RI.,.rian Buffer Strip 5yt1tem ~ such as appliances, furniture,
; large auto parts, trees, stumps.
; _ buoyancy
~ the tendency of a body to float
: or rise when immersed in a
~ fluid, the power of a fluid to
; exert an upward force on a body
- building cooling load : placed in it.
the hourly amount of heat that I
must be removed from a build- : - burial ground (graveyard)
ing to maintain indoor comfort. ~ a disposal site for radioactive
I waste materials that uses earth
- building envelope : or water as a shield.
the exterior surface of a I
building's construction the
walls, windows, floors, roof,
and floor. Also called building I
shell.
- building related illness
diagnosable illness whose
causes and symptoms can be
directly attributed to a ~pecific I
pollutant source within a build-
mg.
I
- bulk sample : - buttress dam
a small portion (usually thumb- ~ buttress dams are comprised of
nail size) of a suspect asbestos- I reinforced masonry or stone-

containing building material ~ work built against concrete.

collected by an asbestos inspec-
tor for laboratory analysis to
determine asbestos content.
- bulky waste
large items of waste materials,
: They are usually in the form of
~ flat decks or multiple arches.
; They require about 60 per cent
: less concrete than gravity dams,
I but the increased formwork

Environ_till StudiR ================= II

40
==============~*
and reinforcement steel re-
quired usually offset the savings
in concrete. Many were built in
the 1930's when the ratio of
labour cost to materials was
comparatively low. However,
this type of construction is not
competitive with other types of
by-product I CRpillarity II
~ in nature in various forms, as
; calcite, chalk, and limestone,
: which is used in polishes and the
~ manufacture of lime and ce-
I ment.
: • calorie
~
I amount of energy required to

I.
darns when labour costs are : raise the temperature of 1 gram
high. I of water 1 degree Celsius.

cap
I a layer of day, or other imper-
meable material installed over
the top of a dosed landfill to
I prevent entry of rainwater and
minimise leachate .
• capacity assurance plan
• by-product a state wide plan which sup-
material, other than the princi- I ports a state's ability to manage
pal product, generated as a con- I the hazardous waste generated
sequence of an industrial pro- I within its boundaries over a
cess or as a breakdown product : twenty year period.
in a living system. I • capillarity

• cadmium (cd) I the degree to which a material

a heavy metal that accumulates I or object containing minute

in the environment. openings or passages, when
I immersed in a liquid, will draw
• calcium carbonate I the surface of the liquid above
CAC03: a white precipitate the hydrostatic level. Unless
that forms in water lines, wa- I otherwise deftned, the liquid is
ter heaters and boilers in hard I generally assumed to be water.
water areas, also known as The phenomenon by which wa-
scale. It is a powder occurring ~ ter is held in interstices above

II ================= Bnvirrm_tIIl ShUliu

II capillil" IIetUm I carcinogen 41
*===============
the normal hydrostatic level, ~ - carbon absorber
due to attraction between wa- ; an add-on control device that
ter molecules. : uses activated carbon to absorb
- capillary action ~ volatile organic compounds
movement of water through ~ from a gas stream.
very small spaces due to mo- • - carbon monoxide (co)
lecular forces called capillary ; a colourless, odourless, poison-
forces. : ous gas produced by incomplete
- capillary fringe ~ fossil fuel combustion.
the soil area just above the wa- ~ - carbon tetrachloride
ter table where water can rise ~ compound consisting of one
up slightly through the cohesive ; carbon atom and four chlorine
force of capillary action. This : atoms, once widely used as a
layer ranges in depth from a ~ industrial raw material, as a
couple of inches, to a few feet, ; solvent, and in the production
and it depends on the pore sizes : of CFCs . Use as a solvent
of the materials. ~ ended when it was discovered
- capillary potential ; to be carcinogenic.
The work required for moving ; - carbonates
a unit mass of water from the ~ the collective term for the natu-
reference plane to any point in : ral inorganic chemical com-
the soil column. ~ pounds related to carbon diox-
- capture efficiency ; ide that exist in natural water-
: ways.
the fraction of organic vapours
•
generated by a process that are : - carboxyhemoglobin
directed to an abatement or re- ~ haemoglobin in which the iron
covery device. • is bound to carbon
- carbamates ~ monoxide(CO) instead of OA,),-
a class of new-age pesticides : gen.
that attack the nervous system •: - carclOogen
•

of organisms. • any substance that can cause or

II
42 carcinogenic I catalytic con71eYter II
================*
aggravate cancer. • casing
• carcinogenic I a tubular strucrure intended to
describing a substance that I be watertight installed in the
excavated or drilled hole to
tends to produce cancer.
I maintain the well opening and,
• carrier along with cementing, to con-
1. the inert liquid or solid ma- fme the ground waters to their
terial in a pesticide product that I wnes of origin and prevent the
serves as a delivery vehicle for I entrance of surface pollutants.
the active ingredient. Carriers • cask
do not have toxic properties of ~
a thick-walled container (usu-
their own. I

2. any material or system that : ally lead) used to transport ra-

dioactive material. Also called
can facilitate the movement of ~
a coffm.
a pollutant into the body or I
cells. • catalyst
• carrying capacity a substance that changes the
I speed or yield of a chemical re-
I. in recreation management,
the amount of use a recreation I action without being consumed
area can sustain without loss of ; or chemically changed by the
chemical reaction.
quality.
2. in wildlife management, the • catalytic converter
maximum number of animals I an air pollution abatement de-
an area can support during a vice that removes pollutants
given period. from motor vehicle exhaust, ei-
• case study I ther by oxidising them into car-
bon dioxide and water or reduc-
a brief fact sheet providing I
risk, cost, and performance I ing them to nitrogen.
information on alternative
methods and other pollution I
prevention ideas, compliance I
initiatives, voluntary efforts,
etc.

II ================= EtJPit'OfmfMtIU ShIIlies

II catalytic incinerator I ceiling plenum* ==========="",4"",3
• catalytic incinerator
a control device that oxidises
volatile organic compounds
(VOC's) by using a catalyst to
promote the combustion pro-
cess. Catalytic incinerators re-
quire lower temperatures than
conventional thermal incinera-
tors, thus saving fuel and other
costs.
• catch basin
a sedimentation area designed
to remove pollutants from run-
off before being discharged into
a stream or pond.
• catchment area
an area having a common out-
let for its surface runoff.
• categorical pre-treatment ~
standard
a technology-based effluent
limitation for an industrial fa- I
cility discharging into a munici-
pal sewer system. Analogous in
stringency to Best Availability I
Technology (BAT) for direct
dischargers.
• cathodic protection
a technique to prevent corro-
sion of a metal surface by male-
ing it the cathode of an electro-
chemical cell.
E"viro",nentlll Studies =================
~ • caution
~ a warning against danger.
I • cavern
; a large underground opening in
: rock (usually limestone) which
~ occurred when some of the rock
; was dissolved by water. In some
: igneous rocks, caverns can be
I
: formed by large gas bubbles.
I
; • cavitation
~ the formation and collapse of
: gas pockets or bubbles on the
blade of an impeller or the gate
. of a valve, collapse of these
pockets or bubbles drives wa-
ter with such force that it can
cause pitting of the gate or valve
surface.
: • ceiling plenum
~ space below the flooring and
I above the suspended ceiling
~ that accommodates the me-
: chanical and electrical equip-
~ ment and that is used as part of
; the air distribution system. The
: space IS kept under negative
I
II
44
=================*
pressure.
• cells
1. in solid waste disposal, holes
where waste is dumped, com-
pacted, and covered with layers
of dirt on a daily basis.
2. the smallest structural part
of living matter capable offunc-
tioning as an independent unit.
• cement grout
a mixture of water and cement
in the ratio of not more than 5-
6 gallons ofwater to a 94 pound
sack of Portland cement which
is fluid enough to be pumped
through a small diametre pipe.
• cementitious
densely packed and non fibrous
cells I CPS (cubicfietpersecond) II
~ for treatment and/or disposal.
i This term could also apply to
community hazardous waste
I collections, industrial and other
I waste management systems.
I • centrifugal collector
a mechanical system using cen-
trifugal force to remove aero-
I sols from a gas stream or to
remove water from sludge.
I • centrifugal force
the force that causes something
to move outward from the cen-
I tre of rotation.
I • cesspool
I a covered hole or pit for receiv-
ing untreated sewage;
I

friable materials.
• central air handling unit
(central AHU)
this is the same as an Air Han-
dling Unit, but serves more I • CFM
than one area. I cubic feet per minute. The

• central collection point I amount of air, in cubic feet, that

location were a generator of : flows through a given space in

regulated medical waste con- ~ one minute. 1 CFM equals ap-
solidates wastes originally gen- I proximately 2 litres per second
erated at various locations in his (1/s).
facility. The wastes are gathered • CFS (cubic feet per sec-
together for treatment on-site I ond)
or for transportation elsewhere I the flow rate or discharge equal

II ================= Bn-nf'fm_ul Strulm

II CPs per day I chamct:erisation ofexpo;re===========4"",5
to one cubic foot (of water, usu-
ally) per second. This rate is
equivalent to approximately 7.48
gallons per second. This is also
referred to as a second-foot.
- CFS per day
the volume of water dis-
charged in twenty four hours,
with a flow of one cubic foot
per second is widely used, 1
cfs-day is 24 x 60 x 60 =
86,000 cubic feet, 1.983471
acre-feet, or 646,317 gallons.
The average flow in cubic feet
per second for any time period
is the volume of flow in cfs-
days.
- channel (watercourse)
an open conduit either narurally
or artificially created which peri-
odically, or continuously contains
moving water, or forms a con-
necting link between two lxxlies
of water. River, creek, run,
branch, anabranch, and tributary
are some of the terms used to
describe natural channels. Natu-
ral channels may be single or
braided. Canal and floodway are
some of the terms used to de-
scribe artificial channels.
- channel inflow
~ portion of an ecological risk
water, which at any instant, is ; assessment that evaluates in-
~ flowing into the channei sys-
; tern form surface flow, subsur-
: face flow, base flow, and rain-
~ fall that has directly fallen
; onto the channel.
; - channel lead
~ an elongated opening in the ice
: cover caused by a water current.
t .
: - channel routing
~ the process of determining
t progressively timing and
: shape of the flood wave at suc-
~ cessive points along a river.
.t - ch anne1"Isatton
~ straightening and deepening
; streams so water will move
: faster, a marsh-drainage tac-
~ tic that can interfere with
; waste assimilation capacity,
:t disturb. fish and wildlife habi-
: tats, and aggravate flooding.
~ _ characterisation of eco-
t logical effects
; part of ecological risk assess-
: ment that evaluates ability of
~ a stressor to cause adverse ef-
; fects under given circum-
:t stances.
•
: - characterisation of expo-
t sure
~46~~~~~~~~~~~=..
teraction of a stressor with
one or more ecological enti-
ties.
• characteristic
anyone of the four categories
used in defining hazardous
waste: ignitability, corrosivity,
reactivity, and toxicity.
• check dam
a small dam constructed in a
gully or other small water
course to ·decrease the stream
flow velocity, minimise chan-
nel erosion, promote deposi-
tion of sediment and to divert
water from a channel.
• check-valve tubing pump
water sampling tool also re-
ferred to as a water Pump.
• chemical
related to the science of chem-
istry, a substance characterised
by a deftnite chemical molecu-
lar composition.
II ================= Envirrmmmt/d Shulies
characteristic I chmJwl polllltUm II
I • chemical case
I for purposes of review and regu-
larion, the grouping of chemically
similar pesticide active ingredi-
I ents into chemical cases.
I • chemical compound
I a distinct and pure substance
formed by the union or two or
more elements in deftnite pro-
I portion by weight.
I
LJCV1
I
I eR2 - N (C aR5)2
I • chemical element
I a fundamental substance com-
prising one kind of atom, the
simplest form of matter.
• Chemical Oxygen Demand
(COD)
I a measure of the oxygen re-
quired to oxidise all com-
pounds, both organic and inor-
I ganic, in water.
I • chemical pollution
I introduction of chemical con-
taminants into a water body.
II chemical sensitisation I chiller 47
*================
• chemical sensitisation ~ • chemical weathering
evidence suggests that some I attack and dissolving of parent
people may develop health ~ rock by exposure to rainwater,
problems characterised by ef- : surface water, oxygen, and
fects such as dizziness, eye and ~ other gases in the atmosphere,
throat irritation, chest tightness, ; and compounds secreted by or-
and nasal congestion that ap- : ganisms.Contrast to physical
pear whenever they are exposed ~ weathering.
to certain chemicals. People
~ • chemnet
may react to even trace
amounts of chemicals to which ; mutual aid network of chemi-
they have become 'sensitised'. : cal shippers and contractors that
:I .
aSSIgns a contracted emergency
• chemical stressors I response company to provide
chemicals released to the envi- ~ technical support if a represen-
ronment through industrial : tative of the firm whose chemi-
waste, auto emissions, pesti- I cals are involved in an incident
cides, and other human activity ; is not readily available.
that can cause illnesses and even
; • chemosterilant
death in plants and animals.
: a chemical that controls pests by
• chemical treatment ~ preventing reproduction.
anyone of a variety of technolo-
~ • chiller
gies that use chemicals or a va-
riety of chemical processes to ~ a device that generates a cold
treat waste. ; liquid that is circulated through
: an air-handling unit's cooling
~ coil to cool the air supplied to
Chemical Treatment
Followed by Solids Separation
.; the building.

-........
...
- ~~-

--
=====11
",4",,8==========*
• chilling effect
the lowering of the Earth's tem-
perature because of increased
particles in the air blocking the
sun's rays.
• chisel ploughing
preparing croplands by using a
special implement that avoids
complete inversion of the soil
as in conventional ploughing.
Chisel ploughing can leave a
protective cover or crops resi-
dues on the soil surface to help
prevent erosion and improve
filtration.
I atomic number 17, atomic
• chlorinated hydrocarbons
1. chemicals containing only ~ fectant in drinking and waste-
chlorine, carbon, and hydrogen. ; water treatment processes.
These include a class of persis-
tent, broad-spectrum insecti-
cides that linger in the environ- I
ment and accumulate in the
food chain. Among them are
DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, hep- I
tachlor, chlordane, lindane, en-
drin, Mirex, hexachloride, and
toxaphene. Other examples in- I
chilli1lgeffect I chlorine II
I clude TCE, used as an industrial
I solvent.
2. any chlorinated organic com-
I pounds including chlorinated sol-
I vents such as dichloromethane,
trichloromethylene, chloroform.
I
• chlorinated solvent
an organic solvent containing
I chlorine atoms(e.g. methylene
I chloride and 1,1, I-trichlo-
romethane). Uses of chlori-
I nated solvents include aerosol
I spray containers, in highway
paint, and dry cleaning fluids.
• chlorination
the adding of chlorine to water
I or sewage for the purpose of
disinfections or other biological
or chemical results.
I
• chlorine
a chemical element, symbol CI,
weight 35.453, used as a disin-

11 ______ ====__========= Environment/II Snulies

II chlorine demand I chronic toxicity .. ===========4~9
• chlorine demand .Iease , lack of nutrients, or vari-
the difference between the ; ous air pollutants.
amount of chlorine added to ; • cholera
water, sewage, or industrial : an acute, often fatal, infectious
wastes and the amo~t .of re- ~ epidemic disease caused by the
sidual chlorine re~ammg at I micro organism 'Vibrio comma',
the end of a specific contact : which is characterised by watery
period. ~ diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps, sup-
• chlorine-contact chamber ~ pression of urine, and collapse.
that part of a water treatment I • cholinesterase
plant where effiuent is disin-
; an enzyme found in animals that
fected by chlorine.
: regulates nerve impulses by dle
• chlorofluorocarbons ~ inhibition of acetylcholine. Cho-
(CFC's) ; linesterase inhibition is associ-
a family of inert, non-toxic, and :I ated with a variety of acute symp-
. .
easily liquefied chemicals used : toms such as nausea, vonutmg,
in refrigeration, air condition- I blurred vision, stomach cramps,
ing, packaging, insulation, or as ; and rapid heart rate.
solvents and aerosol propel- ; • chronic effect
lants. Because CFC's are not: an adverse effect on a human or
destroyed in the lower atmo- ~ animal in which symptoms recur
sphere they drift into the upper ; frequendyor develop slowly over
atmosphere where their chlo- : a long period of time.
rine components destroy orone. ~ .
. • chroruc exposure
• chlorophen~,,! ~ Multiple exposures occurring
a class of herblCld~s that may ~ over an extended period of time
be found in domestic water sup- ; or over a significant fraction of
plies and cause adverse health : an animal's or human's lifetime
effects. ~ (Usually seven years to a life-
• chlorosis ; time.)
discolouration of normally ; • chronic toxicity
green plant parts caused by dis- the capacity of a substance to
En"nmftWn~/ShJw ___________________________________ II
"",5"""O======Chu=te"""sJn"""'"""Il"""wa"""'Y",,,,I=c:ner teclnwlogies substitutes assessment
cause long-term poisonous
health effects in humans, ani-
mals, fish, and other organisms.
• chute spillway
the overall structure which allows
water to drop rapidly through an
open channel without causing
erosion. Usuiilly constructed near
the edge of dams.
• circle of influence
the circular outer edge of a de-
pression produced in the water
table by the pumping of water
from a well.
• circulate
to move in a circle, circuit or
orbit, to flow without obstruc-
tion, to follow a course that re-
turns to the starting point.
• cistern
a tank used to collect rainwater
runoff from the roof of a house
or building.
II ================= EnnronmmtiU Shulies
II
I • clarification
I clearing action that occurs dur-
ing wastewater treatment when
solids settle out. This is often
I aided by centrifugal action and
I
chemically induced coagulation
in wastewater.
• clarifier
a tank in which solids settle to
I the bottom and are subse-
quently removed as sludge.
I
• clay soil
soil material containing more
I than 40 percent clay, less than
I 45 percent sand, and less than
40 percent silt.
I
I
• clean fuels
blends or substitutes for gaso-
I line fuels, including compressed
natural gas, methanol, ethanol,
and liquefied petroleum gas.
• cleaner te~ologies
substitutes assessment
I a document that systematically
evalu~tes the relative risk, per-
II cleanup I climatic cycle
formance, and cost trade-offs of
technological alternatives,
serves as a repository for all the
technical data (including meth-
odology and results) developed
by pollution prevention or edu-
cation project.
• cleanup
actions taken to deal with a re-
lease or threat of release of a
hazardous substance that could
affect humans and/or the envi-
ronment. The term 'cleanup' is
sometimes used interchange-
ably with the terms remedial
action, removal action, response
action, or corrective action.
• clear cut
harvesting all the trees in one
area at one time, a practice that
can encourage fast rainfall or
snowmelt runoff, erosion, sedi-
mentation of streams and lakes,
and flooding, and destroys vi-
tal habitat.
======"
51
*================
~ • clear well
; a reservoir for storing filtered
:I water of sufficient quantity to
: prevent the need to vary the fIl-
I tration rate with variations in
: demand. Also used to provide
~ chlorine contact time for disin-
I fections .
I • climate
; meteorological elements that
: characterise the average and
~ extreme conditions of the atmo-
; sphere over a long period of
~ time at anyone place or region
: of the earth's surface.
~ • climate change
~ used to refer to all forms of cli-
; matic inconsistency, but because
the Earth's climate is never
~ static, the term is more prop-
; edy used to imply a significant
: change from one climatic con-
~ dition to another. In some cases,
I 'climate change' has been used
:I synonymously with the. term, .
: 'global warming', SCIentIsts
I however, tend to use the term
~ in the wider sense to also in-
: clude natural changes in climate. '
I
: • climatic cycle
~ the periodic changes climate
I displays, such as a series of dry
~ years following a series of years
52 cloning I cloudburst II
================*
with heavy rainfall. • • closed-loop recycling
• cloning • reclaiming or reusing wastewa-
in biotechnology, obtaining a • ter for non-potable purposes in
group of genetically identical an enclosed process.
cells from a single cell, mak- • closure
ing identical copies of a gene. • the procedure a landfill opera-
• closed basin • tor must follow when a landfill
reaches its legal capacity for
a basin draining to some de- •
solid ceasing acceptance of solid
pression or pond within its area,
from which water is lost only ~ waste and placing a cap on the
landfill site.
by evaporation or percolation. •
A basin without a surface out- • cloud
let for precipitation falling pre- a visible mass of tiny bits of
cipitation. • water or ice hanging in the air,
• closed basin lake flooding • usually high above the earth.
flooding that occurs on lakes •
with either no outlet or a rela-
tively small one. Seasonal in-'
creases in rainfall cause the lake •
level to rise faster than it can
drain. The water may stay at
flood stage for weeks, months, •
or years.
• closed season
a time when a certain fish can-
not be caught. I • cloudburst
• closed system I a torrential downpour of rain,
; which by it spottiness and
a system that functions without
: relatively high intensity sug-
any materials or processes be-
~ 'gests the bursting and dis-
yond those it contains and/or . charge of water from a cloud
produces itself.
all at once.
II coagulation I cold temperature 53
*================
• coagulation ~ • coastal zone'
clumping of particles in waste- I lands and waters adjacent to the
water to settle out impurities, ~ coast that exert an influence on
often induced by chemicals such : the uses of the sea and its ecol-
as lime, alum, and iron salts. ~ 9gy, or whose uses and ecology
; are affected by the sea.
• coal cleaning technology
a pre-combustion process by ~ • Coefficient of Haze
which coal is physically or (COH)
chemically treated to remove ~ a measurement of visibility in-
some of its sulphur so as to re- ~ terference in the atmosphere.
duce sulphur dioxide emissions. ; • co-fire
• coal gasification ; burning of two fuels in the
conversion of coal to a gaseous : same combustion unit, e.g.,
product by one of several avail- ~ coal and natural gas, or oil and
able technologies. ; coal.
• coastal flooding ; • cogeneration
flooding that occurs from ~ the consecutive generation of
storms where water is driven : useful thermal and electric en-
onto land from an adjacent ~ ergy from the same fuel source.
body of water. These can be I • cohesion
hurricanes, 'nor'easters', or
tropical storms, but even a se- ; the force of attraction between
vere winter storm or thunder- : two like materials.
I
storm can cause this type of : • coke oven
I
flooding. : an industrial process which con-
~ verts coal into coke, one of the
; basic materials used in blast fur-
: naces for the conversion of iron
~ ore into iron.

~ • cold temperature
I a standard for automobile ernis-
~ sions of carbon monoxide (CO)
E~"nm~mIS~~ __________________________________ II
54
=================*
emissions to be met at a low
temperature (i.e. 20 degrees
Fahrenheit). Conventional au-
tomobile catalytic converters are
not efficient in cold weather
until they warm up.
• cold vapour
method to test water for the
presence of mercury.
• coliform bacteria
a group of bacteria used as an
indicator of sanitary quality in
water. Exposure to these organ-
isms in drinking water causes
diseases such as cholera.
• coliform index
a rating of the purity of water
based on a count of fecal bacte-
na.
• coliform organism
micro organisms found in the
intestinal tract of humans and
animals. Their presence in wa-
II ================= Environ_till SnulUs
cold vapour I colloids II
I ter indicates fecal pollution and
I potentially adverse contamina-
tion by pathogens.
I
I
• coliforms
bacteria found in the intestinal
I tract of warm-blooded animals,
used as indicators of fecal con-
tamination in water.
• collector
public or private hauler that
I collects no hazardous waste and
recyclable materials from resi-
dential, commercial, institu-
I tional and industrial sources.
I • collector sewers
I pipes used to collect and carry
wastewater from individual
sources to an interceptor sewer
I that will carry it to a treatment
facility.
• collector well
a well located near a surface
I water supply used to lower the
water table and thereby induce
infiltration of surface water
I through the bed of the water
I body to the well.
I • colloids , J,.. .
very small, fmely di\jded solids
(that do not dissoive) that re-
I main dispersed in a liquid for a
I long time due to their small size
II co/um1l4r ice I command post 55
*================
and electrical charge. ~ - combustion
I 1. burning, or rapid oxidation,
- columnar ice
ice conslstmg of columnar ~ accompanied by release of en-
shaped grain. The ordinary : ergy in the form of heat and
black ice is usually columnar- ~ light.
grained. ; 2. refers to controlled burning
: of waste, in which heat chemi-
- combination foundations ~ cally alters organic compounds,
buildings constructed with ; converting into stable inorganic
more than one foundation : such as carbon dioxide and wa-
type, e.g. ) basement/ ~ ter.
crawlspace or basement/slab- ~ - combustion chamber
on-grade.
I the actual compartment where
- combined sewer overflows ~ waste is burned in an incinera-
discharge of a mixture of storm : tor.
water and domestic waste when I
the flow capacity of a sewer sys- I
tern is exceeded during rain-
storms.
- combined sewers
a sewer system that carries I
both sewage and storm-water: - combustion product
runoff. Normally, its entire flow ~ substance produced during the
goes to a waste treatment plant, I burning or oxidation of a ma-
but during a heavy storm, the ~ terial.
volume of water may be so : _ command post
great as to cause overflows of ~ f: iii I d afi di
untreated mixtures of storm ; ac ~d ~ate at a s .~ st~ce
water and sewage into receiv- : uPhwIll rom an aCCI edin~t site,
. ff I were theon-scene coor ator,
Illg waters. Storm-water runo. d d hni al
al . h . al . respon ers, an tec c rep-
mfjay . sOd car~al tOXiC c effilC s ~ resentatives make response de-
rom III UStrl areas or streets . .. did
into the sewer system. I C1SIons, ep oy manpower an
~ equipment, maintain liaison
56 C0mm4nd-Rnd-contro~regulations I community WRtn'system II
with news media, and handle I

communications.
• command-and-control
regulations
specific requirements pre-
scribing how to comply with I
specific standards defining ac- I • commissioning
ceptable levels of pollution. start-up of a building that in-
• commercial waste cludes testing and adjusting
all solid waste emanating I HVAC, electrical, plumbing,
from business establishments I and other systems to assure

such as stores, markets, office proper functioning and adher-

buildings, restaurants, shop- I ence to design criteria. Com-
ping centres, and theatres. missioning also includes the
instruction of building repre-
• commercial waste manage- Isentatives in the use of the
ment facility building systems.
a treatment, storage, disposal,
I • community
or transfer facility which ac- .
cepts waste from a variety of ; in ecology, an assemblage of
sources, as compared to a pri- : populations of different spe-
vate facility which normally I cies within a specified location
manages a limited waste I in space and time. Sometimes,
stream generated by its own a particular sub grouping may
operations. I be specified, such as the fish
I community in a lake or the
• commingled recyc1ablcs soil arthropod community in
mixed recyclables that are col- I a forest.
lected together. I • community water system
. ·comminuter I a public water system which
a machine that shreds or serves at least 15 service connec-
pulverises solids to make waste tions used by year-round resi-
treatment easier. I dents or regularly serves at least
25 year-round residents.

II ================ ll8.";,.,,,._tIJI strut_

II compaction I composite sample, weigh;===========5=7

_ compaction ~ - compliance monitoring

reduction of the bulk of solid ; collection and evaluation of data,
waste by rolling and tamping. : including self-monitoring re-
- comparative risk assess-
~ ports, and verification to s~ow
I whether pollutant concentrations
ment
: and loads contained in permitted
process that generally uses t?e ~ discharges are in compliance with
judgement of experts to predict ~ the limits and conditions speci-
effects and set priorities among ; fied in the permit.
a wide range of environmental
problems. ~ - compliance schedule
: a negotiated agreement be-
- complete treatment
~ tween a pollution source and
a method of treating water that ; a government agency that
consists of the addition of co- : specifies dates and procedures
agulant chemicals, fl~h mixin~, ~ by which a source will reduce
coagulation-flocculanon, sedl- I emissions and, thereby, com-
mentation, and ftltration. Also ~ ply with a regulation.
called conventional ftltration.
. :I - composite hydrograph
- compI etlon : a stream discharge hydrograph
sealing off access of undesirable ~ which includes base flow, or one
water to the well bore .by ; which corresponds to a net rain
proper casing and/or cementing : storm of duration longer than
procedures. ~ one unit period.
- compliance coal ~ _ composite sample
any coal that emits less than 1.2 ~ a series of water samples taken
pounds of sulphur dioxide per ; over a given period of time and
million Btu when burned. Also : weighted by flow rate.
known as low sulphur coal. I
: - composite sample,
- compliance coating ~ weighted
a coating whose volatile or- ~ a sample composed of two or
ganic compound content does
; more portions collected at spe-
not exceed that allowed by
: cific times and added together
regulation. I

Bnvirrm_tlJl Studies ============== II

58 compost I conditional air II
===============*
in volumes related to the flow I

at time of collection .
• compost
the relatively stable humus I
material that is produced from
a composting process in which
bacteria in soil mixed with I
vapours are y non-
garbage and degradable trash I owne producing. However, ve-
break down the mixture into hicles fuelled with eNG do emit
organic fertiliser. a significant quantity of nitro-
• composting I gen oxides .

the controlled biological de- I • concentration

composition of organic mate- I the relative amount of a sub-
rial in the presence of air to stance mixed with another sub-
form a humus-like material. I stance. An example is five ppm
Controlled methods of ~ of carbon monoxide in air or 1
composting include mechani- ; mg/l of iron in water.
cal mixing and aerating, ven- : • condensate
tilating the materials by 1. liquid formed when warm
dropping them through a ver- I landfill gas cools as it travels
tical series of aerated cham- through a collection system. 2.
bers, or placing the compost water created by cooling steam
in piles out in the open air I or water vapour.
and mixing it or turning it pe- I
• condensate return system
riodically.
~ system that returns the heated
• Compressed Natural Gas ; water condensing within steam
(eNG) piping to the boiler and thus
an alternative fuel for motor saves energy.
vehicles, considered one of the I • conditioned air
cleanest because of low hydro- I air that has been heated, cooled,
carbon emissions and its humidified, or dehumidified to

II =============== En""""."tIJl StruliR

II conductance I connategrowth 59
*================
maintain an interior space ~ in shape, produced in a water
within the 'comfort zone'. ; table by the pumping of water
(Sometimes referred to as : from a well.
I
'tempered' air).
: - confined aquifer
- conductance ~ an aquifer in which ground wa-
a rapid method of estimating ~ ter is confined under pressure
the dissolved solids content of ; which is significantly greater
water supply by determining : than atmospheric pressure.
the capacity of a water
. sample :I - confi ned dwa
groun ter
to carry an electncal current. I
Conductivity is a measure of : gro~d water hel~ under an
the ability of a solution to carry ~ aqill~lud~ or an aquifug~ calle~
and electrical current. ; ~eslan if the pressure IS POSl-
: tlve.
- conductivity
a measure of the ability of a
~ - confining bed or unit
solution to carry an electrical ~ a body of impermeable or dis-
current. ; tinctly less permeable material
: stratigraphically adjacent to one
- conduit I 'c
: or more aqilliers.
a natureil or artificial channel
~ - confluent growth
through which fluids may be
conveyed. ~ a continuous bacterial growth
; covering all or part of the fU-
- cone of depression : tration area of a membrane fU-
the depression, roughly conical ~ ter in which the bacteria colo-
in shape, produced ill a water ; nies are not discrete.
table, or other piewmetric sur-
; - conjunctive management
face, by the extraction of water
from a well at a given rate. The :I integrated management and
volume of the cone will vary with : use of two or more water re-
the rate of withdrawal of wa- I sources, such as an aquifer and
ter. ~ a surface water body.

- cone of influence ~ - connate growth

the depression, roughly conical I: water trapped in the pore spaces

En'Pirrmmentll.l Studies ================= II

=60============* cunservatWn I conttructid wetlands
of a sedimentary rock at the
time it was deposited. It is usu-
ally highly mineralised.
• conservation
preserving and renewing, when
possible, human and natural
resources. The use, protection,
and improvement of natural
resources, according to prin-
ciples, will ensure their highest
economic or social benefits.
• conservation farming
the management of farm activi-
ties and structures to eliminate
or reduce adverse environmen-
tal effects of pollutants and con-
serve soil, water, plant, and ani-
mal resources.
• conservation storage
storage of water for later re-
lease for usual purposes such as
municipal water supply, power,
or irrigation in contrast with
storage capacity used for flood
control.
• conserve
to save a natural resource, such
as water, through intelligent
management and use.
.
• consolidated formation
naturally occurring geologic for··
mations that have been lithified
II ================= l J I m _.., Struliu
II
I (turned to stone) . The term is
I sometimes used interchange-
ably with the term 'bedrock'.
I Commonly, these formations
I will stand at the edges of a bore-
hole without caving.
I
• consolidated ice cover
ice cover formed by the pack-
I ing and freezing together of
floes, brash ice and other forms
of floating ice.
• constant air volume sys-
tems
I air handling system that pro-
vides a constant air flow while
varying the temperature to
I meet heating and cooling
needs.
• constructed wetlands
wetlands that are designed and
built similar to natural wet-
I lands, some are used to treat
wastewater. Constructed wet-
lands for wastewater treatment
I consist of one or more shallow
depressions or cells built into
the ground with level bottoms
I
so that the flow of water can be
controlled within the cells and
from cell to cell. Roots and
stems of the wetland plants
I
form a dense mat where bio-
I
logical and physical processes
II constructiun and demolitiun waste I ,;taminatiOn source inJlmtory 61

occur to treat the wastewater. ~ water used in manufacturing,

Constructed wetlands are being ; agriculture, and food prepara-
used to treat domestic, agncul- : tion.
tural, industrial, and mining I
: - contact pesticide
wastewaters.
~ a chemical that kills pests when
- construction and demoli- I it touches them, instead of by
tion waste ~ ingestion. It is the soil that con-
waste building materials, : tains the minute skeletons of
dredging materials, tree ~ certain algae that scratch and
stumps, and rubble resulting ; dehydrate waxy-coated insects.
from .construction, remodelling,
. . : _ contact recrea0·on
repaIr, and demolIuon of ~ .... . ..
homes, commercial buildings ; a~tlVltl~S mv~IVIng a sIgnificant
and other structures and pave- : nsk of ~gestlon «:>f water, s~ch
ments. May contain lead, asbes- ~ as. wading by ~~dre~,. SWIm-
tos or other hazardous sub- ; mmg, water skiing, diVIng and
st~ces. : surfmg.
I •
- consumptive use : - contammant
the difference between the to- ~ any physical, chemical, biologi-
tal quantity of water withdrawn ; cal, or radiological substance or
from a source for any use and : matter that has an adverse ef-
the quantity of water returned . lect on aIr, water, or soil .
Ic.'

I ••
to the source, e.g., the release . - contanunaoon
of water into the atmosphere, ~ the introduction into water of
the consumption of water by ; sewage or other foreign matter
humans, animals, and plants, : that will render the water unfit
and the incorporation of water ~ for its intended use.
into the products of industrial
or food processing. ~ - contamination source
;
inventory
- consumptive water use
~ an inventory of contaminant
water removed from available : sources within delineated
supplies without return to a I State Water-Protection Areas.
water resources system, e.g. ; Targets likely sources for fur-

B#"~"IS~m ~________~____________________=- II
",,62===========..
ther investigation.
• contents
the volume of water in a reser-
voir. Unless otherwise indicated
reservoir content is computed
on the basis of a level pool and
does not include bank storage.
• contingency plan
a document setting out an
organised, planned, and coordi-
nated course of action to be fol-
lowed in case of a fire, explo-
sion, or other accident that re-
leases toxic chemicals, hazard-
ous waste, or radioactive mate-
rials that threaten human health
or the environment.
• continuous discharge
a routine release to the environ-
ment that occurs without inter-
ruption, except for infrequent
shutdowns for maintenance,
process changes, etc.
• continuous sample
a flow of water, waste or other
material from a particular place
in a plant to the location where
samples are collected for test-
ing. May be used to obtain grab
or composite samples.
• contour ploughing
soil tilling method that follows
II ================= E"Pi"",_tlJl ShUlm
contents I conventional pollutants II
I the shape of the land to discour-
I age erosion.
I
I
• control points horizontal
and vertical
I small monuments securely em-
bedded in the surface of the
dam. Any movement of the
I monument indicates a move-
ment in the dam itself. Move-
ments in the dam are detected
I by comparing control points
I location to location of fixed
monuments located off the dam
I .
usmg accurate survey tec h -
I niques.
I • controlled reaction
a chemical reaction under tem-
perature and pressure condi-
I tions maintained within safe
limits to produce a desired
I
product or process.
I
• convection current
the transfer of heat by the maSs
I movement of heated particles.
I • conventional pollutants
statutorily listed pollutants
II conventional site assessment I corro~
understood well by scientists.
These may be in the form of
organic waste, sediment, acid,
bacteria, viruses, nutrients, oil
and grease, or heat.
• conventional site assess-
ment
assessment in which most of
the sample analysis and inter-
pretation of data is completed
off-site, process usually re-
quires repeated mobilisation
of equipment and staff in or-
der to fully determine the ex-
tent of contamination.
• conventional systems
systems that have been tradi-
tionally used to collect munici-
pal wastewater in gravity sew-
ers and convey it to a central
primary or secondary treat-
ment plant prior to discharge to
surface waters.
• conventional tilling
tillage operations considered
standard for a specific location
and crop and that tend to bury
the crop residues, usually con-
sidered as a base for deter-
mining the cost effectiveness
of control practices.
• conveyance loss
water loss in pipes, channels,
Bn"nmnunt~S~Ut -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=~ II
63
I conduits, ditches by leakage or
I evaporation.
I
.
• cooling electricity use
amount of electricity used to
meet the building-cooling load.
• cooling tower
I a structure that helps remove
I heat from water used as a cool-
ant, e.g., in electric power gen-
erating plants.
I • cooperative observer
I an individual (or institution)
who takes precipitation and
temperature observations-and
I in some cases other observa-
I tions such as river stage, soil
temperature, and evaporation-
I at or near their home, or place
I of business.
I • core
the uranium-containing heart of
a nuclear reactor, where energy .
I is released.
I • corn snow ice
I rotten granular ice.
I • corrosion
the dissolution and wearing
away of metal caused by a
I chemical reaction such as be-
I tween water and the pipes,
chemicals touching a metal sur-
I
64 corrosive I crestgage "
=================*
face, or contact between two I • cradle-to-grave or mani-
metals. fest system .
a procedure in which hazardous
materials are identified and foI-
I lowed as they are produced,
treated, transported, and dis-
posed of by a series of perma-
I nent, linkable, descriptive docu-
ments (e.g. manifests). Com-
monly referred to as the cradle-
RH<IO%
to-grave system.
RH>IO%
I.creek
• corrosive I a small stream of water which
a chemical agent that reacts with serves as the natural drainage
the surface of a material caus- course for a drainage basin.
ing it to deteriorate or wear I The term is relative according
away. to size. Some creeks in a hu-
mid region would be called
• cover crop I rivers if they occurred in an
a crop that provides temporary I arid area.
protection for delicate seedlings
and/or provides a cover canopy I • crest
for seasonal soil protection and the top of a dam, dike, or spill-
improvement between normal way, which water must reach
crop production periods. I before passing over the struc-
ture, the summit or highest
• cover material
point of a wave, the highest el-
soil used to cover compacted I evation reached by flood waters
solid waste in a sanitary land- flowing in a channel.
fill.
I • crest gage
• crack a gage used to obtain a record
a separation formed in an ice I of flood crests at sites where
cover of floe that does not di- I recording gages are installed.
vide it into two or more pieces.
II crest width (top thickness) I eRP 65
*================
• crest width (top thickness) ~ which some standards do not
the thickness or width of a dam ; apply. The impacts of permit-
at the level of the crest (top) of ~ te~. discharges are analysed at
the dam. The term 'thickness' : crmcallow-flow.
is used for gravity and arch ~ • crop consumptive use
dams and 'width' for other types I. the amount of water transpired
of dams.
; during plant growth plus what
• critical depth : evaporated from the soil sur-
the depth of water flowing in ~ face and foliage in the crop area.
an open channel or conduit, par- ~ • crop rotation
tially filled, corresponding to ; planting a succession of differ-
one of the recognised critical : ent crops on the same land as
velocities.
~ opposed to planting the same
• critical effect ~ crop time after time.
the first adverse effect, or its I • cross contamination
known prec~sor, that occ~s as ~ the movement of underground
a. dose. rate mcreases. DesIgna-.
. . cont ·
amman ts firom one 1eveI or
non allIS bdased on evaluanon of ~ area to another due to invasive
over atabase. ; subsurface activities.
• critical flow I • cross-connection
a condition of flow where the
~ any actual or potential connec-
mean velocity is at one ofthe criti-
: tion between a drinking water
cal values, ordinarily at
~ system and an unapproved wa-
Belanger's critical depth and ve-
; ter supply or other source of
locity. Another important usage : contamination.
is in reference to the Reynolds' I
critical velocities which defme the : • cross-sectional area
point at which the flow changes ~ area perpendicular to the direc-
from streamline or non-turbulent I tion of flow.
to turbulent flow.
I.CRP
• critical low flow ; Critical Rainfall Probability. The
low flow conditions below : Probability that a given rainfall
I .

En"nmMm~IS~m ________________________________ = II
!::6::.:6===========. crumb rubber I cumulatil'eexposure II
will cause a river, or stream to
rise above flood stage.
• crumb rubber
ground rubber fragments the
size of sand or silt used in rub-
ber ur plastic products, or pro-
cessed further into reclaimed
rubber or asphalt products.
• cryology
the science of the physical as-
pects of snow, ice, hail, and sleet
and other forms of water pro-
duced by temperatures below
Zero degrees Celsius.
• cryptosporidium
a protozoan microbe associ-
ated with the disease
cryptosporidiosis in man. The
disease can be transmitted
through ingestion of drinking
water, person-to-person con-
tact, or other pathways, and
can cause acute diarrhoea, ab-
dominal pain, vomiting, fever,
and can be fatal as it was in
the Milwaukee episode.
• cubic feet
the volume of a cube whose
edge is some number of feet in
measure.
• cubic metres
the volume of a cube whose
~ edge is some number of metres
I ill measure.
I • cullet
crushed glass.
• cultural eutrophication
I
increasing rate at which water
I bodies 'die' by pollution from
I human activities .
I - cultures and stocks
I
infectious agents and associated
biological including cultures
I from medical and pathological
laboratories, cultures and stocks
of infectious agents from re-
I search and industrial laborato-
I ries, waste from the production
of biological, discarded live and
I attenuated vaccines, and culture
I dishes and devices used to trans-
fer, inoculate, and mix cultures.
_ cumulative
I
increasing or enlarging by suc-
I cessive addition, acquired by or
I resulting from accumulation.
_ cumulative ecological risk
assessment
consideration of the total eco-
I logical risk from multiple stres-
I sors to a given eco-zone.
- cumulative exposure
the sum of exposures of an or-
II curb stop I cyclone collector 67
*================
ganism to a pollutant over a ~ - curtain drain
period of time. I a drain constructed at the up-
_ curb stop ~ per end of the area to be
a water service shutoff valve : drained, to intercept surface or
located in a water service pipe ~ ground water flowing toward
near the curb and between the ; the protected area from higher
water main and the building. : ground, and carry it away from
~ the area. Also called an Inter-
- curb side collection ; cepting Drain.
method of collecting recyclable
; - cuttings
materials at homes, community
: spoils left by conventional
districts or businesses.
~ drilling with hollow stem au-
- current ~ ger or rota~y drilling equip-
the portion of a stream or body ment.
;
of water which is moving with
a velocity much greater than the I
average of the rest of the wa- I
ter. The progress of the water
is principally concentrated in I
the current. .
- current metre I.

device used to measure the

water velocity or current in a
flver.
~ - cut off
: from passing through a dam's
~ foundation material. It is an
I impervious construction or
: material, which reduces seepage
I .
: or prevents It.
I
: - cyclone collector
~ a device that uses centrifugal
; force to remove large particles
: from polluted air.
I
68
========-=========*
• daily flood peak
the maximum mean daily dis-
charge occurring in a stream
during a given flood event.
• dam
a structure of earth, rock, or
concrete designed to form a
basin"and hold water back to
make a pond, lake, or reservoir.
• dam failure
catastrophic event characterised
by the sudden, rapid, and un-
controlled release of im-
pounded water.
• dampers
controls that vary airflow
through an air outlet, inlet, or
duct. A damper position may be
immovable, manually adjust-
able · or part of an automated
control system.
• day tank
another name for de-aerating ; .decant
tank.
to draw off the upper layer of
II ================ En-nf'fm_tIIl
dRilyflood peak I deeant II
I • DCP (Data Collection
I Platform)
an electronic device that con-
nects to a river or rainfall gage
I that records data from the gage
and at pre-determined times
I
transmits that data through a
I
satellite to a remote computer.
I • dead end
I the end of a water main, which
is not connected to other parts
of the distribution system.
• dead storage
I the volume in a reservoir below
I the lowest controllable level.
I • dead men
anchors drilled or cemented
into the ground to provide ad-
I ditional reactive mass for DP
sampling rigs.
• debris
dead organic material (leaves,
I twigs, etc.) and sediment.
I
I
,
Sl7IIliR
II dechlorinatitm I de-foaminoagents .. ==========",,6=9

liquid after the heaviest mate- ~ too great to permit use of a suc-
rial (a solid or another liquid) ; tion pump.
has settled. ; • deep-well injection
• dechlorination ~ deposition of raw or treated,
removal of chlorine from a sub- : filtered hazardous waste by
stance. ~ pumping it into deep wells,
; where it is contained in the
• decomposition
: pores of permeable subsurface
the process of rotting and de- ~ rock.
cay which causes the complex
organic materials in plants Dccp Well Waste Injection
and animals to break down I
into simple inorganic ele··
ments which can be returned
to the atmosphere and soil.
• decontamination
removal of harmful substances I
such as noxious chemicals, harm- : • defecate
ful bacteria or other organisms, :I to void excrement or waste
or radioactive material from ex- ~ through the anus.
posed individuals, rooms and fur-
nishings in buildings, or the ex- ~ • deflocculating agent
terior environment. ; a material added to a suspen-
~ sion to prevent settling.
• deep percolation loss
water that percolates down- :I • defluoridation
ward through the ,soil beyond : the removal of excess fluoride
the reach of plant roots. ~ in drinking water to prevent the
; staining of teeth.
• deep seepage
infiltration which reaches the ; • de-foaming agents
water table. ~ chemicals th~t are added to
: wastewater discharges to pre-
• deep well
~ vent the water from foaming
a well whose pumping head is
70
================*
when it is discharged into a re-
ceiving water body.
• defoliant
an herbicide that removes
leaves from trees and growing
plants.
• deformed ice
a general term for ice which has
been squeezed together and
forced upwards and downwards
in places. Subdivisions are rated
ice, ridge ice, hum mocked ice,
and other similar deformations.
• degasification
a water treatment that removes
dissolved gases from the water.
• degradable
capable of decomposition,
chemical or biological.
• degradation
The geologic process by means
of which various parts of the
surface of the earth are worn
down and carried away and
their general level lowered, by
the action of wind and water.
• degree-day
a rough measure used to esti-
mate the amount of heating re-
quired in a given area, is defined
as the difference between the
defoliant I delta II
I mean daily temperature and 65
I degrees Fahrenheit. Degree-
days are also calculated to esti-
I mate cooling requirements.
I • deionised water
I water free of inorganic chemi-
: cals.
I • delegated state
a state (or other governmental
I entity such as a tribal govern-
I ment) that has received author-
ity to administer an environ-
mental regulatory program in
I lieu of a federal counterpart. As
used in connection with
I
NPDES, VIC, and PWS pro-
I grams, the term does not con-
note any transfer of federal au-
thority to a state.
• delist
use of the petition process to
I have a facility's toxic designa-
I
tion rescinded.
• delta
an alluvial deposit made of rock
I
particles (sediment, and debris)
I
I
II demand I depletion 71

dropped by a stream as it en- ~ • density current

ters a body of water. I a flow of water maintained by
• demand ~ gravity through a large body of
the number of units of some- : water, such as a reservoir or
thing that will be purchased at ~ lake, and retaining its unmixed
various prices at a point in time. ; identity because of a difference
: in density.
• demineralisation I
: • density of snow
a treatment process that re-
moves dissolved minerals from ~ the ratio, expressed as a percent-
I age, of the volume which a
water.
: given quantity of snow would
• dendrites ~ occupy if it were reduced to
thin branch-like growth of ice I water, to the volume of the
on the water surface. ~ snow. When a snow sampler is
: used, it is the ratio expressed as
• dendritic ~ percentage of the scale reading
the form of the drainage pat- ; on the sampler to the length of
tern of a stream and its tribu- : the snow core or sample.
taries when it follows a treelike I
shape, with the main trunk, :I • depletion
branches, and twigs corre- : loss of water from surface wa-
sponding to the main stream, I ter reservoirs or groundwater
tributaries, and sub tributaries, ~ aquifers at a rate greater than
respectively, of the stream. : that of recharge.
I
• denitrification
the biological reduction of ni- I
trate to nitrogen gas by deni - I
trifying bacteria in soil.
• density
a measure of how heavy a spe-
cific volume of a solid, liquid, I
or gas is in comparison to wa- I
ter.
72
=======~*
• depletion curve ~ For convenience in comparing
in hydraulics, a graphical rep- I runoff with precipitation, the
resentation of water depletion term is usually expressed in
from storage-stream channels, inches of depth during a given
surface soil, and groundwater. I period of time over the drain-
A depletion curve can be drawn age area or acre-feet per square
for base flow, direct runoff, or mile.
total flow. ~ • dermal absorption/pen-
• deposit I etration
something dropped or left be- ; process by which a chemical
hind by moving water, as sand : penetrates the skin and enters
or mud. ~ the body as an internal dose.
I • dermal exposure
• depression storage
the storage of water in low ar- I contact between a chemical and
eas such as puddles, bogs, ~ the skin.
ponds, and wetlands. ~ • dermal toxicity
• depressurisation : the ability of a pesticide or toxic
a condition that occurs when the ~ chemical to poison people or
air pressure inside a structure I animals by contact with the
is lower that the air pressure ~ skin.
outdoors. Depressurisation can • des
occur when household appli- I
ances such as ftreplaces or fur- a synthetic estrogen, diethylstil-
naces, that consume or exhaust I bestrol is used as a growth
house air, are not supplied with I sti~ulan: in food animals.
enough m-1--up
~
. Radonmay :I ReSidues
alf. be .m meat . are thought
be drawn into a house more : to carcmogeruc.
rapidly under depressurised ~ • desalination
conditions. ; 1. removing salts from ocean or
• depth of runoff brackish water by using various
technologies.
the total runoff from a drain- I 2. removal of salts from soil by
age basin, divided by its area.

II =========== &";,."",,,.ttIl stU;.

II design capacity I detectable leak rate . . ==========7=3
artificial means, usually leach- ~ treatment and destruction, in-
mg. ; cineration, and/or disposal.
- design capacity ; - destratification
the average daily flow that a ; vertical m~ng within a lake
treatment plant or other facil- : or reservOir to totally or par-
ity is designed to accommodate. ~ tially eliminate separate layers
; of temperature, plant, or ani-
- design criteria
: mal life.
the hypothetical flood used in I
the sizing of the dam and the : - destroyed medical waste
associated structures to prevent ~ regulated medical waste that
dam failure by overtopping, es- I has been ruined, tom apart, or
pecially for the spillway and : mutilated through thermal
outlet works. ~ treatment, melting, shredding,
I grinding, tearing, or breaking,
- designated uses
~ so that it is no longer generally
those water uses identified in : recognised as medical waste,
state water quality standards ~ but has not yet been treated (ex-
that must be achieved and ; cludes compacted regulated
maintained as required under : medical waste).
the Clean Water Act. Uses can I
include cold-water fisheries, : - destruction facility
public water supply, and irriga- ~ a facility that destroys regulated
tion. I medical waste.

- designer bugs ~ - desulphurisation

popular term for microbes de- ; removal of sulphur from fossil
veloped through biotechnology : fuels to reduce pollution.
I
that can degrade specific toxic
: - detectable leak rate
chemicals at their source in toxic
I
waste dumps or in ground wa- : the smallest leak (from a stor-
I age tank), expressed in terms
ter.
~ of gallons or litres-per-hour,
- destination facility : that a test can reliably discern
the facility to which regulated ~ with a certain probability of
medical waste is shipped for ; detection or false alarm.
74 detection criterWn I detritus II
=================*
• detection criterion I • detention storage
a predetermined rule to ascer- I the volume of water, other
tain whether a tank is leaking than depression storage, ex-
or not. Most volumetric tests isting on the land surface as
use a threshold value as the flowing water which has not
detection criterion. I yet reached the channel.
• detection limit I • detention time
the lowest concentration of a I 1. the theoretical calculated
chemical that can reliably be time required for a small
distinguished from a zero con- amount of water to pass
centration. I through a tank at a given rate
I offlow.
• detention basins
2. the actual time that a small
structures which are built up- I amount of water is in a settling
stream from a populated area I basin, flocculating basin, or
so that precipitation flows do rapid-mix chamber.
not flood and cause the loss of ~ 3. in storage reservoirs, the
life or property. They are nor- ; length of time water will be held
mally dry, but are designed to I before being used.
detain surface water tempo-
rarily during, and immediately I • detergent
after a runoff event. Their pri- I synthetic washing agent that
mary function is to attenuate helps to remove dirt and oil.
the storm flows by releasing Some contain compounds,
flows at a lower flow rate. I which kill useful bacteria and
There are no gates or valves encourage algae growth when
allowed on the outlet so that they are in wastewater that
water can never be stored on I reaches receiving waters.
a long-term basis. Typical de- I • detritus
tention times in such a basin
would be on the order of 24 I loose fragments or grains that
to 72 hours although some I have been worn away from
are as long as 5 to 10 days. rock.

II ================= &""",,_",,1 S,,",",

II development effects I dilution
• development effects
adverse effects such as altered
growth, structural abnormality,
functional deficiency, or death
observed in a developing organ-
Ism.
75
*================
~ oxygen into sewage by pump-
; ing air through perforated pipes
: inside a holding tank.
I
: • diffusers and grilles
~ components of the ventilation
I system that distribute and re-

• dewater ~ turn air to promote air circula-

1. remove or separate a portion : tion in the occupied space. As
of the water in a sludge or ~ used in this document, supply
slurry to dry the sludge so it can ; air enters a space through a dif-
be handled and disposed of. : fuser or vent and return air
2. remove or drain the water ~ leaves a space through a grille.
from a tank or trench. ~ • diffusion
• diatomaceous earth I the movement of suspended or
a chalk-like material used to fli- ~ dissolved particles (or mol-
ter out solid waste in wastewa- : ecules) from a more concen-
ter treatment plants, also used I trated to a less concentrated
as an active ingredient in some ; area. The process tends to dis-
powdered pesticides. : tribute the particles or mol-
~ ecules more uniformly.
• dibenzofurans
~• digestion
a group of organic compounds,
some of which are toxic. I the biochemical decomposition
: of organic matter, resulting in
• dicofol ~ partial gasification, liquefac-
a pesticide used on citrus fruits. ~ tion, and mineralisation of pol-
; lutants.
• diffuse ice
poorly defmed ice edge limiting ~ • dilution
an area of dispersed ice, usually : the act of making thinner or
on the leeward side of an area ~ more liquid by adding to the mix-
of floating ice. I ture, the act of diminishing the
: strength, flavour, or brilliance of
• diffused air
~ by adding to the mixture.
a type of aeration that forces I

=====11
76
=================*
• dilution ratio I mixing, coagulation, minimal
the relationship between the I flocculation, and ftltration. Sedi-
volume of water in a stream and mentation is not used.
the volume of incoming water. • direct flood damage
It affects the ability of the I
the damage done to property,
stream to assimilate waste.
I structures, goods, etc., by a
• dimictic flood as measured by the cost
lakes and reservoirs that freeze of replacement and repairs.
over and normally go through • direct push
two stratifications and two mix-I
technology used for perform-
ing cycles a year. I ing subsurface investigations
• dioxin by driving, pushing, and/or
any of a family of compounds vibrating small-diameter hol-
known chemically as dibenzo- I low steel rods into the ground.
p-dioxins. Concern about them ~ Also known as direct .drive,
arises from their potential tox- drive point, or push technol-
icity as contaminants in com- logy.
mercial products. Tests on labo- I • direct runoff
ratory animals indicate that it I water that flows over the
is one of the more toxic anthro-
ground surface or through the
pogenic (man-made) com- I
ground directly into streams,
pounds. I rivers, and lakes.
• direct discharger I • discharge
a municipal or industrial facil- in the simplest form, discharge
ity which introduces pollution I means outflow of water. The
through a defmed conveyance I use of this term is not restricted
or system such as outlet pipes, I as to course or location, ~d it
a point source. can be used to describe the flow
• direct filtration I of water from a pipe or from a
a method of treating water I drainage basin. Other words
which consists of the addition I related to it are runoff, stream
of coagulant chemicals, flash : flow, and yield.
I

II = = = = = = = = = = = = BtJ""""."tIJI Shlilies
II discharge curPe I displacement savi'W~
_ discharge curve
a curve that expresses the rela-
tion between the discharge of a
stream or open conduit at a
given location and the stage or
elevation of the liquid surface
at or near that location. Also
called Rating Curve and Dis-
charge Rating Curve.
- disinfect (disinfected)
to cleanse of harmful micro or-
garusms.
- disinfectant
a chemical or physical process
that kills pathogenic organisms
in water, air, or on surfaces.
Chlorine is often used to disin-
feet sewage treatment effluent,
water supplies, wells, and
swimming pools.
- disinfectant time
the time it takes water to move
from the point of disinfectant
application (or the previous
point of residual disinfectant
measurement) to a point before
or at the point where the re-
sidual disinfectant is measured.
In pipelines, the time is calcu-
lated by dividing the internal
volume of the pipe by the maxi-
mum hourly flow rate, within
mixing basins and storage res-
77
~ ervoirs it is determined by
; tracer studies of an equivalent
~ demonstration.
: _ disinfection
~ the killing of the larger portion
I of the harmful and objection-
.
; able bacteria in the sewage.
: Usually accomplished by intro-
~ duction of chlorine, but more
; and more facilities are using
: exposure to ultraviolet radia-
~ tion, which renders the bacte-
; ria sterile.
; - disinfection byproducts
~ halogenated organic chemicals
: formed when water is disin-
I fected.
~ - dispersant
; a chemical agent used to break
: up concentrations of organic
~ material such as spilled oil.
~ - displacement
~ distance by which portions of
; the same geological layer are
: offset from each other by a
~ fault.
~ - displacement savings
I saving realised by displacing
~ purchases of natural gas or elec-
: tricity from a local utility by
~ using landfill gas for power and
; heat.
=78==========;ispOsables I distribution (hydro)gmph II
• disposables ~ • dissolved oxygen (Do)
consumer products, other I the O>..1'gen freely available in
items, and packaging ' used : water, vital to fish and other
once or a few times and dis- ~ aquatic life and for the preven-
carded. I tion of odours. DO levels are

considered as most important

• disposal indicator of a water body's abil-
final placement or destruction I ity to support desirable aquatic
of toxic, radioactive, or other life. Secondary and advanced
wastes, surplus or banned pes- waste treatment is generally
ticides or other chemicals, I designed to ensure adequate
polluted soils, and drums con- I DO in waste-receiving waters.
taining hazardous materials
from removal actions or acci- I • dissolved solids
dental releases. Disposal may disintegrated organic and inor-
be accomplished through use ganic material in water. Exces-
of approved secure landfills, I sive amounts make water unfit
surface impoundments, land to drink or use in industrial pro-
farming, deep-well injection, cesses.
ocean dumping, or incinera- I
• distillation
tion.
the act of purifying liquids
• disposal facilities I through boiling, so that the
repositories for solid waste, in- steam or gaseous vapours con-
cluding landfills and combus- dense to a pure liquid. Pollut-
tors intended for permanent ~ ants and contaminants may re-
containment or destruction of ; main in a concentrated residue.
waste materials. Excludes trans-
• distilled water
fer stations and composting fa- I
cilities. water that has been treated by
boiling and condensation to re-
• dissolve I move solids, inorganic, and
the process by which solid par- some organic chemicals.
ticles mix molecule by molecule
• distribution (hydro) graph
with a liquid and appear to be- I
come part of the liquid. a unit hydrograph of direct run-

II ================ B-pj......ttIl StU;"

 p
II distribution box I domestic consum 7;==========7=9
off modified to show the pro- ~ strUcted across a slope to divert
portions of the volume of run- ; water at a non-erosive velocity
off that occur during successive : to sites where it can be used and
equal units of time. ~ disposed of.
- distribution box ~ - divide
a place where one pipe or line ~ the high ground that forms the
enters and exits through several ; boundary of a watershed. A di-
pipes or lines, they are used in : vide is also called a ridge.
municipal drinking water sys- I
: - divining rod
tems to distribute water to
homes, in municipal wastewa- ~ a forked branch or stick used in
I an attempt to locate subterra-
ter systems to retrieve waste-
water, and by electric companies : nean water or minerals, it is said
I
to distribute power. : to bend downward when held
lover a source.
~ - dobson unit (DU)
; wlits of orone level measure-
: ment. If, e.g., 100 DU of orone
~ were brought to the earth's sur-
; face they would form a layer
: one millimetre thick. Owne lev-
~ els vary geographically, even in
~ the absence of orone depletion.
- disturbance
any event or series of events ~ - domestic application
that disrupt ecosystem, com- ; pesticide application in and
munity, or population structure : around houses, office buildings,
and alters the physical environ- ~ motels, and other living or
ment. ; working areas.
- diversion ; - domestic consumption
1. use of part of a stream flow ~ the quantity, or quantity per
as water supply. : capita, of water consumed in
2. a channel with a supporting ~ a municipality or district for
ridge on the lower side con- ; domestic uses or purposes

Environmmt,.l Stullies ================= II

 =80=========~sewage I dose-ruponse~t II
during a given period, gener-
ally one day. It is usually taken
to include all uses included
within the term municipal use
of water and quantity wasted,
lost, or otherwise unaccounted
for.
• domestic sewage
waste produced through the
functioning of a household.
• domestic use of water
the use of water primarily for
household purposes, the water-
ing of livestock, the irrigation
of gardens, lawns, shrubbery,
. etc., surrounding a house or
domicile.
• dosage/dose
1. the actual quantity of a
chemical administered to an
organism or to which it is ex-
posed.
2. the amount of a substance
that reaches a specific tissue
(e.g. the liver).
3. the amount of a substance
available for interaction with
metabolic processes after cross-
ing the outer boundary of an
orgamsm.
• dose equivalent
the product of the absorbed
dose from ionising radiation
II ================= Bnf1ironmmt,,1 StudiR
I and such factors as account for
I biological differences due to the
type of radiation and its distri-
I bution in the body.
I • dose rate
I in exposure assessment, dose
per time unit (e.g. mg/day),
sometimes also called dosage.
I
• dose response
shifts in toxicological responses
I of an individual (such as alter-
ations in severity) or popula-
tions (such as alterations in in-
I cidence) that are related to
changes in the dose of any given
substance .
• dose response curve
I graphical representation of the
I relationship between the dose
of a stressor and the biological
response thereto.
• dose-response assessment .
I 1. estimating the potency of a
chemical.
2. in exposure assessment, the
I process of determining the re-
I lationship between the dose of
a stressor and a specific biologi-
cal response. 3. evaluating the
I quantitative relationship be-
tween dose and toxicological
responses.
I
II dosimeter I drainage 81
*=======
• dosimeter ~ the erosive effects of rain and
an instrument to measure dos- ; surface flow.
age, many so-called dosimeters ; • dowsing
actually measure exposure . . . . .
rather thart dosage. Dosimeter ; to use a divmmg rod m an at-
is the p:ocess or technology of ~ tempt to .fmd underground wa-
measunng and/or estimating : ter or mmerals.
dosage. I • draft

• down gradient ; 1. the act of drawing or remov-

the direction that groundwater I.
flows, similar to 'downstream'
for surface water.
• downstream
in the direction of a stream's
current.
: ing water from a tank or reser-
.
VOlr.
I 2. the water, which is drawn or
: removed.
I
~ • drain tile loop
: a continuous length of drain tile
~ or perforated pipe extending
I around all or part of the inter-
: nal or external perimeter of a
~ ?asement or crawlspace foot-
I mg.

~ • drain trap
; a ~P in the drain pipe of sinks,
: toilets, floor drains, etc., which
• downstream processors ~ is designed to stay filled with

industri~s dependent on crop

; water, thereby preventing
productlon (e.g. carmeries and sewer gases from escaping into
:
food processors). ~ the room.

• downstream slope ~ • drainage

the slope or face of the dam ~ imRroving the productivity of
away from the reservoir water. ; agncultural land by removing
This slope requires some kind : excess water from the soil by
of protection (e.g., grass) from ~ such means as ditches or sub-
"",8"",2===========* drainage area I dredgi1tg II
surface drainage tiles. I • drainage well
• drainage area I a well drilled to carry excess

of a stream at a specified 10- I water off agricultural fields.

cation is that area, measured Drainage wells can contribute
in a horiwntal plane, enclosed to groundwater pollution.
by a topographic divide from I • drain field
which direct surface runoff ~
from precipitation normally : the part of a septic system where
drains by gravity into the I the wastewater is released into
stream above the specified 10- the soil for absorption and fU.-
cation. tration.
• drainage basin • draw down
the area of land that drains wa- 1. the drop in the water table
ter, sediment, and dissolved I or level of water in the ground
materials to a common outlet when water is being pumped
at some point along a stream from a well.
channel. I 2. the amount of water used
• drainage density I from a tank or reservoir.
the relative density of natural I 3. the drop in the water level of
drainage channels in a given a tank or reservoir.
area. It is usually expressed in I • dredge ate
terms of miles of natural drain- I
the material excavated from
age or stream channel per
square mile of area, and ob- I lake, river, or channel bottoms
tained by dividing the total I during dredging.
length of stream channels in the • dredging
area in miles by the area 10 removal of mud from the bot-
square miles. tom of water bodies. This can
• drainage divide I disturb the ecosystem and
the boundary line, along a to- I causes silting that kill aquatic
pographic ridge or along a sub- life. Dredging of contami-
surface formation, separating I nated mud can expose biota to
two adjacent drainage basins. heavy metals and other toxics.

II ================= En11ironmentlJi Studies

II driftingice I drounht 83
*================
• drifting ice ~ • drinking water state
pieces of floating ice moving; revolving fund
under the action of wind and/ ~ the fund provides
or currents. : capitalisation grants to states
~ to develop drinking water re-
• driller's well log ; volving loan funds to help fi-
a log kept at the time of drill- : nance system infrastructure
ing showing the depth, thick- ~ improvements, assure source-
ness, character of the differ- ; water protection, enhance op-
ent strata penetrated, location : eration and management of
of water-bearing strata, ~ drinkin.g-water systems, and
depth, si2e, and character of I otherwlse promote local wa-
casing instahed. : ter-system compliance and
~ protection of public health.
• drilling fluid .I d.
: . rtpstone
fluid used to lubricate the bit
~ deposits of calcium carbonate
and convey drill cuttings to the
; that include stalactites, stalag·
surfac.e with rotary drilling : mites, columns, and cave
equipment. Usually composed ~ pearls.
of bentonite slurry or muddy
water. Can become contami- ~ • drop-off
nated, leading to cross con- I recyclable materials collection
tamination, and may require ~ method in which individuals
special disposal. Not used : bring them to a designated col-
I lection site.
with DP methods.
~ • drought
• drinking water equivalent
level ; although there is no univer-
: sally accepted definition of
protective level of exposure
~ drought, it is generally the
related to potentially non-car- I term applied to periods of less
cinogenic effects of chemicals ; than average precipitation
that are also known to cause : over a certain period of time.
cancer. ~ In south Texas ranchers say
; drought begins as soon as it
",,84===========* drought index I dumtUm oficecover
stops raining.
• drought index
computed value which is related
to some of the cumulative ef-
fects of a prolonged and abnor-
mal moisture deficiency. (An
index of hydrological drought
corresponding to levels below
the mean in streams, lakes, and
reservoirs.)
• dry crack
crack visible at the surface but
not going right through the ice
cover, and therefore it is dry.
• dry deposition
emissions of sulphur and nitro-
gen oxides that, in the absence
of water in the atmosphere (i.e.,
rain), settle to the ground as
particulate matter.
• dry flood proofing
a dry flood proofed building is
sealed against floodwaters. All
areas below the flood protec-
tion level are made watertight.
II ===;:;;;;;;;;============= ErJvirrm_tIIl StlUliR
"
I Walls are coated with water-
I proofmg compounds or plastic
sheeting. Openings like doors
I windows, sewer lines and vents
I are closed, permanently, with
removable shields, or with
sandbags. The flood protection
I level should be no more than 2
or 3 feet above the top of the
foundation because the build-
I ings walls and HOOfS cannot
I withstand the pressure of
deeper water.
• dry weather flow
I stream flow which results from
I precipitation that infIltrates into
the soil and eventually moves
through the soil to the stream
I channel. This is also referred to
as base flow, or ground water
I
flow.
• dual-phase extraction
I active withdrawal of both liquid
I and gas phases from a well usu-
ally involving the use of a
I
vacuum pump.
• dump
I a site used to dispose of solid
waste without environmental
controls.
• duration of ice cover
I the time from freeze-up to
I break-up of an ice cover.
II dustfoil jar I ecological indicator .. 85

• dust fall jar ~ homogeneous earthen dam is

an open container used to col- ; constructed of similar earthen
lect large particles from the air : material throughout. These are
for measurement and analysis. ~ the most common type of dam
; because their construction in-
• dyke volves using materials in the
an artificial embankment con- I natural state, requiring little
structed to prevent flooding. I processmg.
• dynamic ice ~ • ecological entity
pressure due to a moving ice ; in ecological risk assessment, a
cover or drifting ice. Pressure : general term referring to a spe-
occurring at movement of first ~ cies, a group of species, an eco-
contact termed Ice Impact Pres- ; system function or characteris-
sure : tic, or a specific habitat or
• Dynamic Wave Routing ~ biome.
Model (DWOPER) ~ • ecological exposure
a computerised hydraulic rout- ~ exposure of a non-human or-
ing program whose algorithms ; ganism to a stressor.
incorporate the complete one-
dimensional equations of un- ; • ecological impact
steady flow originally devel- : the effect that a man-caused or
oped by Barre' De Saint-Venant ~ natural activity has on living
in 187l. I organisms and their non-living
:I (abiotic) environment.
• dystrophic lakes
acidic, shallow bodies of water ~ • ecological indicator
that contain much hwnus and/ :
a characteristic of an ecosystem
or other organic matter, contain ~
that is related to, or derived
many plants but few fish. ;
from, a measure of biotic or
:
abiotic variable, that can pro-
• earthen (or earth fill) dam ~
vide quantitative information
an embankment dam in which I on ecological structure and
more than 50 per cent of the : function. An indicator can con-
total volwne is formed of com- ~ tribute to a measure of integ-
pacted fme-grained material. A I rity and sustainability.
En"nmmmmlS~w ________________________________== II
 g
""8,,,,6===========.ecolo ual integrity I effictive porosity
• ecological integrity
a living system exhibits integ-
rity if, when subjected to distur-
bance, it sustains and organises
self-correcting ability to recover
toward a biomass end-state that
is normal for that system. End-
states other than the pristine or
naturally whole may be ac-
cepted as normal and good.
• ecological risk assessment
the application of a formal
framework, analytical process,
or model to estimate the effects
of human actions(3) on a natu-
ral resource and to interpret the
significance of those effects in
light of the uncertainties iden-
tified in each component of the
assessment process. Such analy-
sis includes initial hazard iden-
tification, exposure and dose-
response assessments, and risk
characterisation.
• ecological/environmental
sustainability
maintenance of ecosystem com-
ponents and functions for fu-
ture generations.
• ecology
the relationship of living things
to one another and their envi-
ronment, or the study of such
II ================= E,,"PirrmmmtlJl ShlilUs
II
I relationships.
I • economic poisons
I chemicals used to control pests
and to defoliate cash crops such
I as cotton.
• ecosphere
I the 'bio-bubble' that contains
I life on earth, in surface waters,
and in the air.
• ecosystem
the interacting system of a bio-
I logical community and its non-
living environmental surround-
mgs.
I
• ecosystem structure
attributes related to the instan-
I taneous physical state of an eco-
I system, examples include spe-
cies population density, species
I richness or evenness, and stand-
I ing crop biomass.
• ecotone
a habitat created by the juxta-
position of distinctly different
I habitats, an edge habitat, or an
ecological zone or boundary
where two or more ecosystems
I meet.
I • effective porosity
I the portion of pore space in
saturated permeable material
II effictiveprecipitation I embankment . . ===========~8~7

where the movement of water ~ - electrodialysis

takes place. ; a process that uses electrical
- effective precipitation :I current applied to permeable .

the part of precipitation which : membranes to remove mmer-

I als from water. Often used to
produces runoff, a weighted
average of current and anteced- ~ desalinise salty or brackish wa-
: ter.
ent precipitation 'effective' in
correlating with runoff. It is ~ - electromagnetic geophysi-
also that part of the precipita- I cal methods
tion falling on an irrigated area, ; ways to measure subsurface
which is effective in meeting the : conductivity via low-frequency
requirements of consumptive ~ electromagnetic induction.
use.
~ - Electrostatic Precipitator
- effluent (ESP)
wastewater treated or untreated I a device that removes particles
that flows out of a treatment : from a gas stream (smoke) af-
plant, sewer, or industrial out- ~ ter combustion occurs. The ESP
fall. Generally refers to wastes ; imparts an electrical charge to
discharged into surface waters. : the particles, causing them to
- effluent seepage ~ adhere to metal plates inside
I the precipitator. Rapping on the
diffuse discharge of ground
water to the ground surface. : plates causes the particles to fall
~ into a hopper for disposal.
- effluent stream I
: - elements
any watercourse in which all, or ~ substances such as iron, sodium,
a portion of the water. volume ; carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen
came from the P.hreatlC zone, : with distinctly different atoms
or zone of saturatton by way of ~ which serve as some of the 108
groundwater flow, or base flow. ; basic building blocks of all mat-
- ejector . ter.
I
a device used to disperse a : - embankment
chemical solution into water I
being treated. : fill material, usually earth or
I

B,,-nronmentIJl Studies ================= II

~88~~~~~~~~~~* emergency (chemical) I emission cap
rock, placed with sloping sides
and usually with length greater
than height. All dams are types
of embankments.
• emergency (chemical)
a situation created by an acci-
dental release or spill of hazard-
ous chemicals that poses a threat
to the safety of workers, resi-
dents, the environment, or
property.
• emergency action plan
a predetermined plan of action
to be taken to reduce the po-
tential for property damage
and loss of life in an area af-
fected by a dam break or exces-
sive spillway.
• emergency removal action
1. steps take to remove con-
taminated materials that pose
imminent threats to local resi-
dents (e.g. removal of leaking
drums or the excavation of ex-
plosive waste.)
2. the state record of such re-
movals.
• emergency response values
concentrations of chemicals,
published by various groups,
defining acceptable levels for
short-term exposures in emer-
II ================= Bn,,;nmmmtiU Studies
II
I gencles.
I
• emergency services
I services provided in order to
minimise the impact of a flood
that is already happening.
I These measures are the respon-
sibility of city, or county emer-
gency management staff and
I the owners.
I • emergency suspension
I suspension of a pesticide prod-
uct registration due to an im-
minent hazard. The action im-
I mediately halts distribution,
sale, and sometimes-actual use
of the pesticide involved.
I
• emission
I pollution discharged into the
I atmosphere from smokestacks,
other vents, and surface areas
of commercial or industrial fa-
I cilities, from residential chim-
neys, and from motor vehicle,
locomotive, or aircraft exhausts.
• emission cap
I a limit designed to prevent pro-
I jected growth in emissions from
existing and future stationary
I sources from eroding any man-
I dated reductions. Generally,
such provisions require that any
emission growth from facilities
II emission foetor I energy recOJlery 89
*================
under the restrictions be offset ~ - enclosure
by equivalent reductions at ; putting an airtight, imperme-
other facilities under the same : able, permanent barrier around
cap. ~ asbestos-containing materials
- emission factor ~ to prevent the release of asbes-

the relationship between the ; tos fibres into the air.

amount of pollution produced ~ - end user
and the amount of raw mate- : consumer of products for thc
rial processed. E.g., an emis- ~ purpose of recycling. Excludes
sion factor for a blast furnace I products for rc-use or combus-
making iron would be the : tion for energy recovery.
number of pounds of particu- I
lates per ton of raw materials. :I - endangered animal species .
: a species of animal identified by
- emission inventory I official federal and/or state
a listing, by source, of the ; agencies as being faced with the
amount of air pollutants dis- : danger of extinction.
charged into the atmosphere I
of a community, used to estab- : - end-of-the-pipe
lish emission standards. ~ technologies such as scrubbers
I on smokestacks and catalytic
- emulsifier : converters on automobile
a chemical that aids in sus- I: tailpipes that reduce effilSSlons
. .

pending one liquid in another. ~ of pollutants after they have

It is usually an organic chemi- ; formed.
cal in an aqueous solution.
; - endrin
- encapsulation : a pesticide toxic to freshwater
the treatment of asbestos-con- ~ and marine aquatic life that pro-
taining material with a liquid I duces adverse health effects in
that covers the surface with a ~ domestic water supplies.
protective coating or embeds
fibres in an adhesive matrix to ; - energy recovery
prevent their release into the : obtaining energy from waste
air. ~ through a variety of processes

Ern,iron_tlll Studies ================= II


",9""O==========eno=i7
(e.g. combustion).
_ engineered controls
method of managing environ-
mental and health risks by plac-
ing a barrier between the con-
tamination and the rest of the
site, thus limiting exposure
pathways.
_ enrichment
the addition of nutrients (e.g.
nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon
compounds) from sewage ef-
fluent or agricultural runoff
to surface water, greatly in-
creases the growth potential
for algae and other aquatic
plants.
_ enteric viruses
a category of viruses related to
human excreta found in water-
ways.
• entrain
to trap bubbles in water either
mechanically through turbu-
lence. or chemically through a
reacuon.
• environment
the sum of all external condi- I
tions affecting the life, develop-
~ent and survival of an organ-
Ism.
II ================== Environment/II Studies
controls
I environmental indicator II
I •
: - environmental agents
I conditions other than indoor air
contaminants that cause stress
comfort, and/or health prob~
I lems (e.g., humidity extremes,
I drafts, lack of air circulation
. '
I nOlse, and over-crowding).
: - environmental exposure
I
: human exposure to pollutants
~ ~riginating from facility emis-
; slons. T~eshold levels are not
: necessarily. surpassed, but low-
~ ~evel chrome pollutant exposure
; IS one of th~ most common
forms of enVIronmental expo-
~ sure.
I • environmental fate
I the destiny of a chemical or bio-
logical pollutant after release
into the environment.
~ - environmental fate data
~ data that characterise a
; pesti~ide~s fate in the ecosystem,
: consldenng factors that foster
I its degradation (light, water,
microbes), pathways and result-
ant products .
I
: _ environmental indicator
: a measurement, statistic or
I value that provides a proximate
gauge or evidence of the effects
of environmental management
II envi1 onmental11wnitoring I eqUilibri;m
o
91

programs or of the state or con- ~ depletion of natural resources.

dition of the environment. .
~ • epidemic diseases
• environmental monitoring I diseases that spread rapidly and

I.
the process of checking, ob- : extensively by infection among
serving, or keeping track of ~ many individuals in an area.
something for a specified pe- 'd '1
. d 0 f time
no . or at speci.fiIe d'; ept emlO ogy . .. .
intervals. : study of the distrlbutlon of dIS-
I ease, or other health-related
• environmental site assess- : states and events in human
ment ~ populations, as related to age,
the process of determining I sex, occupation, ethnicity, and
whether contamination is : economic status in order to
present on a parcel of real ~ identify and alleviate health
property. I problems and promote better

• environmental sustainability ~ health.

long-term maintenance of eco- ~ • epilimnion
system components and func- : upper waters of a thermally
tions for future generations. ~ stratified lake subject to wind
I action.
• environmental tobacco
smoke ; • episode (pollution)
mixture of smoke from the ~ an air pollution incident in a
burning end of a cigarette, pipe, : given area caused by a concen-
or cigar and smoke exhaled by ~ tration of atmospheriC pollut-
the smoker. ; ants under meteorological con-
: ditions that may result in a sig-
• environmental/ecological
~ nificant increase in illnesses or
risk
; deaths. May also describe wa-
the potential for adverse effects : ter pollution events or hazard-
on living organisms associated ~ ous material spills.
with pollution of the environ-
ment by effluents, emissions, ~ • equilibrium
wastes, or accidental chemical ~ in relation to radiation, the state
releases, energy use, or the at which the radioactivity of
En~nmmmmlS~w ________________________________= _ II
92
========*
consecutive elements within a
radioactive series is neither in-
creasing nor decreasing.
• ergonomics
applied science that investigates
the impact of people's physical
environment on their health
and comfort (e.g., determining
the proper chair height for com-
puter operators).
• erosion
the wearing away of the earth's
surface by running water, wind,
ice, or other geological agents,
processes, including weather-
ing, dissolution, abrasion, cor-
rosion, and transportation, by
which material is removed
from the earth's surface.
• escarpment
the topographic expression of a
fault.
• established treatment
technologies
technologies for which cost and
II ================ BtJftrtm"""tIIl StrulUs
I performance data are readily
I available.
I • estimated environmental
concentration
the estimated pesticide concen-
I tration in an ecosystem.
I • estuarine
I of an area where a river emp-
ties into an ocean, of a bay, in-
I fluenced by the ocean tides,
I which has resulted in a mixture
of salt water and fresh water.
I
I
I • estuarine intertidal
emergents
herbaceous vegetation that
grows in saltwater marshes .
• estuarine intertidal for-
ested/shrub
a saltwater wetland containing
larger woody plants.
• estuarine waters
deep water tidal habitats and
I tidal wetlands that are usually
enclosed by land but have access
to the ocean and are at least
II estuarinezone I evaporate 93
*=================
occasionally diluted by freshwa- ~ a high concentration of dis-
ter runoff from the land (such ; solved nutrients, often shallow,
as bays, mouths of rivers, salt : with periods of oxygen defi-
I .
marshes, lagoons). : Clency.
• estuarine zone ~ • eutrophic lake
area near the coastline that con- ~ shallow, murky bodies of water
sists of estuaries and coastal ; that have excessive concentra-
saltwater wetlands. : tions of plant nutrients causing
~ excessive algal prOduction.
• estuary
region of interaction between
rivers and near-shore ocean I
waters, where tidal action and
river flow mix fresh and salt
water. Such areas include bays, I
mouths of rivers, salt marshes,
and lagoons. These brackish
water ecosystems shelter and r
feed marine life, birds, and
wildlife.
~ • eutrophication
• ethanol
an alternative automotive fuel I The slow aging process during
derived from grain and corn, ~ which a lake, estuary, or bay
usually blended with gasoline to : evolves into a bog or marsh an'"
~ eventually disappears. During
form gasohol.
; the later stages of eutrophic a-
• euphotic zone : tion the water body is choked
surface layer of an ocean, lake, ~ by abundant plant life due to
or other body of water through ; higher levels of nutritive com-
which light can penetrate. Also : pounds such as nitrogen and
known as the wne of photosyn- ~ phosphorus. Human activities
thesis. ; can accelerate the process.
• eutrophic I • evaporate

pertaining to a lake containing ~ to convert or change into a

E",Pirrmment,,1 Studies ================= II

94 evaporatWn I exposure assessment II
=================*
vapour with the application of ~ to a region.
heat. .
I • experimental use permit

• evaporation I obtained by manufacturers for

the change by which any sub- testing new pesticides or uses

stance is converted from a liq- thereof whenever they conduct
uid state and carried of in I experimental field studies to
vapour. support registration on 10 acres
or more of land or one acre or
• evaporation ponds
I more of water.
areas where sewage sludge is
dumped and dried. I • explosive limits

I the amount of vapour in the air

• evapotranspiration
that form explosive mixtures,
the loss of water from the soil I limits are expressed as lower
both by evaporation and by I and upper limits and give the
transpiration from the plants range of vapour concentrations
growing in the soil. in air that will explode if an ig-
• exceedance I nition source is preSent.

violation of the pollutant levels I • exports

permitted by environmental
protection standards.
• exclusionary ordinance
zoning that excludes classes of
persons or businesses from a
particular neighbourhood or
area.
• exhaust ventilation
I in solid waste program, munici-
pal solid waste and recyclables
transported outside the state or
~ locality where they originated.
; • exposure
the amount of radiation or pol-
lutant present in a given envi-
I ronment that represents a po-

mechanical removal of air from I tential health threat to living

a portion of a building (e.g., organlsms.

piece of equipment, room, or • exposure assessment
general area). identifying the pathways by
• exotic species I which toxicants may reach in-

a species that is not indigenous I dividuals, estimating how much

II ================= Environ_till Studies

II exposure concentration Iflue 95
*================
of a chemical an individual is ~ - external cost
likely to be exposed to, and es- I cost of production or consump-
timating the number likely to : tion that must be borne by so-
be exposed. ~ ciety, not by the producer.
I ••
- exposure concentration : - extmctlOn
the concentration of a chemi- ~ complete disappearance of a
cal or other pollutant repre- ; species because of failure to
senting a health threat in a adapt to environmental change.
given environment. I
: - extraction well
I
- exposure indicator a discharge well used to remove
a characteristic of the environ- ~ groundwater or air.
ment measured to provide evi-
dence of the occurrence or
magnitude of a response I
indicator's exposure to a
chemical or biological stress.
- exposure level
the amount (concentration) of '
a chemical at the absorptive sur- ,
faces of an organism.
- exposure pathway - fabric filter
the path from sources of pol- ~ a cloth device that catches dust
lutants via, soil, water, or food ; particles from industrial emis-
to man and other species or set- :I sions.
tings.
- exposure route
the way a chemical or pollut-
ant enters an organism after I
contact, i.e. by ingestion, in-
halation, or dermal absorp- - face
tion. , the external surface of a struc-

Environmentld Studies
======11
96
~~==~~~=====*
ture, such as the surface of a
dam.
• facultative bacteria
bacteria that can live under
aerobic or anaerobic conditions.
• fecal coliform bacteria
bacteria found in the intestinal
tracts of mammals. Their pres-
ence in water or sludge is an
indicator of pollution and pos-
sible contamination by patho-
gens.
• feedlot
a confined area for the con-
trolled feeding of animals.
Tends to concentrate large
amounts of animal waste that
cannot be absorbed by the soil
and, hence, may be carried to
nearby streams or lakes by rain-
fall runoff.
• fen
a type of wetland that accumu-
lates peat deposits. Fens are less
acidic than bogs, deriving most
of their water from groundwa-
II ================== Environmentlll Studies
facultative bacteria I fon I
I ter rich in calcium and magne-
I SlUm.
I • fermentation, anaerobic
process in which carbohydrates
are converted in the ·absence of
I oxygen to hydrocarbons (such
as methane).
I
I • ferrous metals
magnetic metals derived from
iron or steel, products made
I from ferrous metals include
appliances, furniture, contain-
ers, and packaging like steel
I drums and barrels. Recycled
products include processing tin/
I
steel cans, strapping, and met-
I
als from appliances into new
products.
I
I • fertiliser
anyone of a large number of
natural and synthetic materials,
I including m~ure and nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium
compounds, spread or worked
I into the soil to increase its fer-
tility.
• fetch
the effective distance which
waves have traversed in open
I water, from their point of ori-
gin to the point where they
break. The distance of the wa-
IIfield (t/wistttre) capacity ljirn (.mow~ """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""",9=7
ter or the homogenous type ~ • filter
surface over which the wind I a device used to remove solids
blows without appreciable from a mixture or to separate
change in direction. materials. Materials are fre-
• field (moisture) capacity I quently separated from water
the amount of water held in soil I using filters.
against the pull of gravity • filter strip
• field capacity strip or area of vegetation used
the amount of water held in soil for removing sediment, organic
against the pull of gravity I matter, and other pollutants
I
from runoff and wastewater.
• field moisture deficiency
: • filtration
the quantity of water, which I
would be required to restore the a treatment process, under the
soil moisture to field moisture ~ control of qualified operators,
capacity ; for removing solid (particulate)
matter from water by means of
• fill I porous media such as sand or a

man-made deposits of natural I man-made filter, often used to

soils or rock products and waste I remove particles that contain
materials. : pathogens.
• fill dam ~ • finished water
any dam constructed of exca- ~ water is 'finished' when it has
vated natural materials or of I passed through all the processes
industrial wastes. in a water treatment plant and
I is ready to be delivered to con-
• filling I sumers.
depositing dirt, mud or other
materials into aquatic areas to ; • firo (snow)
create more dry land, usually ~ old snow on top of glaciers,
for agricultural or commercial : granular and compact and not
development purposes, often I yet converted into ice. It is a
with ruinous ecological conse- transitional stage between snow
quences. and ice.

EnviromlUmtlll Studies
=====--11
98
========*
• firnline
the highest level to which the
fresh snow on a glacier's surface
retreats during the melting sea-
son. The line separating the ac-
cumulation area from the abla-
tion area.
• first draw
the water that comes out when
a tap is ftrst opened, likely to
have the highest level of lead
contamination from plumbing
materials.
• fish kill
the sudden d~ath of ftsh due to
the introductlon of pollutants or
the reduction of the dissolved
oxygen concentration in a wa-
jim line I flare II
~ of water, a place where such an
; industry is conducted.
; • fix a sample
: a sample is 'ftxed' in the fteld
~ by adding chemicals that pre-
I vent water quality indicators of
:I interest in the sample from
.
: changlllg before laboratory
.I measurements are made.
~ • fixed ground water
; water held in saturated mate-
: rial that it is not available as a
~ source of water for pumping.
~ • fixed-location monitoring
~ sampling of an environmental
. or ambient medium for pollut-
~ ant concentration at one loca-
I tion continuously or repeatedly.

ter body. I • FL (Fork Length)

• fishery I the length of a ftsh from its
a place engaged in the ,?,cupa- mouth to the fork in its tail.
tion or industry of catching ftsh I
or taking seafood from bodies ~ • flammable
any material that ignites easily
and will burn rapidly.
I • flare
; a control device that burns haz-
:I ardous materials to prevent.
: their release into the envlron-
I ment, may operate continu-

ously or intermittently, usually

on top of a stack.

II ================= EnPircmmentld Studies

II flash flood I flocculation 99
.================~
~stance produces sufficient
; vapour to form an ignitable
: mixture with air.
I
: - flashboards
~ a length of timber, concrete, or
I steel placed on the crest of a
~ spillway to raise the retention
: water level but which may be
~ quickly removed in the event of
; a flood by a tripping device, or
: by deliberately designed failure
- flash flood ~ of the flash board or its sup-
I ports.
a flood which follows within a
few hours (usually less than 6 ; - float recording precipita-
hours) of heavy or excessive tion gage
rainfall, dam or levee failure, or :I a rain gage where the nse
. f
0 a
the sudden release of water I float within the instrument
impounded by an ice jam. ; with increasing rainfall is re-
- flash flood table : corded. Some of these gages
a table of pre-computed fore- ~ must be emptied manually,
cast crest stage values for small ; while others employ a self-
streams for a variety of anteced- : starting siphon to empty old
ent moisture conditions and ~ rainfall amounts.
rain amounts. Soil moisture ~ _ floc
conditions are often repre- I a clump of solids formed in
sented by flash flood guidance ~ sewage by biological or chemi-
values. In lieu of crest stages, : cal action.
categorical representations of I •
flooding, e.g., minor, moderate, : - flocculanon
etc. may be used on the tables. ~ process by which dumps of sol-
I ids in water or sewage aggregate
- flash point : through biological or chemical
the lowest temperature at ~ action so they can be separated
which evaporation of a sub- I from water or sewage.
En~nmmmmtS~m ________________________________~ II
100
=========*
• floe
an accwnulation of frazil flocs
(also known as a 'pan') or a
single piece of broken ice.
• flood
the temporary inundation of
normally dry land areas re-
sulting from the overflowing
of the natural or artificial con-
fines of a river or other body
of water.
flood prevention
floe Iflood problems "
I floods, including damage by
I inundation, erosion, and/or
sediment deposition. Dam-
I ages also include emergency
I costs and business or financial
losses. Evaluation may be
~ based on the cost of replacing,
; repairing, or rehabilitating,
: the comparative change in
~ market or sales value, or the
I change in the income or pro-
: duction caused by flooding .
• flood plain
the portion of a river valley that
I has been inundated by the river
I during historic floods.
I •

measures that are taken in or-

der to keep flood problems
• flood control storage I from getting worse. Planning,

storage of water in reservoirs I land acquisition, river channel

to abate flood damage. maintenance, wetlands protec-
I tion, and other regulations all
• flood conveyance I help modify development on

the transport of floodwaters floodplains and watersheds to

downstream with minimal, if ~ reduce their susceptibility to
any, damage. ; flood damage. Preventive mea-
• flood crest sures are usually administered
the maximwn height of a flood by the building, wning, plan-
I ning and/ or code enforcement
wave as it passes a location. offices of the local government.
• flood damage • flood problems
the economic loss caused by ~.
problems and damages that oc-
II flood profile I flood proofing
cur during a flood as a result of
human development and ac-
tions. Flood problems are a re-
sult from:
1. inappropriate development
in the floodplain (e.g., building
too low. too close to the chan-
nel, or blocking flood flows).
2. development in the water-
shed that increases flood flows
and creates a larger floodplain.
3. a combination of the previ-
ous two.
• flood profile
a graph of elevation of the wa-
ter surface of a river in flood,
plotted as ordinate, against
distance, me~sur~d in the
downstrea~ dlrectlOn, plot-
ted as abSCissa. A flood pro-'
file may be drawn to show el-
evation at a given time, crests
during a particular flood, or
to show stages of concordant
flows.
• flood routing
process of determining pro-
gressively the timing, shape,
and amplitude of a flood wave
as it moves downstream to suc-
cessive points along the river.
• flood stage
a gage height at which a water-
101
*================
~ course overtops its banks and
; begins to cause damage to any
: portion of the defined reach.
~ • flood wave
I . .
: a ns~ m stream flow to a c~est
~ and ItS subsequent receSSlOn
; caused by pr~cipitation, sno~-
: melt, dam failure, or reservOir
~ releases.
I • flooded ice
; ice which has been flooded by
: melt water or river water and
~ is heavily loaded by water and
I wet snow.
~ • flood proofing
; the process of protecting a build-
: ing from flood damage on site.
~ Flood proofmg can be divided
; into wet and dry flood proofing.
: In areas subject to slow-moving,
~ shallow flooding, buildings can
I be elevated, or barriers can be
: constructed to block the water's
~ approach to the building. These
I techniques have the advantage of
~ being less disruptive to the
: neighbourhood. It must be
~ noted that during a flood, a flood
; proofed building may be isolated
: and without utilities and there-
~ fore unusable, even though it has
; not been damaged.
102 flood wall Iflow metre II
=========*
• flood wall I • flow hood

a long, narrow concrete, or I device that easily measures air-

masonry embankment usually : flow quantity, typically up to
built to protect land from flood- ~ 2,500 cfm.
ing. If built of earth the struc- I
• flow rate
ture is usually referred to as a
levee. Flood walls and levees I the rate, expressed in gallons or
confine stream flow within a I litres per-hour, at which a fluid
specified area to prevent flood- escapes from a hole or fissure
ing. The term 'dike' is used to in a tank. Such measurements
describe an embankment that I are also made of liquid waste,
blocks an area on a reservoir or I effluent, and surface water
lake rim that is lower than the movement.
top of the dam. • flowable
I pesticide and other formula-
• floor sweep
capture of heavier-than-air I tions in which the active ingre-
gases that collect at floor level. dients are finely ground in-
I soluble solids suspended in a
• flora I liquid. They are mixed with

plant population of a region. water for application.

• flow • flowing well
the rate of water discharged a well drilled into a confined
I aquifer with enough hydraulic
from a source, expressed in vol-
ume with respect to time. pressure for the water to flow
to the surface without pump-
• flow augmentation
~ ing. Also called an Artesian
the addition of water to a ; well.
stream, especially to meet in
stream flow needs. I • flow metre

a gauge indicating the velocity

of wastewater moving through
I a treatment plant or of any liq-
uid moving through various in-
dustrial processes.

II ================= B"flinm_tIIl Stud..

1\ fluegas Ifluuride
- flue gas
the air coming out of a chim-
ney after combustion in the
burner. It can include nitrogen
oxides, carbon oxides, water
v:apour, sulphur oxides, par-
ticles and many chemical pol-
lutants.
- flue gas desulphurisation
a technology that employs a
sorbent, usually lime or lime-
stone, to remove sulphur diox-
ide from the gases produced by
burning fossil fuels. Flue gas
desulphurisation is current
state-of-the art technology for
major S02 emitters, like power
plants.
- fluidised
a mass of solid particles that is
~~de. to flow like a liquid by
mJectlon of water or gas is said ~ tooth decay.
======\1
103
*================
~ to have been fluidised. In wa-
; ter treatment, a bed of filter
: media is fluidised by
~ backwashing water through the
I filter.
; - fluidised bed incinerator
; an incinerator that uses a bed
: of hot sand or other granular
~ material to transfer heat directly
I to waste. Used mainly for de-
: stroying municipal sludge.
I
: - flume
I
: a natural or man-made channel
I that diverts water.
I
: - fluoridation
~ the addition of a chemical to
I increase the concentration of
~ fluoride ions in drinking water
: to reduce the incidence of tooth
~ decay.
I _ fluoride
; a binary compound of fluorine
: with another element, added to
~ drinking water to help prevent
104 fluorocarbons I forbay II
=================*
• fluorocarbons I • fogging
any of a nwnber of organic com- I applying a pesticide by rapidly
pounds analogous to hydrocar- heating the liquid chemical so
bons in which one or more hy- that it forms very fme droplets
drogen atoms are replaced by I that resemble smoke or fog.
fluorine. FC's containing chlorine Used to destroy mosquitoes,
are called chlorofluorocarbons black flies, and similar pests.
(CFC's). They are believed to be I
• food chain
modifying the ozone layer in the I
stratosphere, thereby allowing a sequence of organisms, each
more harmful solar radiation to I of which uses the next, lower
reach the Earth's surface. member of the sequence as a
food source .
• flush
• food processing waste
1. to open a cold-water tap to
clear out all the water which I food residues produced during
may have been sitting for a long I agricultural and industrial op-
time in the pipes. In new erations.
homes, to flush a system means • food waste
to send large volwnes of water I uneaten food and food prepa-
gushing through the unused I ration wastes from residences
pipes to remove loose particles and commercial establishments
of solder and flux. . such as grocery stores, restau-
2. to force large amounts of ; rants, and produce stands, in-
water through a system to clean : stitutional cafeterias and kitch-
out piping or tubing, and stor- ens, and industrial sources like
age or process tanks. I employee lunchrooms .

• flux I • food web

1. a flowing or flow.
2. a substance used to help met-
als fuse together.
• fly ash
non-combustible residual par-
ticles expelled by flue gas.
I the feeding relationships by
which energy and nutrients are
transferred from one species to
I another.
I • forbay
I the water behind a darn.

II ================= BtfPinmmmtll1 Strulies

, II forecast~rest Ifreeboard 105
*================
- forecast crest ~ - fountainhead
the highest elevation of river I the upper end of a confined-
level, or stage, expected during ~ aquifer conduit, where it inter-
a specified storm event. : sects the land surface.
I
- foresight : - fracture
a sighting on a point of un- ~ a break in a rock formation due
known elevation from an instru- ; to structural stresses, e.g. faults,
ment of known elevation. To : shears, joints, and planes of
I
determine the elevation of the : fracture cleavage.
point in question, the foresight
is subtracted from the height of ~ - frazil ice
the instrument. ~ fme spicules, plates, or discoid
; of ice suspended in water. In
- forfeited water right : rivers and lakes, frazil is
a water right cancelled because ~ formed in super cooled, turbu-
of several consecutive years of ; lent water.
non-use.
; - free ground water
- formaldehyde : water in interconnected pore
a colourless, pungent, and ir- ~ spaces in the wne of saturation
ritating gas, CH20, used ~ down to the first impervious
chiefly as a disinfectant and ; barrier, moving under the con-
preservative and in : trol of the water table slope.
synthesising other compounds I
: - free product
like resins.
~ a petroleum hydrocarbon in the
- formulation I liquid free or non aqueous
the substances comprising all I: phase.
active and inert ingredients in a
:I - freeboard
pesticide.
: 1. vertical distance from the
- fossil fuel ~ normal water surface to the top
fuel derived from ancient or- ; of a confining wall.
ganic remains, e.g. peat, coal, : 2. vertical distance from the
crude oil, and natural gas. ~ sand surface to the underside of

Bn,,;ronmmtld Studies ================= II

106 .freeze tIP date Ifumigant II
========*
a trough in a sand fIlter. . I to powder by hand pressure.
(May include previously non-
• freeze up date friable material, which becomes
date on which the water body ~ broken or damaged by me-
was first observed to be com- ; chanical force.)
pletely frozen over.
; • friction head
• freezing : The decrease in total head
the change 'of a liquid into a ~ caused by friction.
solid as temperature decreases. I
For water, the freezing point is : • frost
32° F or 0° C. ~ a covering of minute ice crys-
• freezup jam
·Ice Jam
. c.
lorme ad s tirazil
cumulates and thickens.
ice ac I.; tals on a cold surface.
: . .
- . fuel SWitching .
; 1. a pre-combustIon proce~s
: whereby a low-sulphur coal IS
• french drain ~ used in place of a higher sulphur
an underground passa~eway ; coal in a power plant to reduce
for water through the mter- : sulphur dioxide emissions. .
stices among stones placed I 2. illegally using leaded gasoline
loosely in a trench. in a motor vehicle designed to
• fresh water I use only unleaded.

water that generally contains : • fugitive emissions

less than 1,000 milligrams-per- :I emissions not caught by a cap-
litre of dissolved solids. ~ ture system.
• friable I.fume
capable of being crumbled, ; tiny particles trapped in vapour
pulverised, or reduced to pow- : in a gas stream.
der by hand pressure. I
: • fumigant
• friable asbestos ~ a pesticide vapourised to kill
any material containing more ~ pests. Used in buildings and
than one-percent asbestos, and ; greenhouses.
that can be crumbled or reduced

II ================ B"."jrtm_t.l ShuliR

II fungicide Igaging statUm 107
*================
• fungicide ~ tween each groups of rows.
pesticides which are used to con- ~ • fuse plug spillway
trol, deter, or destroy fungi.
~ an auxiliary or emergency
• fungistat ; spillway comprising a low em-
a chemical that keeps fungi : bankment or a natural saddle
from growing. ~ designed to be overtopped and
; eroded away during flood
• fungus (fungi) : flows.
moulds, mildews, yeasts, I
mushrooms, and puffballs, a :.gage
group of organisms lacking in ~ 1. a device for indicating the
chlorophyll (i.e. are not pho- I magnitude or position of a
tosynthetic) and which are ~ thing in specific units, when
usually non-mobile, filamen- : such magnitude or position un-
tous, and multi-cellular. Some ~ dergoes change, e.g.: The el-
grow in soil, others attach ; evation of a water surface, the
themselves to decaying trees : velocity of flowing water, the
and other plants whence they ~ pressure of water, the amount
obtain nutrients. Some are ; or intensity of precipitation, the
pathogens, others stabilise : depth of snowfall, etc.
sewage and digest composted ~ 2. the act or operation of reg-
waste. ; istering or measuring the
: magnitude or position of a
~ thing when these characteris-
; tics are undergoing change.
~ 3. the operation, including both
: field and office work, of mea-
I suring the discharge of a stream
~ of water in a waterway.
~ • gaging station
• furrow irrigation : a particular site on a water-
irrigation method in which wa- ~ course where systematic obser-
ter travels through the field by ; vations of stage/ and or flow are
means of small channels be- : measured.
I
""1,,,,08=========== .. gaining streams Igasoline volatility II
• gaining streams ~ • gas chromatograph/mass
streams that appear from the I spectrometer
ground or cracks in rocks be- ~ instrument that identifies the
cause they are flowing directly : molecular composition and con-
out of an aquifer. I centrations of various chemicals

• gallery in water and soil samples.

a passageway within the body gas sorption
I •
of a dam or abutment. devices used to reduce levels of
airborne gaseous compounds by
• game fish I passing the air through materi-
species like trout, salmon, or als that extract the gases. The
bass, caught for spon. Many of ~ performance of solid sorbents
them show more sensitivity to ; is dependent on the airflow
environmental change than rate, concentration of the pol-
'rough' fIsh. lutants, presence of other gases
I or vapours, and other factors.

• garbage
animal and vegetable waste re-
sulting from the handling, stor-
age, sale, preparation, cooking,
and serving of foods.
I • gasohol
I mixture of gasoline and ethanol
derived from fermented agri-
cultural products containing at
I least nine percent ethanol.
Gasohol emissions contain less
carbon monoxide than those
I from gasoline.
I • gasification
I conversion of solid material
such as coal into a gas for use
as a fuel.
• gasoline volatility
I the property of gasoline
whereby it evaporates into a
vapour. Gasoline vapour is a

II ================= BlfPi,.",._tIIl SlUIlils

II gate Igeophysics 109
*=================
mixture of volatile organic com- ~ teristics.
pounds.
~ - Geographic Information
• gate . System (GIS)
a device in which a leaf or mem- a computer system designed for
ber is moved across the water- storing, manipulating,
way from an external position I analysing, and displaying data
to control or stop flow. There I in a geographic context.
are many different kinds of : _ eoh drolo
gates used on a dam. I g Y gy
: a term which denotes the
• general permit ~ branch of hydrology rdating to
a permit applicable to a class or I subsurface or subterranean wa-
category of dischargers. : ters, that is, to all waters below
I
: the surface.
• generator
I I. .
1. a facility or mobile source : • geo oglc erosIon
that emits pollutants into the air ~ normal or natural erosion
or releases hazardous waste ; caused by geological processes
into water or soil. : acting over long geologic peri-
2. any person, by site, whose act ~ ods and resulting in the wear-
or process produces regulated ; ing away of mountains, the
medical waste or whose act first : building up of floodplains,
causes such waste to become ~ coastal plains, etc.
subject to regulation. Where
~ • geological log
more than one person (e.g. doc-
tors with separate medical prac- ~ a detailed description of all un-
tices) is located in the same ; derground features (depth,
building, each business entity is : thickness, type of formation)
a separate generator. ~ discovered during the drilling of
; a well.
• genetic engineering
; • geophysics
a process of inserting new ge-
netic information into existing ~ the study of the physical char-
cells in order to modify a spe- : acteristics and properties of the
cific organism for the purpose ~ earth, including geodesy, seis-
of changing one of its charac- ; mology, meteorology, oceanog-

EnvironmentIJI Studies ================= II

""1",,,10===========
raphy, atmospheric electricity,
terrestrial magnetism, and tidal
phenomena.
• geopressured reservoir
a geothermal reservoir consist-
ing of porous sands containing
water or brine at high tempera-
ture or pressure.
• geothermal/ground source
heat pump
these heat pumps are under-
ground coils to transfer heat
from the ground to the inside
of a building.
• germicide
any compound that kills dis-
ease-causing micro organisms.
• geyser
a periodic thermal spring that
results from the expansive
force of super heated steam.
• giardia lamblia
protozoan in the faeces of hu-
II ================= E"Pirrm_t,,1 Strulies
;eopm:rured reservoir Iglass containers II
I mans and animals that can cause
I severe gastrointestinal ailments.
It is a common contaminant of
I surface waters.
I • glacier
I a huge mass of ice, formed on
land by the compaction and re-
crystallisation of snow, that
I moves very slowly down slope
or outward due to its own
weight.
I
I
• glacier dammed lake
the lake formed when a glacier
I flows across the mouth of an
I adjoining valley and forms an
ice dam.
• glass containers
for recycling purposes, contain-
I ers like bottles and jars for
drinks, food, cosmetics and
other products. When being
II glOJJebag Igrass cycling 111
*================
recycled, container glass is gen- ~ - grab sample
erally separated into colour cat- I a single sample collected at a
egories for conversion into new ~ particular time and place that
containers, construction mate- : represents the composition of
rials or fibre glass insulation. ~ the water, air, or soil only at that
- glovebag ; time and place.
a polyethylene or polyvinyl ~ - grade
chloride bag-like enclosure af- : the slope of the surface of the
fixed around an asbestos-con- .I earth.
taining source (most often ther- I di
mal system insulation) permit- : - gra ent
ting the material to be removed ~ the degree of inclination, or the
while minimising release of air- ; rate of ascent or descent, in a
borne fibres to the surrounding : highway, road, river, etc.
I
atmosphere. : - grain loading
- glycerine ~ the rate at which particles are
a sweet, thick liquid found in i emitted from a pollution
various oils and fats and can be ~ source. The number of grains
used to moisten or dissolve : per cubic foot of gas emitted
something. I makes the measurement.

- gooseneck ~ - granular activated carbon

a portion of a water service con-
nection between the water main
distribution system and a
metre. Sometimes called a pig-
tail.
; treatment
: a flltering system often used in
~ small water systems and indi-
I vidual homes to remove organ-
~ ics. Also used by municipal wa-
: ter treatment plant. GAC can
~ be highly effective in lowering
; elevated levels of radon in wa-
: ter.
I
: - grass cycling
I source reduction activities in

En";fYmmental Studies ================= II


"",1"",12======="",gra=s,,,,,,'Sed=lM=t;a Igross alpha/beta particle acti11ity 1\
which grass clippings are left on
~e lawn after mowing.
• grassed waterway
natural or constructed water-
course or outlet that is shaped
or graded and established in
suitable vegetation for the dis-
posal of runoff water without
erOSIOn.
• gravity
the force of attraction,
characterised by heaviness or
weight, by which terrestrial
bodies tend to fall toward the
centre of the earth.
• gravity dam
a concrete structure propor-
tioned so that its own weight
provides the major resistance to
the forces exerted on it.
• green zones
areas along river and stream
banks, wetlands, lakes, and
ponds where there is high pro-
ductivity and diversity.
• greenhouse effect
the warming of the Earth's at-
mosphere attributed to a
build-up of carbon dioxide or
other gases, some scientists
think that this build-up allows
the sun's r·ays to heat the
II =================;;;;; Bnflinm_tIIl SttuliR
y
Earth, while making the infra-
red radiation atmosphere
opaque to infra-red radiation,
thereby preventing a counter-
balancing loss of heat.
I • greenhouse gas
a gas . such as carbon dioxide or
methane, which contributes to
I potential climate change.
I • grey water
I domestic wastewater composed
of wash water from kitchen,
bathroom, and laundry sinks,
I tubs, and washers.
I
I • grinder pump
I
a mechanical device that shreds
solids and raises sewage to a
I higher elevation through pres-
I sure sewers.
I • gross alpha/beta particle
activity
I
the total radioactivity due to al-
I pha or beta particle emissions
as inferred from measurements
I
on a dry sample.
_ gross power-generation ~ between two drainage basins
potential ; on a land surface.
the installed power generation ; _ ground water flow
capacity that landfills gas can ~ stream flow which results from
support. : precipitation that inflltrates into
_ ground cover ~ the soil and eventually moves
plants grown to keep soil from through the soil to the stream
;
eroding. : channel. This is also referred to
~ as base flow, or dry-weather
- ground water ; flow.
the supply of fresh water found
beneath the Earth's surface, ; - ground water hydrology
usually in aquifers, which sup- : the branch of hydrology that
ply wells and springs. Because ~ specialises in ground water, its
ground water is a major source ~ occurrence and movements, its
of drinking water, there is ; replenishment and depletion,
growing concern over contami- : the properties of rocks that con-
nation from leaching agricul- ~ trol ground water movement
tural or industrial pollutants or ; and storage, and the methods
leaking .underground storage : of investigation and utilisation
tanks. ~ of ground water

_ ground water discharge ~ - ground water mining

ground water entering near I pumping ground water from a
coastal waters which has been ~ basin where the safe yield is
contaminated by landfill: very small, thereby extracting
leachate, deep well injection of ~ ground water which had accu-
hazardous wastes, septic tanks, ; mulated over a long period of
etc. : time.
I
- ground water divide : - ground water outflow
a line on a- water table where ~ that part of the discharge
on either side of which the wa- I from a drainage basin that
ter table slopes downward. It is ~ occurs through the ground
analogous to a drainage divide : water. The term 'underflow' is

II
~1l~4~~~~~~~~~=*
often used to describe the
ground water outflow that
takes place in valley alluvium
(instead of the surface ch,m-
nel) and thus is not measure
at a gaging station.
• ground water recharge
the addition of waterto an aqui-
fer.
• ground water reservoir
an aquifer or aquifer system in
which ground water is stored.
The water may be placed in the
aquifer by anificial or natural
means.
• ground water runoff
the portion of runoff which has
passed into the ground, has be-
come ground water, and has
been discharged into a stream
channel as spring or seepage
water.
• ground water storage
the storage of water in ground-
water reservoirs.
• grounded ice
ice that has run aground or is
contact with the ground under-
neath it.
• ground-penetrating radar
a geophysical method that uses
II ================== En,,;rrmmmttll Studies
groundwaterwchtl.1lJe I habitat 1/
I high frequency electromagnetic
I waves to obtain subsurface in-
formation.
I
• grout curtain
I
a barrier produced by injecting
I grout into a vertical zone, usu-
ally narrow (horizontally), and
in the foundation to reduce
I seepage under a dam.
I • gully
I a trench worn in the earth by
running water.
• gully erosion
I
severe erosion in which trenches
I are cut to a depth greater than
I 30 centimetres (a foot). Gen-
erally, ditches deep enough to
I cross with farm equipment are
I considered gullies.
I • gully reclamation
use of small dams of manure
and straw, earth, stone, or con-
I crete to collect silt and gradu-
ally fill in channels of eroded
soil.
• habitat
the place where a population
I (e.g. human, animal, plant, mi-
cro organism) lives and its sur-
roundings, both living and non-
I living.
II habitat indicator I hardpan us
*================
• habitat indicator ~ • halite
a physical attribute of the envi- I a white or colourless mineral,

ronment measured to ~ sodium chloride or rock salt.

characterise conditions neces- : • halon
sary to support an organism, I

popul~tion, or community in
the absence of pollutants, e.g.
salinity of estuarine waters or
substrate type in streams or
lakes.
• hail
a form of precipitation which
forms into balls or lumps of
ice over 0.2 inch in diametre.
Alternate freezing and melt-
ing as precipitation is carried
: bromine-containing compounds
~ with long atmospheric lifetimes
; whose breakdown in the sttato-
: sphere causes depletion of
~ owne. Halons are used in flre
~ flghting.
~ • hangin~ (ice) dam .
I a mass. of Ice com~sed m~y
: offrazil or broken ICe depoSIted
~ ~derneath an ice cove~ in a re-
I glOn of low flow velOCIty.

up and down in highly turbu- ~ • hard water

lent air currents form hail. .; water containing a high level of
• half-life : calcium, magnesium, and other
1. the time required for a pol- I minerals. Hard water reduces
lutant to lose one-half of its ~ the cleansing power of soap and
original concentration ex _ : produces scale in hot water lines
ample, the biochemical half- ~ and appliances.
life o~ DDT in the environ- ~ • hardness (water)
ment IS . 15 years.
.
. d' . .
I con ltiOn caused by dIssolved
2. the time reqUIred for half: salts of calcium rna nes·um
of the atoms of a radioactive ~ and iron, such a; bic:bo:ates:
eleme~t to undergo self-t~ans- I carbonates, sulphates, chlo-
mutation or decay (half-hfe of : rI'des and 'tt t
·
rad Ium . 1620 years).
IS I ' ru a es.
3. the time required for the ~ • hardpan
elimination of half a total dose : a shallow layer of earth mate-
from the body. ~ rial which has become relatively

EnvironmentfJl Studies ================= II

116 hamrd I hetulloss II
=================*
hard and impermeable, usually I ered by ambient air quality
through the deposition of min- I standards but may present a
erals. threat of adverse human health
- hazard
1. potential for radiation, a
chemical or other pollutant to I
cause human illness or injury. 2.
in the pesticide program, the in-
herent toxicity of a compound. I
Hazard identification 9f a given - hazardous chemicals
substances is an informed judg- chemical compounds that are
ment based on verifiable toxicity I dangerous to human health
data from animal models or hu- I and/or the environment.
man studies.
I - head
- hazard assessment the pressure of a fluid owing to
evaluating the effects of a stres- its elevation, usually expressed
sor or determining a margin of ~ in feet of head or in pounds per
safety for an organism by com- . square inch, since a measure of
paring the concentration which fluid pressure is the height of a
causes toxic effects with an es- I fluid column above a given or
timate of exposure to the organ- I known point.
Ism.
- head gate
- hazard evaluation the gate that controls water flow
a component of risk evaluation into irrigation canals and
that involves gathering and ~ ditches. A water master regu-
evaluating data on the types of ; lates the head gates during wa-
health injuries or diseases that ter distribution and posts head
may be produced by a chemical I gate notices declaring official
and on the conditions of expo- regulations.
sure under which such health _ head loss
effects are produced.
the decrease in total head
_ hazardous air pollutants caused by friction.
air pollutants which are not cov- I

II ================= En""",,,",,",l Stlulies

II head raCe I heptachlor 117
*================
- head race ~ - heat pump
a channel which directs water to I an electric device with both heat-
a water wheel, a fore bay. ~ ing and cooling capabilities. It
_ head ward erosion : extracts heat from one medium
. . . I at a lower (the heat source)
erosIOn whIch occurs In the ~ temperature and transfers it to
upstream end of t~e val~ey of : another at a higher tempera-
a strean:, causIn~ It to ~ ture (the heat sink), thereby
le.ngt~en ItS course In such a ; cooling the first and warming
dIrection. : the second.
I
- headwater basin : - heavy metals
a basin at the headwaters of a ~ metallic elements with high
river. All discharge of the river I atomic weights, (e.g. mercury,
at this point is developed within ~ chromium, cadmium, arsenic,
the basin. : and lead), can 0amage living
- headwaters ~ things at low concentrations and

streams at the source of a river. tend to accumulate in the food

;
: chain.
- heat capacity I
: - heavy water
the heat required to raise the
temperature of a substance one ~ water in which all the hydrogen
I atoms have been replaced by
Celsius degree.
~ deuterium.
- heat island effect
a 'dome' of elevated tempera- ~ - heptachlor
tures over an urban area caused : an insecticide that was banned
by structural and pavement ~ on some food products in 1975
heat fluxes, and pollutant emis- ; and in all of them in 1978. It was
SIons.
- heat of vaporisation 'r----, . . . __
u[-----'_
the amount of heat necessary to
convert a liquid (water) into 1:t---' -+-
vapour.
""1,,,,18========== * =h""~""b",,aceous==1~""'""h-ris='""k""C=qmm""U""n",,ity= II
allowed for use-in seed treat- ~ • high-density polyethylene
ment until 1983. More re- ; a material used to make plastic
cently it was found in milk and : bottles and other products that
other dairy products in Arkan- ~ produces toxic fumes when
sas and Missouri where dairy I burned.
cattle were illegally fed
I • high-level nuclear waste
treated seed.
: facility
• herbaceous plant designed to handle dis-
describes animals that are ! posal of used nuclear fuel, high-
strictly plant-eating. I level radioactive waste, and plu-

• heterotroph I
tonium waste.
an organism that is not capable : • High-Level Radioactive
I
of making its own food. : Waste (HLRW)
• high end exposure esti- ~ waste generated in core fuel of
mate . a nuclear reactor, found at
nuclear reactors or by nuclear
an estimate of exposure, or
I fuel reprocessing, is a serious
dose level received anyone in a
defined population that is I threat to anyone who comes
near the waste without shield-
greater than the 90th percentile I
of all individuals in that popu- ing.
lation, but less than the expo- high-line jumpers
I •

~ pipes or hoses connected to fire

sure at the highest percentile in
that population. A high-end risk
; hydrants and laid on top of the
descriptor is an estimate of the
: ground to provide emergency
~ water service for an isolated
risk level for such individuals.
Note that risk is based on a com-
; portion of a distribution sys-
bination of exposure and sus- : tern.
ceptibility to the stressor. I hi h . k 'ty
: . g -ns commuru
• high intensity discharge ~ a community located within the
a generic term for mercury I vicinity of numerous sites of
vapour, metal halide, and high ~ facilities or other potential
pressure sodium lamps and fix- sources of environmental expo-
tures.

II ================= E""""",,",,tIIl Snulies

II high-to-low-dose rxtrapolation I house;ld waste (domestic waste)
sure/health hazards which may ~
result in high levels of exposure I
to contaminants or pollutants. :
• high-to-Iow-dose extrapo-
lation
the process of prediction of low I
exposure risk to humans and
animals from the measured
high-exposure-high-risk data ~
involving laboratory animals. I
• hinge crack
crack caused by significant :
changes in water level.
• holding pond
an animal waste treatment
method which uses a shallow
pond to temporarily store ani-
mal wastes for land application.
• holding tanks
a container where wastewater
is stored before it is removed
for treatment, confined live-
stock operations have holding
tanks to store animal wastes for
land application at a later time.
119
• hollow stem auger drilling
conventional drilling method
that uses augurs to penetrate
the soil. As the augers are ro-
I tated, soil cuttings are conveyed
to the ground surface via augur
spirals. DP tools can be used
I inside the hollow augers.
• homeowner water system
any water system which sup-
: plies piped water to a single
I rest'dence.
~ • hood capture efficiency
~ ratio of the emissions captured
; by a hood and directed into a
: control or disposal device, ex-
~ pressed as a percent of all emis-
I stons.
; • household hazardous
waste
I
: hazardous products used and
~ disposed of by residential as
; opposed to industrial consum-
: ers. Includes paints, stains, var-
~ nishes, solvents, pesticides, and
; other materials or products con-
: taining volatile chemicals that
I
: can catch fire, react or explode,
I or that are corrosive or toxic.
; • household waste (domes-
: tic waste)
I
: solid waste, composed of gar-
I
~1~20~~~~~~~~~~hu=; equiT1alentdose I hydmulicfill dam II
bage and rubbish, which nor- I • hummock
mally originates in a private I a hillock of broken ice which has
home or apartment house. Do- been forced upward by pres-
mestic waste may contain a sig- sure.
nificant amount of toxic or haz- I

ardous waste. • hummocked ice

I ice piled haphazardly one piece
• human equivalent dose lover another to form an uneven
a dose which, when adminis- surface.
tered to humans, produces an ~
effect equal to that produced by ;
a dose in animals. :
• human exposure evalua-
tion
describing the nature and size I
of the population exposed to a . .
substance and the magnitude
and duration of their exposure. I • hyaline mycelia
sterile mycelia which is white or
• human health risk transparent. No fruiting strUc-
the likelihood that a given ex- I tures are produced by the myce-
posure or series of exposures lia. Visual identification of these
may have damaged or will dam- organisms is not possible. Of-
age the health of individuals. I ten associated with allergic
I symptoms.
• humidifier fever
a respiratory illness caused by • hydraulic conductivity
exposure to toxins from micro the rate at which water can
organisms found in wet or I move through a permeable
moist areas in humidifiers and I medium. (i.e. the coefficient of
air conditioners. Also called air permeability. )
conditioner or ventilation fever.
• hydraulic fill dam
• humidity a dam constrUcted of materials,
the degree of wemess, especially ~ often dredged, that are con-
of the atmosphere. .

II ================= Bnviron_tIIl Studies

II hydraulicgradeline I hydrograph 121
*================
veyed and placed by suspension ~ mal to the direction of flow
in flowing water. ; when the hydraulic gradient is
:urury.
- hydraulic grade line I
a line whose plotted ordinate : - hydrocarbons
position represents the sum of ~ substances containing only hy-
pressure head plus elevation ~ drogen and carbon, such as
head for the various positions ; methane, alkaline, or ethylene.
along a given flui~ fl~w path, : _ hydroelectricity
such as along a pIpelIne or a ~ .
ground water streamline. ; electnc energy produced by
. water-powered turbine genera-
- hydraulic head ; tors.
1. the height of the free surface
of a body of water above a given
point beneath the surface.
2. the height of the water level
at the headwork, or an up-
streanl point, of a waterway, and I
the water surface at a given
point downstream.
3. the height of a hydraulic ~ - hydrogen sulphide (h2s)
grade line above the centre line I gas emitted during organic de-
of a pressure pipe, at a given ~ composition. Smells like rotten
point. : eggs and, in heavy concentra-
- hydraulic mean depth ~ tion, can kill or cause illness.

the right cross-sectional area of ~ - hydrograph separation

a stream of water divided by the ; the process where the storm
length of that part of its periph- : hydrograph is separated into
ery in contact with its contain- ~ base flow components and sur-
ing conduit, the ratio of area to ~ face runoff components.
wetted perimeter.
I - hydrograph
- hydraulic permeability ; a graph showing the water level
the flow of water through a unit (stage), discharge, or other
cross-sectional area of soil nor- I
122 hydrolic I hydro meteorologists II
========*
property of a river volume with Iand circulation through the un-
respect to time. ending hydrologic cycle of: Pre-
cipitation, consequent runoff,
- hydrolic I inftltration, and storage, even-
operated, moved, or brought I tual evaporation, and so forth.
about by means of water. : It is concerned with the physi-
- hydrologic budget ~ cal and chemical reaction of
an accounting of the inflow to, ; water with the rest of the earth,
outflow from, and storage in, a I and its relation to the life of the
hydrologic unit, such as a drain- earth.
age basin, aquifer, soil zone, _ hydrolysis
lake, reservoir, or irrigation ~ the decomposition of organic
project. ; compounds by interaction with
_ hydrologic (water) cycle ~ water.

the cycle of the earth's water : _ hydro meteorological

supply from the atmosphere ~ technicians
to the earth and back which I individuals who, at the tech-
includes precipitation, trans pi- nicallevel, have knowledge in
ration, evaporation, runoff, I meteorology and hydrology.
infiltration, and storage in I Among their duties are data
water bodies and groundwa- I collection, quality control,
ter. : gage network maintenance, as
~ well as the gathering and dis-
; seminating of data and prod-
: ucts.
I
: - hydro meteorologists
I
: individuals who have the com-
I bined knowledge in the fields of
both meteorology and hydrol-
- hydrology ogy which enables them to
the applied science concerned I study and solve hydrologic
with the waters of the earth, problems where meteorology is
their occurrences, distribution, a factor.

II ================= E"viron,,",,'," Snuliu

II hydronic IlJypoxia/hypo'dc waters 123
*================
_ hydronic ~ - hygroscopic nuclei
a ventilation system using ~ piece of dust or other particle
heated or cooled water pumped ; around which water con-
through ,a building. : denses in the atmosphere.
- hydropneumatic ~ These tiny droplets then col-
I lide and coalesce, with as many
a water system, usually small,
in which a water pump is au- ~ as 10,000 nuclei contributing
tomatically controlled by the : to formation of a raindrop.
I
pressure in a compressed air : - hypersensitivity diseases
tank. I
: diseases characterised by al-
- hydropower ~ lergic responses to pollutants.
any means of harnessing power ; The hypersensitivity diseases
from water. : most clearly associated with
- hydrosphere ~ indoor air quality are asthma,
the region that includes all the ~ rhinitis, and hypersensitivity
earth's liquid water, frozen wa- ; pneumonitis. Hypersensitivity
ter, floating ice, frozen upper : pneumonitis is a ,rare but se-
layer of soil, and the small ~ rious disease that involves pro-
amounts of water vapour in the ; gressive lung damage as long
earth's atmosphere. ~ as there is exposure to the
: causative agent.
- hydrostatic head I
a measure of pressure at a : - hypolimnion
given point in a liquid in terms ~ bottom layer of cold water in a
of the vertical height of a col- I lake.
umn of the same liquid which
would produce the same pres- ~ - hypoxia/hypoxic waters
sure. I waters with dissolved oxygen

_ h eto ra h ~ concentrations of less than 2

y ~ p : ppm, the level generally ac-
a_:_£,_11
graphIcal
. representation
.. of l td
. cep e as t h e mInImum
.. re-
rdlllldll mtensIty WIth respect to· . d£'· li£,
. I qwre lor most manne Ie to
tIme. .; survlve
. and reprod uce.

=====11
124
=================*
• ice
a solid form of water.
• ice boom
a floating structure designed to
retain ice.
• ice bridge
a continuous ice cover of lim-
ited size extending from shore
to shore like a bridge.
• ice gorge
the gorge or opening left in a
jam after it has broken.
• ice jam
a stationary accumulation that
restricts or blocks stream flow.
• ice push
compression of an ice cover par-
ticularly at the front of a mov-
ing section of ice cover.
• ice run
flow of ice in a river. An ice run
may be light or heavy, and may
consist of frazil, anchor, slush,
or sheet ice.
II ================== Bnvi,.""mmttU Strulies
ice I imptlrity II
I • ice shove
lon-shore ice push caused by
wind, and currents, changes in
temperature, etcetera.
• ice twitch
I downstream movement of a
I small section of an ice cover. Ice
twitches occur suddenly and of-
I
ten appear successively.
• impermeable
I impassable, not permitting the
passage of a fluid through it.
I • impervious
the quality or state of being
impermeable, resisting pen-
I etration by water or plant roots.
Impervious ground cover like
concrete and asphalt affects
I quantity and quality of runoff.
I • import
I water piped or channelled into
an area.
• impoundment
a body of water such as a pond,
I confIned by a dam, dike, flood-
gate or other barrier. It is used
to collect and store water for
I future use.
I • impurity
I something that, when mixed
into something else, makes that
II inactive storage capacity I induced rec;~",'lJ""e==========1",,2=5
mixture unclean or lowers the ~ - index of wetness
quality. ; the ratio of precipitation for a
- inactive storage capacity : given year over the mean an-
I .. .
: nual preclpltatIOn.
the portion of capacity below
which the reservoir is not nor- ~ - indicator compounds
mally drawn, and which is pro- ~ chemical compounds, such as
vided for sedimentation, recre- ; carbon dioxide, whose presence
ation, fish and wildlife, aesthetic : at certain concentrations may
reasons, or for the creation of a ~ be used to estimate certain
minimum controlled opera- ; building conditions (e.g., air-
tional or power head in compli- : flow, presence of sources).
I
ance with operating agreements
or restrictions. : - indicator organisms
•
: micro organisms, such as
• inch-degrees ~ coliforms, whose presence is
the proouct of inches of rainfall ; indicative of pollution or of
multiplied the temperature in : more harmful micro orgarnsm.
degrees above freezing (Fahr- •
enheit Scale), used as a measure ~ - indirect flood damage
of the snow melting capacity of : expenditures made as a result
rainfall. ~ of the flood (other than repair)
; such as relief and rescue work,
- inches of runoff : removing silt and debris, etc.
the volume of water from run- •
off of a given depth over the : - indoor air pollutant
entire drainage. ~ particles and dust, fibres, mists,
• bio aerosols, and gases or
• inchoate water right
· vapours.
an unperfected water right. •
: - induced recharge
• inclined staff gage •
: replenishing a water body or
a staff gage that is placed on the ~ aquifer by transporting water
slope of a stream bank and ; from somewhere else and put-
graduated so that the scale : ting it into the water body or
reads directly in vertical depth. :• aqwer.
'fi
~1",,26==========i~tlStrial consumption I influentseepage II
• industrial consumption
the quantity of water conswned
in a municipality or district for
mechanical, trade, and manu-
facturing purposes, in a given
period, generally one day. The
per capita use is generally based
on the total population of the
locality, municipality, or district.
• industrial pollution
pollution caused by indw.ltY-
• infiltration
the movement of water into soil
or porous rock. Infiltration oc-
curs as water flows through the
larger pores of rock or between
soil particles under the influence
of gravity, or as a gradual wet-
ting of small particles by capil-
lary action.
• infiltration capacity curve
a graph showing the time-varia-
tion of infiltration capacity. A
standard infiltration capacity
curve shows the time-variation
of the infiltration rate which
II =================
I would occur if the supply were
I continually in excess of infiltra-
tion capacity.
• infiltration capacity
I
the maximum rate at which
I water can enter the soil at a par-
ticular point under a given set
I
of conditions.
• infiltration index
an average rate of infiltration,
I in inches per hour, equal to the
average rate of rainfall such as
that the volwne of rainfall at
I greater rates equals the total
direct runoff.
• infiltration rate
1. the rate at which infiltration
I takes place expressed in depth
I of water per unit time, usually
in inches per hour.
2. the rate, usually expressed in
I cubic feet per second, or million
gallons per day per mile ofwa-
terway, at which ground water
I enters an infiltration ditch or
gallery, drain, sewer, or other
underground conduit.
• influent seepage
movement of gravity water in
I the wne of aeration from the
ground surface toward the wa-
ter table.
EnvironmmtiU ShUlies
II ~in~rft~uen=t~stna=~n~J~1~imm='D~a~n~ic~p~hO~tp~h=~ ===========1~2=7
- influent stream ~ wne (usually the root wne) in
any watercourse in which ali, ; such area is less than the field
or a portion of the surface : capacity of such wne at the be-
water flows back into the ~ ginning of the rainy season.
ground namely the zone of I Also called Initial Moisture

aeration. ~ Deficiency.
_ initial detention : - injection wells
I
the volume of water on the : a well in which fluids (such as
ground, either in depressions ~ wastewater, saltwater, natural
or in transit, at the time active ; gas, or used chemicals) are in-
runoff begins. : jected deep in the ground for
~ the purpose of disposal or to
- initial loss I force adjacent fluids like oil
in hydrology, rainfall preceding : into the vicinity of oil produc-
the beginning of surface runoff. ~ ing wells.
It includes interception, surface
wetting, and infiltration unless ~ - inland freshwater wetlands
otherwise specified. ~ swamps, marshes, and bogs
; found inland beyond the coastal
- initial moisture deficiency : saltwater wetlands.
the quantity, usually expressed in I
depth of water in inches upon a I: - inorganic .
unit area, by which the actual : matter other than plant or anl-
water content of a given soil wne ~ mal and not containing a com-
(usually the root wne) in such; bination of carbon, hydrogen,
area is less than the field capacity: an.d oxygen, as in living
of such wne at the beginning of ~ thmgs.
the rainy season. Also called Ini- ~ _ inorganic nitrogen
tial Water Deficiency. .
I nitrogen not derived from or-

- initial water deficiency : ganic matter.

I
the quantity, usually expressed : - inorganic phosphorus
in depth of water in inches upon I: phosphoru~ not derived from
a unit area, by which the actual
~ organic matter.
water content of a given soil

II
 rograP
""12,,,,8===========imr;ntaneousunithyd h I intnflow "

• instantaneous unit I other drainage basins.

hydrograph I • intercepting drain
the theoretical, ideal, unit I a drain constructed at the up-
hydrograph that has a infInitesi- per end of the area to be
mal duration. drained, to intercept surface or
• in stream use I ground water flowing toward
the protected area from higher
uses of water within the stream I
ground, and carry it away from
channel, e.g., fish and other I the area. Also called Curtain
aquatic life, recreation, naviga- I Drain.
tion, and hydroelectric power
production. • interception storage
requirements
• intangible flood damage water caught by plants at the
estimates of the damage done I onset of a rainstorm. This must
by disruption of business, dan- be met before rainfall reaches
ger to health, shock, and loss the ground.
of life and in general all costs ~ • interception
not d.irecdy measurable which ~ the process by which precipita-
~eqU1re a large .ele~ent of I tion is caught and held by foli-
Judgment for estImatmg. age, twigs, and branches of
• integrated resource plan- trees, shrubs, and other vegeta-
ning I tion, and lost by evaporation,
never reaching the surface of the
the management of two or I
ground. Interception equals the
more resources in the same
I precipitation on the vegetation
general area, commonly in- minus stream flow and through
cludes water, soil, timber, graz- I fall.
ing land, fish, wildlife, and rec- I
reation. • interflow
the lateral motion of water
• interbasin transfer I through the upper layers until
the diversion of water from one it enters a stream channel. This
drainagt basin to one or more usually takes longer to reach

II ================= Bnpjnmmmtill StrulUs

II intermediateztme I isobath 129
*================
stream channels than runoff. ~ and which can be accounted for,
This is also called subsurface ; in the soil moisture increase for
storm flow. : consumptive use.
I
_ intermediate zone : - irrigation requirement
the subsurface water zone be- ~ the quantity of water, exclusive
low the root zone and above ~ of precipitation, that is required
the capillary fringe. ; for crop production. It includes
_ intermittent stream : surface evaporation and other
~ economically unavoidable
one that flows periodically. ; wastes.
- interstices ~ _ irrigation return flow
the void or empty portion of : water which is not consump-
rock or soil occupied by air or ~ tively used by plants and returns
water. I to a surface or ground water

_ inundation map ~ supply. Under conditions of

a map delineating the area that : water right litigation, the defi-
'Would be inundated in the event ~ nition may be restricted to mea-
of a dam failure. ; surable water returning to the
: stream from which it was di-
- irrigated area ~ verted.
the gross farm area upon which
~ - irrigation water
water is artificially applied for
the production of crops, with no I water which is applied to assist
reduction for access roads, ca- ~ crops in areas or during times
nais, or farm buildings. : where rainfall is inadequate.
_ IrrIgation ~ - isobath
the controlled application of ~ an imaginary line on the earth's
water to cropland, hayland, and/ ~ surf~ce or a ~e on a. map con-
or pasture to supplement that ; nectmg a1! pou: ts which are the
supplied through nature. : same vertIcal distance above the
I upper or lower surface of a wa-
- irrigation efficiency ~ ter-bearing formation or aqui-
the percentage of water applied, : fer.
 130 isohyet I kinetic mte coeffieient "
=================*
• isohyet ~ of wood or stone) extending
a line that connects points of I into a sea, lake, or river to in-
equal rainfall. : fluence the current or tide or to
I protect a harbour.
• jar test
I • jokulh1aup
a laboratory procedure that
simulates a water treatment I an Icelandic term meaning gla-
plant's coagulation/flocculation I cier dammed lake outburst
units with differing chemical flood.
doses, mix speeds, and settling • juvenile water
times to estimate the minimum I
water formed chemically within
or ideal coagulant dose required
the earth and brought to the
to achieve certain water quality ~ surface in intrusive rock.
goals.
• kame
a short ridge, hill, or mound of
I stratified drift deposited by gla-
I cial melt water.

I • karst
a geologic formation of irregu-
lar limestone deposits with
I sinks, underground streams,
. • jet stream and caverns .
a long narrow meandering cur- • kinetic energy
rent of high-speed winds near energy possessed by a moving
the tropo-pause blowing from I object or water body.
a generally westerly direction I
and often exceeding a speed of : • kinetic rate coefficient
250 miles per hour. I a number that describes the rate
at which a water constituent
• jetteau such as a biochemical oxygen
a jet of water. I demand or dissolved oxygen
rises or falls, or at which an air
• jetty
pollutant reacts.
a strUcture (e.g., a pier, or mole I

II ========~======== E"virrmmmmi Snuliu

II laboratory ani1Ml studies I laminar: 131

• laboratory animal studies ~ also used for storage of waste-

investigations using animals as ; water or spent nuclear fuel
surrogates for humans. ~ rods.
• laboratory water
purified water used in the labo-
ratory as a basis for making up I
solutions or making dilutions. I
Water devoid of interfering sub-
stances.
I
• lacustrine : 2. shallow body of water, often
refers to lake or river habitats. ~ separated from the sea by coral
• lag (of a basin) ; reefs or sandbars.
the measure of the time be- ; • lake
tween the centre of mass of pre- ~ any inland body o(standing
cipitation to the centre of mass : water, usually fresh water,
of runoff (on the hydrograph), ~ larger than a pool or pond, a
basin lag is a function of not ; body of water filling a depres-
only basin characteristics, but : sion in the earth's surface.
also of storm intensity and I
movement. Some hydrologic
texts defme lag from the centre
of mass of rainfall to the I

hydrograph peak.
• lag time
the time from the centre of a unit
I
storm to the peak discharge or : • laminar flow
centre of volume of the corre- I
: streamline flow in which succes-
sponding unit hydrograph.
~ sive flow particles follow simi-
• lagoon ; lar path lines and head loss var-
1. a shallow pond where sun- : ies with velocity to the first
light, bacterial action, and oxy- ~ power.
gen work to purify wastewater, I

ENR~mmmlS~w -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=___ II
 PP
=13=2=========;ndIl lialrion I LIIngelier I","" (U) II
• land application ~ • landscape ecology
discharge of wastewater onto the I the study of the distribution
ground for treatment or reuse. : ,patterns of communities and
• land disposal restrictions
~ ecosystems, the ecological pro-
I cesses that affect those patterns,
rules that require hazardous and changes in pattern and pro-
wastes to be treated before dis- I cess over time.
posal on land to destroy or I
immobilise hazardous constitu- • landscape impoundment
ents that might migrate into soil body of reclaimed water which
and ground water. I is used for aesthetic enjoyment
or which otherwise serves a
• land farming (of waste)
function not intended to include
a disposal process in which haz- I contact recreation.
ardous waste deposited on or in
the soil is degraded naturally by ~ • landscape indicator
microbes. ; a measurement of the land-
scape, calculated from
• landscape
I mapped or remotely sensed
the traits, patterns, and strUc- I data, used to describe spatial
ture of a specific geographic patterns of land use and land
area, including its biological I cover across a geographic
composition, its physical envi- I area. Landscape indicators
ronment, and its anthropogenic may be useful as measures of
or social patterns. An area I cert-ain kinds of environmen-
where interacting ecosystems I tal degradation such as forest
are grouped and repeated in fragmentation.
similar form.
• Langelier Index (LI)
an index reflecting the equilib-
I rium pH ofa water with respect
I to calcium and alkalinity, used
in stabilising water to control
both corrosion and scale depo-
I sition.
II LARC (UMlTEDAUTOMATIG. .. ~Leaking Underground Storage... 133

• LARC (LIMITED AUTO- ~ water, ground water, or soil.

MATIC REPORT COL-
~ • leachate collection system
LECTOR)
I a system that gathers leachate
an electronic device that inter- ; and pumps it to the surface for
faces a river or precipitation : treatment.
gage with a telephone line mak-
ing it possible for remote com- ~ • leaching
puters to call a gaging site and ~ extraction or flushing out of dis-
retrieve data. ; solved or suspended materials
• laser induced fluorescence : from the soil, solid waste, or
~ another medium by water or
a method for measuring the ; other liquids as they percolate
relative amount of soil and/or : down through the medium to
groundwater with an in-situ I
: groundwater.
sensor.
• latency I

time from the first exposure of :

a chemical until the appearance ~
of a toxic effect. .
• lateral sewers
pipes that run under city streets ~ • lead (ph)
and receive the sewage from : a heavy metal that is hazardous
homes and businesses, as op- ~ to health if breathed or swal-
posed to domestic feeders and I lowed. Its use in gasoline,
main trunk lines. ~ paints, and plumbing com-
• leachate : pounds has been sharply re-
I stricted or eliminated by federal
water that collects contami-
nants as it trickles through ~ laws and regulations.
wastes, pesticides or fertilisers. ; • Leaking Underground
Leaching may occur in farming Storage Tank (LUST)
areas, feedlots, and landfills, ~ an underground container used
and may result in hazardous ; to store gasoline, diesel fuel,
substances entering surface : home heating oil, or other
I
134
~~~~~~~==*
chemicals that is damaged in
some way and is leaking its con-
tents into the ground, may con-
taminate groundwater.
• legionella
a genus of bacteria, some spe-
cies of which have caused a type
of pneumonia called Legion-
naires Disease.
• length
lrtJiorulla I limitingfiutor II
I specified area to prevent flood-
I ing. The term 'dike' is used to
describe an embankment that
I blocks an area on a reservoir or
I lake rim that is lower than the
top of the dam.
I
.LFWS
a generic term for any type of
I Local Flood Warning System.
I • lift

the distance in the direction of ; in a sanitary landfill, a com-

flow between two specific pacted layer of solid waste and
points along a river, stream, or the top layer of cover material.
channel. • limestone
• lentic system I rock that consists mainly of cal-
a non-flowing or standing body I cium carbonate and is chiefly,
of fresh water, such as a lake or formed by accumulation of or-
. .
pond. gamc remaIns.
• levee I • limestone scrubbing
a natural or man-made earthen I use of a limestone and water
obstruction along the edge of a solution to remove gaseous
stream, lake, or river. Usually stack-pipe sulphur before it
used to restrain the flow ofwa- I reaches the atmosphere.
ter out of a river bank. I • limited degradation
• levee (dike) I an environmental policy per-
a long, narrow embankment mitting some degradation of
usually built to protect land natural systems but terminat-
from flooding. If built of con- I ing at a level well beneath an
crete or masonry the structure established health standard.
is usually referred to as a flood • limiting factor
wall. Levees and flood walls I
confine stream flow within a a condition whose absence or
II limnology I lithology 135
*=================
excessive concentration, is in- ~ filtration.
compatible with the needs or
~ • lining
tolerance of a species or popu-
lation and which may have a I a coating of concrete, rubber, or
negative influence on their abil- ~ plastic to a canal, tunnel, shaft
ity to thrive. : or reservoir to provide water-
I tightness, prevent erosion, re-
.limnology ~ duce friction, or support the
the study of the physical, chemi- : periphery of the structure.
cal, hydrological, and biological :I • lipid solubility
aspects of fresh water bodies.
~ the maximum concentration of
• lindane I a chemical that will dissolve in

a pesticide that causes adverse : fatty substances. Lipid soluble

health effects in domestic wa- ~ substances are insoluble in wa-
ter supplies and is toxic to fresh- I ter. They will very selectively
water fish and aquatic life. ~ disperse through the environ-
: ment via uptake in living tissue.
I
: • liquefaction
~ changing a solid into a liquid.
~ • liquid
~ a state of matter, neither gas
; nor solid, that flows and takes
: the shape of its container.
I
: • liquid injection incinerator
I
: commonly used system that re-
I lies on high pressure to prepare
• liner : liquid wastes for incineration by
1. a relatively impermeable bar- ~ breaking them up into tiny
rier designed to keep leachate I droplets to allow easier com-
inside a landfill. Liner materi- ~ bustion.
als include plastic and dense clay. ~ • lithology
2. an insert or sleeve for sewer
pipes to prevent leakage or in- I: mineralogy, grain size, texture,

B.ftnmmm"'S~w ================================-= II
136
and other ~hysic~ properties of
granular soil, sediment, or rock.
• lithosphere
that part of the earth which is
composed predominantly of
rocks (either coherent or inco-
herent, and including the disin-
tegrated rock materials known
as. soils and subsoils), together
wlth everything in this rocky
crust.
• litre
the basic unit of measurement
for volume in the metric sys-
tern, equal to 61.025 cubic
inches or 1.0567 liquid quarts.
. I
• Iltter . .. . .;
1. ~e highly Vlslble portion of
soli~ waste carelessly discarded
outslde the regular garbage and
trash collection and disposal
system.
2. leaves and twigs fallen from
forest trees.
• r al
lttor zone
1. that portion of a body of fresh
. f
water exten d mg rom the
shoreline lakeward to the limit
of occupancy of rooted plants.
2. a strip of land along the
shoreline between the high and
low water levels.
* uthq,pbn. Ilqg.L ..ftty...,. II
~ • live capacity
~ the total amount of storage ca-
; pacity available in a reservoir
: for all purposes, from the dead
~ storage level to the normal wa-
I ter or normal pool level surface
: level. Does not include sur-
~ charg~, or dead storage, but
~ d~s mclude i~active storage,
. actlve conservatlon storage and
~ exclusive flood control storage.
~ • Local Flood Warning
~ System (LFWS)
; a general designatorf~r a net-
~ ~ork of stream and ram gages
: lffiplemented by a community
or local government to mom-
tor hyd roIOglC. events as they
: occur. LFWS gages are either
I read manually by spotters or
: fitted with radio transmitter to
~ communicate data to a comput-
I erised base station.
~ • local floodi
. ng
; ~oodin~ ~onditions over a rela-
: tlvely limited (localised) area.
I I d-£'.
: • og an scu.ety boom
I . . .
: a net-like devlce mstalled in a
~ r~ervo~, upstream of the prin-
; Clpal. spillway, to prevent logs,
: ?ebns and boaters from enter-
I mg a water discharge facility or
spillway.
II long termstomgedams I 11UIntlgerial;=t'ro=lS=========1=3=7
- long term storage dams
reservoirs used for recreational
use or storage of irrigation,
municipal or industrial water.
Because water is impounded on
a 'permanent' basis, the design
of these dams is more complex
than for tailings or flood con-
trol detention dams. A long
term storage dam may include
an impermeable core sur-
rounded by shell material, have
many types of drains and fIlters,
outlet works, with gates and
valves, seepage collection
boxes, and possibly several
spillways. The capacity of the
spillway is dependant upon the
downstream hazard potential.
- longshore current
a current that moves parallel to : ow mto It.
the shore.
- losing streams
streams which seem to disap-
pear because they flow into an
aquifer.
- lotic system
a flowing body of fresh water,
such as a river or stream.
- lowland flooding
inundation of low areas near the ;
river, often rural, but may also
~ occur in urban areas.
~ _ lysimeter
I a device to measure the quan-
~ tity or rate of downward water
: movement through a block of
I soil usually undisturbed, or to
~ collect such percolated water
: for analysis as to quality.
I
: - macro-invertebrates
~ organisms that are visible to the
I naked eye and lack a backbone.
I - magnetic separation
; use of magnets to separate fer-
: rous materials from mixed
~ municipal waste stream.
~ _ main stem
I the reach of a river/stream
: formed by the tributaries that
I fl . .
:I - major
• floodi ng
~ a general term including exten-
; sive inundation and property
: damage. (Usually characterised
~ by the evacuation of people and
I livestock and the closure of both
: primary and secondary roads).
I
:
I
- managerial controls
: methods of non point source
~ pollution control based on de-
cisions about managing agricul-
tural wastes or application
138
========*
times or rates for agrochemi-
cals.
• mandatory recycling
programs which by law require
consumers to separate trash so
that some or all recyclable ma-
terials are recovered for recy-
cling rather than going to land-
fIlls .
• MAP (Mean Area Precipi-
tation)
the average rainfall over a given
area, generally expressed as an
average depth over the area.
• mariculture
the cultivation of marine organ-
isms in their natural habitats,
usually for commercial pur-
poses.
• marine
of or relating to the sea.
• marine intertidal
a coastal saltwater wetland
flooded by tidewaters.
II = = = = = = = = = BrI.,jf'fmMMtIIl Shill_
mandatory recycling I mass curve II
I • marine pollution
I pollution found in the oceans,
bays, or gulfs.
I
• marine sanitation device
any equipment or process in-
I stalled on board a vessel to re-
ceive, retain, treat, or discharge
sewage.
• marsh
I a type of wetland that does not
I accumulate appreciable peat
deposits and is dominated by
herbaceous vegetation.
I Marshes may be either fresh or
saltwater, tidal or non-tidal.
(See: wetlands.)
• mass curve
I
a graph of the cumulative val-
II material category I media 139
*=================
ues of a hydrologic quantity ~ tangential to the extreme lim-
(such as precipitation or run- ; its of fully developed mean-
off), generally as ordinate, : ders.
plotted against time or date. I
: - mechanical aeration
- material category ~ use of mechanical energy to in-
In the asbestos program, broad I ject air into water to cause a
classification of materials into ~ waste stream to absorb oxygen.
thermal surfacing insulation,
~ - mechanical separation
surfacing material, and miscel-
laneous material. : using mechanical means to
I . .
: separate waste mto vanous
- material type I components.
classification of suspect mate-
; - mechanical turbulence
rial by its specific use or appli-
cation, e.g. pipe insulation, fire- ; random irregularities of fluid
proofmg, and floor tile. : motion in air caused by build-
~ ings or other non-thermal, pro-
- maximum spillway dis- I cesses.
charge
; - mechanically ventilated
spillway discharge when reser-
crawlspace system
voir is at maximum designed I
water surface elevation. .: a system designed to increase
I ventilation within a
- mean depth ; crawlspace, achieve higher air
the average depth of water in a : pressure in the crawlspace
stream channel or conduit. It is ~ relative to air pressure in the
equal to the cross-sectional area ; soil beneath the crawlspace, or
divided by the surface width. : achieve lower air pressure in
_ meander ~ the crawlspace relative to air
; pressure in the living spaces,
to follow a winding course, : by use of a fan.
such as a brook meandering I
through the fields. ~ - media
_ meander belt : specific environment, air, water,
~ soil which are the subject of regu-
the area between lines drawn ; latory concern and activities.

Environ_tid Studies ================= II

140 median-streamflow I methanol II
=~~~~~~~=*
• median stream flow I • mesotrophic
the rate of discharge of a stream I reservoirs and lakes which con-
for which there are equal num- tain moderate quantities of nu-
bers of greater and lesser flow trients and are moderately pro-
occurrences during a specified I ductive in terms of aquatic ani-
period. mal and plant life.
• melting • metabolites
the changing of a solid into a any substances produced by bio-
liquid. logical processes, such as those
I from pesticides.
• melt water
water that comes from the I • metalimnion
melting ice of a glacier or a the middle layer of a thermally
snow bank. stratified lake or reservoir. In this
• membrane layer there is a rapid decrease in

I.
I
I temperature with depth.
a soft pliable sheet or layer, of-
ten of plant or animal origin. meteoric water
new water derived from the at-
mosphere .
• methane
I a colourless, non poisonous,

I flammable gas created by

anaerobic decomposition of or-
• meniscus ganic compounds. A major
the curved surface of the liquid I component of natural gas used
at the open end of a capillary ~ in the home.
column. : • methanol
• mermaid an alcohol that can be used as
a fabled marine creature usually ~ an alternative fuel or as a gaso-
represented as having the head, ; line additive. It is less volatile
trunk, and arms of a woman : than gasoline, when blended
and a lower part like the tail of ~ with gasoline it lowers the car-
a fish. I bon monoxide emissions but

II ================= &.,;~tM Strulier

II methoxychlor I midnight dumping *==========1~4=1
increases hydrocarbon emis- ~ - microbial digestion
sions. Used as pure fuel, its I breakdown and use of a sub-
emissions are less owne-form- ~ stance by micro organisms.
ing than those from gasoline.
Poisonous to humans and ani- ~ - microbial growth
mals if ingested. : the amplification or multiplica-
~ tion of micro organisms such as
_ methoxychlor
; bacteria, algae, diatoms, plank-
pesticide that causes adverse : ton, and fungi.
health effects in domestic wa- I
ter supplies and is toxic to fresh- :I - microbial pesticide
water and marine aquatic life. : a micro organism that is used
~ to kill a pest, but is of mini-
- micro environmental ; mum toxicity to humans.
method
a method for sequentially as- ; - microbiology
sessing exposure for a series of : the science and study of micro
microenvironments that can be ~ organisms, including protow-
approximated by constant con- ~ ans, algae, fungi, bacteria, and
centrations of a stressor. ; viruses.
- micro organisms ~ - microclimate
organisms too small to be seen : 1. localised climate conditions
with the unaided eye, including ~ within an urban area or
bacteria, protowan, yeasts, vi- ; neighbourhood.
ruses, and algae. : 2. the climate around a tree or
I
: shrub or a stand of trees.
- microbe I • •
a micro organism, a very tiny and . - mlcroenVlronments
often harmful plant or animal. ~ well-defmed surroundings such
; as the home, office, or kitchen
: that can be treated as uniform
~ in terms of stressor concentra-
; tion.
; - midnight dumping
a term used for illegal disposal

II
""14,,,,2===========
of hazardous wastes in remote
locations often at night, hence
giving the term 'midnight.'
• mill tailings
rock and other materials re-
moved when minerals are
mined, usually dumped onto
the ground or deposited into
ponds.
• mineral
* mill tailings I miscellaneous tUm II
I recreation. It is subject to the
I priority system and does not
affect water rights established
prior to its institution.
I • mining of an aquifer
I withdrawal over a period of
time of ground water that ex-
ceeds the rate of recharge of the
I aquifer.
I • mining waste

a naturally occurring sub- I residues resulting from the ex-

stance (as diamond or quartz) traction of raw materials from
that results from processes the earth.
other than those of plants and I .~-----
animals; a naturally occurring
substance (as ore, petroleum,
natural gas, or water) ob- I
tained usually from the ';
ground for human use.
• miners' inch • minor flooding
a rate of discharge through an
a general term indicating mini-
orifice one inch square under a I
mal or no property damage but
specific head.
I possibly some public inconve-
• minimisation nience.
a comprehensive program to • minors
minimise or eliminate wastes, I
publicly owned treatment
usually applied to wastes at their I
works with flows less than 1
point of origin.
I million gallons per day.
• minimum stream flow I • miscellaneous acm
the specific amount of water interior asbestos-containing
resenred to support aquatic life, I
building material or structural
to minimise pollution, or for

II ================= ImPinm_tlJl ShUlies

II miscible I mixed paper 143
*================
components, members or fix- ~ • mitigation
tures, such as floor and ceiling ; measures taken to reduce ad-
tiles, does not include surfacing : verse impacts on the environ-
materials or thermal system :I ment.
insulation.
~ • mixed funding
• miscible ~ settlements in which potentially
capable of being mixed. ; responsible parties and EPA
• miscible liquids : share the cost of a response ac-
I .
. non.
two or more liquids that can be
mixed and will remain mixed ~ • mixed glass
under normal conditions. I recovered container glass not

• missed detection ~ sorted into categories (e.g.

the situation that occurs when I colour, grade).
:
a test indicates that a tank is : • mixed liquor
'tight' when in fact it is leak- ~ a mixture of activated sludge
ing. I and water containing organic
:
• mission of the hydrologic I matter undergoing .
activated
.
services program : sludge treatment m an aeratlon
I tank.
to provide river ~d flood fore-
casts and warnings for the pro- I • mixed metals
tection of life and property and ; recovered metals not sorted
to provide basic hydrologic : into categories such as alu-
forecast information for the ~ minium, tin, or steel cans or
Nation's economic and environ- ; ferrous or non-ferrous metals.
mental well being.
; • mixed municipal waste
• mist ~ solid waste that has not been
liquid particles measuring 40 to : sorted into specific categories
500 micrometres (pm), are ~ (such as plastic, glass, yard
formed by condensation of ; trimmings, etc.)
vapour. By comparison, fog : . d
particles are smaller than 40 I • mtxe paper .
micrometers (pm). recovered paper not sorted mto

Environmmt/d Studies ================= II

~144===========.
categories such as old maga-
zines, old newspapers, old cor-
rugated boxes, etc.
• mixed plastic
recovered plastic unsorted by
category.
• mixture
two or more substances mixed
together in such a way that each
remains unchanged (sand and
sugar form a mixture).
• mobile incinerator systems
hazardous waste incinerators
that can be transported from
one site to another.
• mobile source
any non-stationary source of air
pollution such as cars, trucks,
motorcycles, buses, airplanes,
and locomotives.
• model
a simulation, by descriptive, sta-
tistical, or other means, of a
process or project that is diffi-
cult or impossible to observe
directly.
• model plant
A hypothetical plant design
used for developing economic,
environmental, and energy im-
pact analyses as support for
mixed plastic I nwisturecontmt II
I regulations or regulatory guide-
I lines.
I • moderate flooding
the inundation of secondary
roads, transfer to higher eleva-
I tion necessary to save propeny
some evacuation may be re-
quired.
I
• modified bin method
way of calculating the required
I heating or cooling for a build-
I ing based on determining how
much energy the system would
I use if outdoor temperatures
were within a certain tempera-
ture interval and then multiply-
I ing the energy ·use by the time
I the temperature interval typi-
cally occurs.
• modified source
the enlargement of a major sta-
I tionary pollutant sources is of-
I
ten referred to as modification,
implying that more emissions
I will occur.
I • moisture
I a small amount of liquid that
causes wetness.
• moisture content
I
1. the amount of water lost
I from soil upon drying to a con-
stant weight, expressed as the
II ,mJisture equivalent I monomictic
weight per unit of dry soil or as
the volume of water per unit
bulk volume of the soil. For a
fully saturated medium, mois-
tur~ content indicates the po-
roSlty.
2. water equivalent of snow on
the ground, an indicator of
snowmelt flood potential.
• moisture equivalent
the ratio of the weight of water
which the soil after saturation
will retain against a centrifugal
force 1,000 times the force of
gravity, to the weight of the soil
when.dry. The ratio is stated as
a percentage.
• molecule
the smallest division of a com-
pound that still retains or exhib-
its all the properties of the sub-
stance.
• molten salt reactor I lakes and reservoirs which are
a thermal treatment unit that : relatively deep, do not freeze
~ over during winter, and un-
rapidly heats waste in a heat- I
Bn~nmmmmlS~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~-=-=-=== 11
145
*================
~ conducting fluid bath of carbon-
; ate salt.
; • monitoring
~ periodic or continuous surveil-
: lance or testing to determine the
~ level of compliance with statu-
; tory requirements and/or pol-
: lutant levels in various media or
~ in humans, plants, and animals.
~ • monitoring well
I 1. a well used to obtain water
~ quality samples or measure
: groundwater levels.
~ 2. a well drilled at a hazardous
; waste management facility or
: Superfund site to collect
~ ground-water samples for the
; purpose of physical, chemical,
: or biological analysis to deter-
~ mine the amounts, types, and
; distribution of contaminants in
: the groundwater beneath the
~ site.
~ • monofilament
~ a single large filament, or
; threadlike structure, of syn-
: thetic fibre, such as a monoftla-
~ ment fishing line.
~ • monomictic
146 7IW1'hidity I multiple use II
=========*
dergo a single stratification and I • mulch
mixing cycle during the year I a layer of material (wood chips,
(usually in the fall). straw, leaves, etc.) placed
• morbidity around plants to hold moisture,
rate of disease incidence. I prevent weed growth, and en-
rich or sterilise the soil. A pro-
• most probable number tective covering of various sub-
an estimate of microbial density ~ stances, especially organic,
per unit volume of water; placed around plants to prevent
sample, based on probability : evaporation of moisture and
theory. ~ freezing of roots and to control
I weeds.
• movable bed
a stream bed made up of mate- I • multi-media approach
rials readily transportable by ~ joint approach to several envi-
the stream flow. ronmental media, such as air,
• moveable bed streams I water, and land.

these are most common in the I • multiple chemical sensitiv-

arid West, where steep slopes I ity
and lack of vegetation result in a diagnostic label for people
a lot of erosion. During a flood, who suffer multi-system ill-
a channel may be eroded more I nesses as a result of contact
deeply, or it may become filled with, or proximity to, a variety
with sediment and move to a of airborne agents and other
different location. I substances.

• muck soils I •multiple use

earth made from decaying plant I use of land for more than one

materials. purpose, e.g., grazing of live-

stock, watershed and wildlife
• mudballs I protection, recreation, and tim-
round material that forms in ber production. Also applies to
fllters and gradually increases in ~ use of bodies of water for rec-
size when not removed by ~ reational purposes, fishing, and
backwashing. ; water supply.

-II ================= B"virrmmmtill Studies

II ~mul=tJ~;pu~rpos===ereservcn==·==r na=tu~r.=='II1==ftow=*
==1 147

• multipurpose reservoir ~ • municipal solid waste

a reservoir constructed and ~ common garbage or trash gen-
equipped to provide storage ; erated by industries, businesses,
and release of water for two : institutions, and homes.
or more purposes such as I
: • municipal use of water
flood control, power develop-
ment, navigation, irrigation, ~ the various uses to which water
recreation, pollution abate- ; is put to use developed urban
ment, domestic water supply, : areas, including domestic use
. d
etc. :I m ustrl·al use, street sprinkling,'
I ftre protection, etc. The term is
• multistage remote sensing ; an inclusive one, applied where
a strategy for landscape : the uses are varied.
characterisation that involves I
: • mutagen/mutagenicity
gathering and analysing infor-
mation at several geographic ~ an agent that causes a perma-
scales, ranging from I nem genetic change in a cell
generalised levels of detail at the :I other
d unng
.
than that which occurs
national level through high lev- : normal growth. Mu-
els of detail at the local scale. I tagenicity is the capacity of a
; chemical or physical aint to
• municipal discharge : cause such permanent changes.
discharge of effluent from I
: • natural control
waste water treatment plants
which receive waste water from ~ a stream gaging control which
households, commercial estab- ; is natural to the stream chan-
lishments, and industries in the : nel, in contrast to an artiftcial
coastal drainage basin. Com- ~ control structure by man.
bined sewer/separate storm ~ • natural flow
overflows are included in this ~ the rate of water movement
category. ; past a specified point on a natu-
• municipal sludge : ral stream. The flow comes
semi-liquid residue remaining ~ from a drainage area in which
from the treatment of munici- ; there has been no stream diver-
pal water and wastewater. : sion caused by storage import
I "
148 .. natural resource I neutralisation II
expOrt, return flow, or change I the negatively pressurised
in consumptive use caused by I space.
man-controlled modifications • nematocide
to land use. Natural flow rarely I

occurs in a developed country. I

a chemical agent which is de-
structive to nematodes.
• natural resource
• nephelometric
something (as a mineral, forest,
or kind of animal) that is found I method of measuring turbidity
in nature and is valuable to hu- I in a water sample by passing
mans. light through the sample and
measuring the amount of the
• navigable waters I light that is deflected.
traditionally, waters sufficiently I • net rainfall
deep and wide for navigation by
all, or specific sizes of, vessels. I
the portion of rainfall which
reaches a stream channel or the
• necrosis I concentration point as direct
death of plant or animal cells or I surface flow.
tissues. In plants, necrosis can .
discolour stems or leaves or kill I • netting
a plant entirely. a concept in which all emis-
sions sources in the same area
• negative charge I that owned or controlled by a
an electrical charge created by single company are treated as
having more electrons than pro- one large source, thereby al-
tons. I lowing flexibility in control-
ling individual sources in or-
• negative pressure
der to meet a single emissions
condition that exists when less I standard.
air is supplied to a space than is
exhausted from the space, so the I • neutralisation
air pressure within that space is I decreasing the acidity or alka-
less than that in surrounding I linity of a substance by adding
areas. Under this condition, if : alkaline or acidic materials, re-
an opening exists, air will flow I spectively.
from surrounding areas into ;

11 __ ================- :&''';""""",,t.1 Snulies

/I ,JeW source I non-discharging treatmen;p~la~n~t=========~1~49~

- new source ~ - nitrogenous wastes

any stationary source built or animal or vegetable residues
I
modified after publication of ~
that contain significant
final or proposed regulations : amounts of nitrogen.
that prescribe a given standard ~ _ nitrophenols
of performance. .
~ synthetic organ pesticides 'con-
- nitrate ; taining carbon, hydrogen, ni-
a compound containing nitro- : trogen, and oxygen.
I
gen that can exist in the atmo-
sphere or as a dissolved gas in :I - no till
water and which can have : planting crops without prior
harmful effects on humans ~ seedbed preparation, into an
and animals. Nitrates in wa- ; existing cover crop, sod, or crop
ter can cause severe illness in : residues, and eliminating sub-
infants and domestic animals. ~ sequent tillage operations.
A plant nutrient and inorganic ~ - noise
fertiliser, nitrate is found in I product-level or product-vol-
septic systems, animal feed ~ ume changes occurring during
lots, agricultural fertilisers, : a test that are not related to a
manure, industrial waste wa- ~ leak but may be mistaken for
ters, sanitary landfills, and ; one.
garbage dumps.
~ - non biodegradable
- nitrogen oxide (nox) : materials that cannot be broken
the. result o~ p~ot~he~cal r~- ~ down by livings things into sim-
acnons of rutrlC OXIde m ambl- I pIer chemicals.
ent air, major component of : . .
photochemical smog. Product ~ - non dischargmg treatment
of combustion from transpor-; plant
tation and stationary sources : a treatment plant that does not
and a major contributor to the ~ discharge treated wastewater
formation of ozone in the tro- ; into any stream or river. Most
posphere and to acid deposi- : are pond systems that dispose
tion. ~ of the total flow they receive by
150 non-lUJueDUS phase l~id I non-point source pollution (NPS)
means of evaporation or perco-
lation to groundwater, or facili-
ties that dispose of their emu-
ent by recycling or reuse (e.g.
spray irrigation or groundwa-
ter discharge).
• non-aqueous phase liquid
contaminants that remain undi-
luted as the original bulk liquid
in the subsurface, e.g. spilled oil.
• non-compliance coal
any coal that emits greater than
3.0 pounds of sulphur dioxide
per million BTU when burned.
Also known as high-sulphur
coal.
• non-consumptive use
using water in a way that does
not reduce the supply. Examples
include hunting, fishing, boat-
ing, water-skiing, swimming,
and some power production.
Compare consumptive use.
• non-contact cooling water
water used for cooling which
does not come into direct con-
tact with any raw material,
product, by product, or waste.
• non-contact recreation
recreational pursuits not involv-
ing a significant risk of water
II ================= B"pjnm_t.l ShUliR
II
I ingestion, including fishing,
I commercial and recreational
boating, and limited body con-
I tact incidental to shoreline ac-
I tivity.
I • non-conventional pollut-
ant
any pollutant not statutorily
I listed or which is poorly under-
stood by the scientific commu-
nity.
• non-degradation
an environmental policy which
I disallows any lowering of natu-
rally occurring quality regard-
less of pre-established health
I standards.
I • non-methane hydrocar-
I bon
the sum of all hydrocarbon air
pollutants except methane, sig-
I nificant precursors to ozone for-
mation .
• non-point source pollu-
tion (NPS)
I pollution that cannot be traced
I to a single point (Example: out-
let or pipe) because it comes
I from many individual places or
I a widespread area (typically ur-
ban, rural, and agricultural run-
I
oft).
II non-porous I nutrientpollution 151
*================
- non-porous ~ normal operating conditions,
something which does not allow exclusive of any provision for
;
water to pass through it. : flood surcharge.
I

- non-potable : _ normal year

I
water that is unsafe or unpalat- : a year during which the precipi-
able to drink because it contains ~ tation or stream flowapproxi-
pollutants, contaminants, min- ; mates the average for a long
erals, or infective agents. : period of record.
I
- non-renewable resources : - nuclear winter
natural resources that can be ~ prediction by some scientists
used up completely or else ~ that smoke and debris rising
used up to such a degree that ; from ma,ssive fires of a nuclear
it is economically impractical : war could block sunlight for
to obtain any more of them, ~ weeks or months, cooling the
e.g., coal, crude oil, and metal ; earth's surface and producing
ores. : climate changes that could,
~ e.g., negatively affect world
- non-threshold pollutant ; agricultural and weather pat-
substance or condition harmful : terns.
to a particular organism at any I
level or concentration. : - nutrient
I
: as a pollutant, any element or
- normal water surface ~ compound, such as phosphorus
elevation (normal pool ; or nitrogen, that fuels abnor-
level) : mally high organic growth in
the lowest crest level of over- ~ aquatic ecosystems (e.g.,
flow on a reservoir with a fIxed ; eutrophication of a lake).
overflow level (spillway crest
elevation). For a reservoir ~ - nutrient pollution
whose outflow is controlled : contamination of water re-
wholly or partly by movable ~ sources by excessive inputs of
gates, siphons, or other means, .I nutrients. In surface waters '
it is the maximum level to I. excess.
algal production is a ma-
which water may rise under : Jor concern.
152 observation well I one perc; chanceflood (one hundred yearflood) II
• observation well I • oil slick
a non-pumping well used for I a smooth area on the surface of
observing the elevation of the water caused by the presence of
water table or piezometric sur- oil.
face. • oil spill
• odour threshold I an accidental or intentional dis-
the minimum odour of a water I charge of oil which reaches bod-
or air sample that can just be ies of water. Can be controlled
detected after successive dilu- by chemical dispersion, com-
tions with odourless water. I bustion, mechanical contain-
Also called threshold odour. ment, and/or adsorption. Spills
• off stream use from tanks and pipelines can
I also occur away from water
water withdrawn from surface bodies, contaminating the soil,
or groundwater sources for use I getting into sewer systems and
at another place. I threatening underground water

• offshore dumping I sources.

the disposal or dumping of ~ • oligotrophic

waste material off or away from having a low supply of plant
the shore. nutrients.
• off-site facility • one percent chance flood
a hazardous waste treatment, I (one hundred year flood)
storage or disposal area that is flood magnitude that has one
located away from the generat- chance in 100 of being exceeded
ing site. I in any future I-year period. The

• oil and gas waste I occurrence of floods is assumed

gas and oil drilling muds, oil to be random in time, or regu-
production brines, and other : larity of occurrence is implied.
waste associated with explora- I The exceeding of a I-percent
tion for, development and pro- ~ chance is no guarantee, there-
duction of crude oil or natural fore, that a similar size flood
I will not occur next week. The
gas.

II ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;=;;;;;;;;;=;;;;;;;;;========== Bnviron_tIII Snulies

11~~~~~'~~efiU~f~u~~~I~~~~~a~~~~~~~h~a~~U~~~~~~~~~~~~1~5~3
risk of experiencing a large ~ e.g., a living organism.
flood within time periods
~ - operable unit
longer than 1 year increases in
a no additive fashion. E.g., the , term for each of a number of
risk of exceeding a 1per cent ; separate activities undertaken as
chance flood one or more times : part of a Superfund site
~ cleanup. A typical operable unit
during a 3D-year period is 25 per
cent and during a 70-year pe- ; would be removal of drums and
riod is 50 per cent. : tanks from the surface of a site.
I
- on-site facility : - optimal corrosion control
I treatment
a hazardous waste treatment,
storage or disposal area that is , an erosion control treatment
located on the generating site. ; that minimises the lead and cop-
: per concentrations at users' taps
- opacity ~ while also ensuring· that the
the amount of light obscured by ; treatment does not cause the
particulate pollution in the air, : water system to violate any na-
clear window glass has zero ~ tional primary drinking water
opacity, a brick wall is 100 per- ; regulations.
cent opaque. Opacity is an indi-
; - oral toxicity
cator of changes in performance
of particulate control systems. : ability of a pesticide to cause
~ injury when ingested.
- open burning , .
: - orgaruc matter
uncontrolled fires in an open
~ carbonaceous waste contained
dump.
; in plant or animal matter and
-open dump : originating from domestic or
an uncovered site used for dis- .I m. d ustrl'al sources.

posal of waste without environ-

mental controls. ~ - organism
~ any form of animal or plant life.
_ open system
~ - organophosphates
system in which energy and
matter are exchanged between ; pesticides that contain phospho-
,
the system and its environment, : rus, short-lived, but some can
154 organophyllic I outwash /I
=========*
be toxic when fIrst applied. I to cool and precipitate their
• organophyllic I moisture .
a substance that easily combines I • osmosis
with organic compounds. : the passage of a liquid from a
• organotins
~ weak solution to a more con-
I centrated solution across a semi
chemical compounds used in permeable membrane that al-
anti-foulant paints to protect I lows passage of the solvent (wa-
the hulls of boats and ships, I ter) but not the dissolved sol-
buoys, and pilings from marine ids.
organisms such as barnacles.
• outfall
• orifice
the place where a wastewater
an opening with closed ~ treatment plant discharges
perimetre, usually sharp edged, I treated water into the environ-
and of regular form in a plate, ; ment.
wall, or partition through which
water may flow, generally used ~ • outflow channel
for the purpose of measure- a natural stream channel which
ment or control of water. The I transports reservoir releases.
end of a small tube, such as a I • outlet
Pilot tube, piezometer, etc.
~ an opening through which wa-
• original generation point ; ter can be freely discharged
where regulated medical or : from a reservoir.
other material fIrst becomes :I • outlet discharge structure
waste. I
protects the downstream end of
• orogeny I the outlet pipe from erosion and
period of mountain-building. is often designed to slow down
"
• orographic preclpl on "tab" the velocity of
. released
f water to
... .. I prevent erOSlOn 0 the stream
preCIpitatlOn which IS caused by : channel.
hills or mountain ranges de- ~
fleeting the moisture-laden air ; • outwash
masses upward, causing them a deposit of sand and gravel
II werburden I oxygenated solvent 155
*================
formed by streams of melt wa- ~ and results in uniformity of
ter flowing from a glacier. ; chemical and physical proper-
: ties of water at all depths.
- overburden I
rock and soil cleared away be- : - oxidation
fore mining. ~ the chemical addition of oxygen
_ overdraft I to break down pollutants or
~ organic waste, e.g., destruction
the pumping of water from a : of chemicals such as cyanides,
groundwater basin or aquifer in ~ phenols, and organic sulphur
excess of the supply flowing into ; compounds in sewage by bac-
the basin, results in a depletion : terial and chemical means.
or 'mining' of the groundwater I

in the basin. : - oxidation-reduction

: potential
- overland flow
I the electric potential required to
a land application technique that ~ transfer electrons from one
cleanses waste water byallow- : compound or element (the oxi-
ing it to flow over a sloped sur- ~ dant) to another compound (the
face. As the water flows over the ; reductant), used as a qualitative
surface, contaminants are ab- : measure of the state of oxida-
sorbed and the water is collected ~ tion in water treatment systems.
at the bottom of the slope for
reuse. ~ - oxygen demanding waste
I organic water pollutants that
- oversized regulated medi-
: are usually degraded by bacte-
cal waste
~ ria if there is sufficient dissolved
medical waste that is too large I oxygen (DO) in the water.
for plastic bags or standard con-
I _ oxygen depletion
tainers.
; the reduction of the dissolved
- overturn : oxygen level in a water body.
one complete cycle of top to I
bottom mixing of previously I: - oxygenated solvent
stratified water masses. This : an organic solvent containing
phenomenon may occur in ~ oxygen as part of the molecu-
spring or fall, or after storms, ; lar structure. Alcohols and ke-

Bn"nm__ mIS~w -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=_ II

156
=========*
tones are oxygenated com-
pounds often used as paint sol-
vents.
• ozonation
application of ozone to water
for disinfections or for taste and
odour control. The ozonator is
the device that does this.
• ozone (03 )
found in two layers of the at-
mosphere, the stratosphere and
the troposphere. In the strato-
sphere (the atmospheric layer
7 to 10 miles or more above the
earth's surface) ozone is a natu-
ral fonn of oxygen that provides
a protective layer shielding the
earth from ultraviolet radiation.
In the troposphere (the layer
extending up 7 to 10 miles
from the earth's surface), ozone
is a chemical oxidant and ma-
jor component of photochemi-
cal smog.
• ozone depletion
destruction of the stratospheric
ozone layer which shields the
earth from ultraviolet radiation
harmful to life. This destruction
of ozone is caused by the break-
down of certain chlorine and/or
broinine containing compounds
(chlorofluorocarbons or
II ================= Bnvi,.""",."ttU Studies
ozonation I package plants /I
I halons), which break down
I when they reach the strato-
sphere and then catalytically
I destroy ozone molecules .
I • ozone hole
I a thinning break in the strato-
spheric ozone layer. Designa-
tion of amount of such deple-
~ non as 'ozone hole' is made
; when the detected amount of
: depletion exceeds ftfty percent.
~ Seasonal ozone holes have been
; observed over the Antarctic and
: Arctic regions, part of Canada,
~ and the extreme northeastern
I United States.
I • ozone layer
. the protective layer in the atmo-
sphere, about 15 miles above
I the ground, that absorbs some
I of the sun's ultraviolet rays,
: thereby reducing the amount of
~ potentially harmful radiation
; that reaches the earth's surface.
I • package plants
a small, semi-portable prefab-
ricated wastewater treatment
I system that services an apart-
ment complex, trailer park,
camp, or self-contained business
I that is not connected to a city
I sewer system and is not on a site
appropriate for a septic system.
II /HUlled bed scrubber Iparameter 157
*=================
- packed bed scrubber ~ floating or submerged aquatic
an air pollution control device I vegetation.
in which emissions pass through ; - palustrine emergents
alkaline water to neutralise hy- ~ plants growing in inland
drogen chloride gas. : marshes and wet meadows.
- packed tower ~ - palustrine forested
a pollution control device that ~ inland areas such as forested
forces dirty air through a tower ; swamps or bogs.
packed with crushed rock or
wood chips while liquid is ; • palustrine shrub
sprayed over the packing ma- ~ inland wetland area with shrub
terial. The pollutants in the air : growth.
stream either dissolve or chemi- I
: - palustrine unconsolidated
cally react with the liquid.
I bottom
- palatable water ; muddy bottom of open water
water, at a desirable tempera~ : ponds.
ture, that is free from objection- I
able tastes, odours, colours, and :I - pancake ice
turbidity. : circular flat pieces of ice with a
~ raised rim, the shape and rim
- palmer drought severity ; are due to repeated collisions.
index
an index whereby excesses or ; - pandemic
deficiencies of precipitation are : a widespread epidemic
determined I relation to aver- ~ throughout an area, nation or
age climate values. The index I the world.
takes in to account precipitation, ~ - parameter
potential and actual ; a variable, measurable property
evapotransportation, infiltra- : whose value is a determinant of
tion of water into the soil, and ~ the characteristics of a system,
runoff. .
; e.g. tempetature, pressure, and
- palustrine aquatic beds : density are parameters of the
I
inland areas which contain : atmosphere.

Envirrm_tlll Shlilies ================= II

~15~8~~~~~~~~~~pa;metriedatR, Ipassive treatmentWruls II
• parametric data ~ • participation rate
data such as rating curves, unit I portion of population partici-
hydrographs, and rainfall/run- : pating in a recycling program.
off .curv~ whi~ define hydro- ~. article count
logtc vanables m models. I p
results of a microscopic exami-
• parapet wall I nation of treated water with a
a solid wall built along the top I special 'particle counter' that
of the dam for ornament, classifies suspended particles by
safety, or to preveht overtop- number and size.
pmg. ~ • particulate loading
~ the mass of particulates per unit
; volume of air or water.
; • particulates
1. fme liquid or solid particles
such as dust, smoke, mist,
I fumes, or smog, found in air or
emissions.
• paraquat 2. very small solids suspended
a standard herbicide used to kill I in water, they can vary in size,
various types of crops, includ- shape, density and electrical
ing marijuana. Causes lung charge and can be gathered to-
damage if smoke from the crop I gether by coagulation and floc-
is inhaled. culation.
• parshall flume ; • partition coefficient
device used to measure the flow : measure of the sorption phe-
of water in an open channel. ~ nomenon, whereby a pesticide
• partial-duration flood I is divided between the soil and
series ~ water phase, also referred to as
adsorption partition coefficient.
a list of all flood peaks that ex-
ceed a chosen base stage or dis- • passive treatment walls
charge, regardless of the num- I technology in which a chemical
ber of peaks occurring in a year. I reaction takes place when con-

II ================ Bnnrrm_tiU Shill",

II pat~en Ipercolation 159
*================
taminated groWld water comes ~ taminants much higher than
in contact with a barrier such as ; average or occurring for short
limestone or a wall containing : periods of time in response to
iron filings. ~ sudden releases.
• pathogen ~ • percent saturation
micro organisms which can I the amoWlt of a substance that
cause disease. ~ is dissolved in a solution com-
: pared to the amoWlt that could
• pathogenic micro organ-
~ be dissolved in it.
isms
micro organisms that can cause ~ • perched water
disease in other organisms or ; zone of unpressurised water
in humans, animals, and plants. : held above the water table by
~ impermeable rock or sediment.
• pathway I
the physical course a chemical : • perched water table
or pollutant takes from its ~ the water table of a relatively
source to the exposed organism. ; small groWld-water body sup-
: ported above the general
• peak discharge
~ groWldwater body.
rate of discharge of a volume
of water passing a given loca- ~ • percolating waters
tion. (Usually in cubic feet per I waters passing through the
second.) ~ ground beneath the Earth's
: surface without a definite
• peak flow I channel.
in a wastewater treatment
plant, the highest flow expected ~ • percolation
to be encountered Wlder any ; 1. the movement of water
operational conditions, includ- : downward and radially through
ing periods of high rainfall and ~ subsurface soil layers, usually
prolonged periods of wet I continuing downward to
weather. ~ groWld water. Can also involve
: upward movement of water.
• peak levels ~ 2. slow seepage of water
levels of airborne pollutant con- ; through a filter.
160 percollltWn deep I permauneter II
~~~~~~~=*

• percolation deep I • periphyton

in irrigation or farming prac- I microscopic underwater plants

tice, the amount of water that ~ and animals that are fIrmly at-
passes below the root wne of : tached to solid surfaces such as
the crop or vegetation. I rocks, logs, and pilings.

• percolation path I • permafrost

the course followed by water I perennially frozen layer in the
moving or percolating through soil, found in Alpine, Arctic,
any other permeable material, and Antarctic regions.
or under a dam which rests I
• permanent control
upon a permeable foundation.
I a stream gaging control which
• percolation rate is substantially unchanging and
the rate, usually expressed as a is not appreciably affected by
velocity , at which water moves I scour, fill, or backwater.
through saturated granular I
• permanent monument
material. The term is also ap- :
plied to quantity per unit of ~ fIxed monuments placed away
time of such movement, and ; from the dam which allow
has been used erroneously to movements in horiwntal and
designate InfIltration Rate or I vertical control points on the
InfIltration Capacity. dam to be monitored by using
accurate survey procedures.
• perennial stream
one that flows all year round. • permeability
the ability of a water bearing
• perfected water right I material to transmit water. It is
a water right which indicates measured by the quantity of
that the uses anticipated by an water passing through a unit
applicant, and made under per- I cross section, in a unit time,
mit, were made for benefIcial under 100 percent hydraulic
use. Usually it is irrevocable gradient.
unless voluntarily cancelled or I
• permeameter
forfeited due to several consecu-
I a laboratory instrument for de-
tive years of non-use.

II ================== B"Pirrm_tlJl StrulUs

II permissible dose Ipesticide
termining permeability by mea-
suring the discharge through a
sample of the material when a
known hydraulic head is ap-
plied.
• permissible dose
161
*================
~ ers, hazmat emergency reo.
; sponders, workers cleaning up
: Superfund sites, et. al., which is
~ worn to reduce their exposuro
; to potentially hazardous chemi-
: cals and other pollutants.
I

the dose of a chemical that may :I • pervious zone

be received by an individual : a part of the cross section of an
without the expectation of a sig- ~ embankment dam comprising
nificantly harmful result. ; material of high permeability.
• persistence ; • pest
refers to the length of time a : an insect, rodent, nematode,
I
compound stays in the environ- : fungus, weed or other form of
ment, once introduced. A com- I terrestrial or aquatic plant or
pound may persist for less than ~ animal life that is injurious to
a second or indefInitely. : health or the environment.
• persistent pesticides
pesticides that do not break I

down chemically or break down I

very slowly and remain in the
environment after a growing
season. I
: • pest control operator
• personal measurement ~ person or company that applies
a measurement collected from ; pesticides as a business (e.g.
an individual's immediate envi- : exterminator), usually de-
ronment. ~ scribes household services, not
• personal protective equip- ; agricultural applications.
ment ; • pesticide
clothing and equipment worn ~ substances or mixture there of
by pesticide mixers, loaders and : intended for preventing, de-
applicators and re-entry work- I stroying, repelling, or mitigat-

Environmental Studies

====="
162
========*
ing any pest. Also, any substance
or mixture intended for use as
a plant regulator, defoliant, or
desiccant.
.pH
a measure of the concentration I
of hydrogen ions in a solution,
the pH scale ranges from 0 to
14, where 7 is neutral and val- I
ues less than 7 are acidic and
values greater than 7 are basic
or alkaline, pH is an inverted I
logarithmic scale so that every I
unit decrease in pH means a 10-
fold increase in hydrogen ion
concentration. Thus, a pH of 3 I
is 10 times as acidic as a pH of :
4 and 100 times as acidic as a ~
pHof5 .
• phenolphthalein alkalinity
the alkalinity in a water sample
measured by the amount of
standard acid needed to lower
the pH to a level of 8.3 as indi-
cated by the change of colour
of the phenolphthalein from
pink to clear.
• phenols
organic compounds that are by
products of petroleum refIning,
tanning, and textile, dye, and I
resin manufacturing. Low con- I
centrations cause taste and :
II ================= Etlvirrm_t.l Snuliu
pH I phosphorus II
I odour problems in water,
I higher concentrations can kill
aquatic life and humans.
• phosphate
used generically for materials
containing a phosphate group,
sources include some fertilisers
and detergents, when wastewa-
ter containing phosphates is dis-
charged into surface waters,
these chemicals act as nutrient
pollutants (causing overgrowth
of aquatic plants).
~
; . --- .
: • phosphogypsum piles -
~ (stacks)
; principal by product generated
in production of phosphoric
I acid from phosphate rock.
I These piles may generate radio-
active radon gas .
• phosphorus
an essential chemical food ele-
ment that can contribute to the
eutrophication of lakes and other
water bodies. Increased phospho-
I
II photochemical oxidants i physical and;em=ic~a~l~rn"",M~tmen=~t======16=3

rus levels result from discharge ~ - phreatic surface

of phosphorus-containing mate- I the free surface of ground wa-
rials into surface waters. ~ ter at atmospheric pressure.
- photochemical oxidants : _ phreatic water
. I
aIr . pollutant~ formed ?y the : water within the earth that sup-
acuon of sunlight on OXIdes of ~ plies wells and springs, water in
nitrogen and hydrocarbons. ; the wne of saturation where all
_ photochemical smog ~ openings in rocks and soil are
air pollution caused by cherni- : fill~d, the upper surface of
.
cal reacuons f ' 11 t
0 varIOUS po u - .I WhICh forms the water table.
ants emitted from different ; Also termed Groundwater.
sources. :I - phreatic zone
- photodegradable : the locus of points below the
plastic that will decompose into ~ water table where soil pores are
smaller pieces under certain ; filled with water. This is also
: called the wne of saturation.
kinds of radiant energy, espe- I
cially ultraviolet light. : - phreatophytes
I
_ photosynthesis : plants that send their roots into
the manufacturing by plants of ~ or below the capillary wne to
carbohydrates and oxygen from ~ use ground water.
carbon dioxide mediated by ; - physical and chemical
chlorophyll in the presence of: treatment
sunlight. ~ processes generally used in
I large-scale wastewater treat-
: ment facilities. Physical pro-
~ cesses may include air-stripping
I or filtration. Chemical treat-
~ ment includes coagulation, chlo-
: rination, or ozonation. The
I term can also refer to treatment
; of toxic materials in surface and
:. ground waters, oil spills, and
I
164 physical TPe4thering I pitot tube II
some methods of dealing with I

hazardous materials on or in I
the ground.
• physical weathering
breaking down of parent rock
into bits and pieces by exposure
to temperature and changes and
the physical action of moving
ice and water, growing roots,
and human ~ctivities such as
farming and construction.
• phytoplankton
free-floating, mostly micro-
scopic aquatic plants.
• phytoremediation
low-cost remediation option for I •pilot tests
sites with widely dispersed con- testing a cleanup technology
tamination at low concentra- under actual site conditions to
tions. I identify potential problems

• phytotreatment . prior to full-scale implementa-

the cultivation of specialised ; tion.
plants that absorb specific con- • piping
taminants from the soil through I the progressive development of
their roots or foliage. This re- I internal erosion by seepage,
duces the concentration of con- appearing downstream as a hole
taminants in the soil, but incor- I or seam discharging water that
porates them into biomasses I contains soil particles.
that may be released back into
the environment when the plant I • pitot tube
dies or is harvested. I a device for measuring the ve-
locity of flowing water using the
• piezometer I velocity head of the stream as
an instrument for measuring

II ================= Environmentld Studies

II plankton I point source pollution
an index of velocity. It consists
essentially of an orifice held to
a point upstream in the water,
connected with a tube in which
the rise of water due to velocity
head may be observed and mea-
sured. It also may be con-
structed with an upstream and
downstream orifice, with two
water columns, in which case
the difference in height of wa-
165
*================
~ _ plate tectonics
I refers to the folding and fault-
~ ing of rock and flow of molten
: lava involving lithospheric
~ plates in the earth's crust and
; upper mantle.
~ - plugging
: act or process of stopping the
~ flow of water, oil, or gas into
I or out of a formation through

ter column in the tubes is the : a borehole or well penetrating

index of velocity. ~ that formation.
- plankton ~ - pluvial
microscopic floating plant and ~ pertaining to precipitation.
animal organisms of lakes, riv- ~ - point discharge
ers, and oceans.
I instantaneous rate of discharge,
- plasma-arc reactor ~ in contrast to the mean rate for
an incinerator that operates at : an interval of time.
extremely high temperatures, :I - pomt • •••
precIpItation
treats highly toxic wastes that
~ precipitation at a particular site,
do not burn easily.
; in contrast to the mean precipi-
- plasmid : tation over an area.
I
a circular piece of DNA that : - point source
exists apart from the chromo- I
a stationary location or fixed
some and replicates indepen-
dently of it. Bacterial plasmids ~ facility from which pollutants
; are discharged, any single iden-
carry information that ren-
: tifiable source of pollution, e.g.
ders the bacteria resistant to
antibiotics. Plasmids are often ~ a pipe, ditch, ship, ore pit, fac-
; tory smokestack.
used in genetic engineering to
carry desired genes into or- ; - point source pollution
ganisms. ~ pollution that can be traced to

E~"nmmm~IS~~ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==- II
"",16"",6====="",pot.=·n"",t-of"","COn="",tac=t7rementoftxposure Ipol~/ectrolytes
a single point source, such as
a pipe or culvert (Example:
Ind us trial and was tewa ter
treatment plant, and certain
storm water discharges).
• point-of-contact measure-
ment of exposure
estimating exposure by mea-
suring concentrations over
time (while the exposure is
taking place) at or near the
place where it is occurring.
• point-of-disinfectant
application
the point where disinfectant is
applied and water down-
stream of that point is not sub-
ject to recontamination by sur-
face water runoff.
• pollen
the fertilising element of flow-
ering plants, background air
pollutant.
_10_
03010
, t ,
--
II =================;;; BnT1inmmmtiU Studies
II
I • pollutant
I generally, any substance intro-
duced into the environment that
I adversely affects the usefulness
I of a resource or the health of
I humans, animals, or ecosys-
terns.
• pollution
I undesirable change in the physi-
I cal, chemical, or biological char-
acteristics of the air, water, or
land that can harmfully affect
I the health, survival, or activities
of human or other living organ-
Isms.
• pollution prevention
I preventing the creation of pol-
I lutants or reducing the amount
created at the source of genera-
tion, as well as protecting natu-
I ral resources through conserva-
tion or increased efficiency in
I
the use of energy, water, or
I other materials.
I • polonium
I a radioactive element that oc-
curs in pitchblende and other
uranium-containing ores .
I
• polyelectrolytes
synthetic chemicals that help
solids to clump during sewage
treatment.
II pond I porous 167
*================
• pond ~ • pool height
a small natural body of stand- I the height of the water behind
ing fresh water filling a surface ~ a dam. (Various d~tum's may
depression, usually smaller : be used and vanous pool
than a lake. ~ height may be used, e.g., con-
; servation pool, flood control
: pool, etc.)
I
: • population
~ a group of interbreeding organ-
I isms occupying a particular
: space, the number of humans
~ or other living creatures in a
• pondage ~ designated area.
The holding back of water for ~ • population at risk
later release for power devel- ; a population subgroup that is
opment above the dam of a
. . : more likely to be exposed to a
hydroelectnc
. plant to equalIse
. .I chemlC . al ,or is
· more SenSltlVe
..
daIly or weekly fluctuations of· th h . al th . th
stream flow or to permit ir- ~ toal e c ~ffil~, an is e gen-
regular hourly use of water by ; er pop atlon.
the wheels to care for fluctua- : • pore pressure
tions in the load demand. In ~ the interstitial pressure of wa-
general the holding back of ~ ter within a mass of soil, rock,
water for later releases. The ; or concrete.
storage capacity available for
the use of such water. ; • porosity
: degree to which soil, gravel,
• ponding ~ sediment, or rock is permeated
in flat areas, runoff collects, ~ with pores or cavities through
or ponds in depression and ; which water or air can move.
cannot drain out. Flood wa-
ters must infiltrate slowly into ; • porous
the soil, evaporate, or be : something which allows water
pumped out. ~ to pass through it.
=16=8==========~* portal-of-entrye.ffoct I pre treatment II
• portal-of-entry effect I • post-consumer materials/
a local effect produced in the I waste
tissue or organ of first contact recovered materials that are di-
between a toxicant and the bio- verted from municipal solid
logical system. I waste for the purpose of collec-
tion, recycling, and disposition.
• positive charge
an electrical charge created by I • post-consumer recycling
having fewer electrons than :-use of materials generated from
protons. ~ .. residential and consumer waste
; for new or similar purposes, e.g.
• positive pressure
converting wastepaper from
condition that exists when I offices into corrugated boxes or
more air is supplied to a space I newsprint.
than is exhausted, so the air
pressure within that space is I • potable
greater than that in surround- I fit or suitable for drinking, as
ing areas. Under this condi- in potable water.
tion, if an opening exists, air I
• potential dose
will flow from the positively I
pressurised space into sur- the amount of a compound con-
I tained in material swallowed,
rounding areas.
breathed, or applied to the skin.
• post-chlorination
• potentiation
addition of chlorine to plant ef- I
fluent for disinfectant purposes the ability of one chemical to
after the effluent has been increase the effect of another
I chemical.
treated.
I • potentiometric surface
• post-closure
the time period following the I the surface to which water in an
shutdown of a waste manage- aquifer can rise by hydrostatic
ment or manufacturing facil- pressure.
ity, for monitoring purposes, I • pre treatment
often considered to be 30 I processes used to reduce, elimi-
years. nate, or alter the nature of

II ================= Environmentlll Shill_

II precautimul.ryprinciple i pres.rureBaB~ 169

wastewater pollutants from ~ quantity of water that is precipi-

non-domestic sources before ; tated . Precipitation includes
they are discharged into publicly : rainfall, snow, hail, and sleet,
owned treatment works. ~ and is therefore a more general
; term than rainfall.
- precautionary principle
when information about poten- ; - pre-consumer materials/
tial risks is incomplete, basing :I waste
decisions about the best ways to : materials generated in manu-
manage or reduce risks on a ~ facturing and converting pro-
preference for avoiding unnec- ; cesses such as manufacturing
essary health risks instead of on : scrap and trimmings and cut-
unnecessary economic expendi- ~ rings. Includes print overruns,
tures. ; over issue publications, and ob-
: solete inventories.
- prechlorination I

the addition of chlorine at the :I - preliminary assessment

head works of a treatment plant : the process of collecting and
prior to other treatment pro- ~ reviewing available information
cesses. Done mainly for disin- ; about a known or suspected
fections and control of tastes, : waste site or release.
odours, and aquatic growths, I
: - preservative
and to aid in coagulation and
settling, ~ a chemical added to a water
I sample to keep it stable and
- precipitation : prevent compounds in it from
as used in hydrology, precipita- ~ changing to other forms or to
tion is the discharge of water, ~ prevent micro organism densi-
in a liquid or solid state, out of ; ties from changing prior to
the atmosphere, generally onto : analysis.
a land or water surf:bace. hiI~ ihs the ~ _ pressure gage
common process y w c at- I . ..
mospheric water becomes sur- : a deVIce for regtstermg the pres-
face or subsurface water. The I sure of solids, liquids, or gases.
Ix:
te~ 'precipitation' is also com- ~ It may graduate~ to r~gister
monly used to designate the : pressure m any uruts deSIred.
~17~O===========:essun head I primary waste tr"Atment
• pressure head
energy contained by fluid be-
cause of its pressure, usually
expressed in feet of fluid (foot
pounds per pound).
• pressure relief pipes
pipes used to relieve uplift or
pore pressure in a dam founda-
tion or in the dam structure.
• prevalent level samples
air samples taken under normal
conditions (also known as am-
bient background samples).
• prevalent levels
levels of airborne -contaminant
occurring under normal condi-
tions.
• preventive maintenance
regular and systematic inspec-
tion, cleaning, and replacement
of worn parts, materials, and
systems. Preventive mainte-
nance helps to prevent parts,
material, and systems failure by
ensuring that parts, materials
and systems are in good work-
ing order.
• price current meter
a current metre with a series
of conical cups fastened to a
flat framework through which
a pin extends. The pin sets in
II ================= Bnnf'fmfllmtIJl Studies
1/
I the framework of the meter,
I and the cups are rotated
around it in a horizontal plane
I by the flowing water, register-
I ing the number of revolutions
by acoustical or electrical de-
vices, from which the velocity
I of the water may be com-
puted.
• primary (or principal)
spillway
I the spillway which would be
I used first during normal inflow
and flood flows.
• primary effect
an effect where the stressor acts
I directly on the ecological com-
ponent of interest, not on other
parts of the ecosystem.
• primary treatment
I the frrst process in wastewater
I treatment which removes
settled or floating solids.
I
• primary waste treatment
first step in wastewater treat-
I ment, screens and sedimenta-
I tion tanks are used to remove
most materials that float or will
settle. Primary treatment re-
I moves about 30 percent of car-
bonaceous biochemical oxygen
I demand from domestic sewage.
I
II Principal Organic Hazardous Consti:ts (POHCS) I producers 171

• Principal Organic Hazard- ~. process variable

008 Constituents ~ a physicaI or ch emicaI quan-
(POHCS) ; tity which is usually measured
hazardous compounds moni- : and controlled in the opera-
tored during an incinerator's ~ tion of a water treatment
trial burn, selected for high I. plant or industrial plant.
concentration in the waste
feed and difficulty of combus- ~ • process verification
tion. ; verifying that process raw
• prior appropriation : materials, water usage, waste
I
a doctrine of water law that al- : treatment processes, produc-
locates the rights to use water I tion rate and other facts rela-
on a first-come, first-served ; tive to quantity and quality of
basis. : pollutants contained in dis-
~ charges are substantially de-
• priority date ~ scribed in the permit applica-
the date of establishment of a ; tion and the issued permit.
water right. It is determined by
adjudication of rights estab- ; • process wastewater
lished before the passage of the ~ any water that comes into con-
Water Code. The rights estab- : tact with any raw material,
lished by application have the I product by product or waste.
application date as the date of : '. '
priority. ~ • process weight
I total weight of all materials,
• pristine
; including fuel, used in a manu-
describes ;l landscape and/or a : facturing process, used to cal-
water body remaining in a pure
~ culate the allowable particu-
state.
I late emission rate.
• probability of detection
~ • producers
the likelihood, expressed as a
percentage, that a test method ; plants that perform photosyn-
will correctly identify a leaking I: thesis and provide food to con-
tank. : sumers.
""17,,,,2==========. productWRter I psychogenic illness II
• product water ~ • protoplast
water that has passed through ; a membrane-bound cell from
a water treatment plant and is : which the outer wall has been
ready to be delivered to con- ~ partially or completely re-
sumers. I moved. The term often is ap-

~ plied to plant cells.

• profundal zone
a lake's deep-water region that ; • protozoa
is not penetrated by sunlight. : One-celled animals that are
~ larger and more complex than
• propellant I bacteria. May cause disease.
liquid in a self-pressurised pes-
ticide product that expels the I • protozoans
active ingredient from its con- ~ small single-cell microbes, fre-
tainer. quently observed as actively
~ moving organisms when im-
• Proportionate Mortality
. pure water is viewed under a
Ratio (PMR)
microscope, cause a number of
the number of deaths from a I widespread human illnesses,
specific cause in a specific pe- I such as malaria, and thus can
riod of time per 100 deaths: present a threat to public
from all causes in the same time .I healt h .
period. I .
: .prunmg
• proposed plan I trimming or cutting off undes-

a plan for a site cleanup that is ired or unnecessary twigs,

available to the public for com- branches, or roots from a tree,
ment. I bush, or plant.

• proteins I • psychogenic illness

complex nitroge?ous organic I this syndrome has been defmed

co~pounds of high ?Iolec~ar ~ as a group of symptoms that
welgh.t made of ammo aCld~, : develop in an individual (or a
essen?al fo~ growth and reparr I group of individuals in the same
of anImal tIssue. Many, but not indoor environment) who are
all, ~roteins are enzymes. under some type of physical or

II ================= &";",,,_tIIl Struliu

 *
II public health approach I purification ==========17=3

emotional stress. This does not ~ ral or artificial channel.

mean that individuals have a
~ • pumped hydroelectric
psychiatric disorder or that they; storage
are imagining symptoms.
~ storing water for future use in
• public health approach : generating electricity. Excess
regulatory and voluntary focus ~ electrical energy produced dur-
on effective and feasible risk; ing a period of low demand is
management actions at the na- : used to pump water up to a res-
tional and community level to ~ ervoir. When demand is high,
reduce human exposures and ; the water is released to operate
risks, with priority given to re- : a hydroelectric generator.
ducing exposures with the big- ~ •
gest impacts in terms of the; purge
number affected and severity of : to force a gas through a water
effect. ~ sample to liberate volatile
; chemicals or other gases from
• public health context : the water so their level can be
the incidellce, prevalence, and I measured.
severity of diseases in commu-
~ • purgeable organics
nities or populations and the
factors that account for them, ; volatile organic chemicals which
including infections, exposure : can be forced out of the water
to pollutants, and other expo- ~ sample with relative ease
sures or activities. ~ through purging.

• puddle ~ • purging

a small pool of water, usually a ; removing stagnant air or wa-

few inches in depth and from : ter from sampling zone or
several inches to several feet in ~ equipment prior to sample
its greatest dimension. ; collection.

• pump ; • purification
a device which moves, com- ~ the process of making pure,
presses, or alters the pressure : free from anything that debases,
of a fluid, such as water or air, ~ pollutes, or contaminates.
being conveyed through a natu- I
En~nmmmmIS~w ________________________________= _ "
174 putrefoctiun I rain II
=========*
• putrefaction ~ strong current, an artificial cur-
biological decomposition of or- rent or bubbling patch of water
;
ganic matter, associated with :I just astern of a moving boat.
anaerobic conditions. • radiant heat transfer
• putrescible radiant heat transfer occurs
able to rot quickly enough to I when there is a large difference
cause odours and attract flies. between the temperatures of
two surfaces that are exposed
• pyrolysis I to each other, but are not touch-
decomposition of a chemical by I mg.
extreme heat.
• radioactive
• quadrillion having the property of releas-
the cardinal number repre- ing radiation.
sented by 1 followed by 15 ze- I
ros. • radioactive pollution
I the introduction of a radioactive
• qualitative use assessment I material.
report summarising the major
I • radioisotope snow gage
uses of a pesticide including
percentage of crop treated, and a snow water equivalent gage
amount of pesticide used on a based on the absorption of
site. I gamma radiation by snow, this
gage can measure up to 55
• quarry water inches water equivalent with a
the moisture content of freshly I 2 to 5 percent error.
quarried stone, esp. if porous. I . radon
• quench tank I a colourless, radioactive, inert
a water-filled tank used to cool gaseous element (atomic num-
incinerator residues or hot ma- I ber 86) formed by the radioac-
terials during industrial pro- I tive decay of radium, exposure
cesses. to high levels causes cancer.
• quickwater • rain
the part of a stream that has a water falling to earth in drops

II ================= B,,"Pirrm_tlJl Shill_ .

II raingage I rHntrainment 175
*================
that have been condensed ~ • recharge
from moisture in the atmo- ; the processes involved in the
sphere. : addition of water to the zone of
• rain gage ~ saturation, also the amount of
I water added.
any instrument used for record-
ing and measuring time, distri- ~ • recharge areas
bution, and the amount of rain- ; an area where water flows into
fall. : the earth to resupply a water
• rating curve ~ body or an aquifer.
a graph showing the relation- ~ • reclaim
ship between the stage, usually ~ to return to original condition.
plotted vertically (Y-a.xis) and
the discharge, usually plotted I • reclaimed water
horizontally (X-axis). ; domestic wastewater' that is
: under the direct control of a
• rating table ~ treatment plant owner/opera-
a table of stage values and the I tor which has been treated to a
corresponding discharge for a ; quality suitable for a beneficial
river gaging site. : use.
I
• reach : • recyclable
the distance between two spe- ~ refers to such products as pa-
cific points outlining that por- ; per, glass, plastic, used oil, and
tion of the stream, or river for : metals that can be reprocessed
which the forecast applies. ~ instead of being disposed of as
This generally applies to the I waste.
distance above and below the
forecast point for which the ; • red tide
forecast is valid. ; a reddish discolouration of
: coastal surface waters due to
• receiving waters ~ concentrations of certain toxin-
a river, ocean, stream, or other ; producing algae.
watercourse into which waste-
water or treated effluent is dis- ; • re-entrainment
charged. :I situation that occurs when the
176
================*
air being exhausted from a
building is immediately brought
back into the system through
the air intake and other opcn-
ings in the building envelope.
• reference mark
refomu;e mIIrk I nsptmse time II
I continuously produced.
I • reserves
I amount of a particular resource
in known locations that can be
extracted at a profit with
I present technology and prices.

a relatively permanent point of ~ • reservoir

known elevation which is tied
I a pond, lake, tank, or basin
to a benchmark.
(natural or human made) where
• reflectivity . water is collected and used for
the measure of the efficiency of ; storage. Large bodies of
a radar target in intercepting : groundwater are called ground-
and returning Electro Magnetic water reservoirs, water behind
Energy. Reflectivity depends I a dam is also called a reservoir
upon the size, shape, aspect and of water.
dielectric properties at the sur- • reservoir surface area
face of the target.
I the surface area of a reservoir
• reforestation I when filled to the normal pool
replanting trees and establish- I or water level.
ing a forest after forest harvest- I • reservoir volume
ing or destrUCtion.
the volume of a reservoir when
• regulatory floodway filled to normal pool or water
some maps show an area where I level.
construction regulations re- I • residual chlorine
quire special provisions to ac-
count for this extra hazard. This I the available chlorine which re-
is a regulatory floodway. mains in solution after the de-
mand has been satisfied.
• renewable resource
• response time
natural resource (e.g., tree bio-
mass, fresh water, fish) whose I amount of time in which it will
supply can essentially never be I take a watershed to react to a
exhausted, usually because it is given rainfall event.

II ================= Environ_till Studies

II reverse osmosis I ripergage datum 177
*================
- reverse osmosis ~ _ riprap
a process where water is I large rocks placed along the
cleaned by forcing water ~ b~ of a waterway to prevent
through an ultra-frne semi-per- : erOSIon.
meable membrane which al- I •

lows only the water to pass : - rIver

though and retains the contami- ~ a natural stream of water of
nants' these filters are some- ; substantial volume.
times used in tertiary treatment
and to pre treat water in chemi-
cal laboratories.
- ridge
a line or wall of broken ice I
forced up by pressure. May be ' I
fresh or weathered. : _ river basin
I
- ridge ice : the area drained by a river and
ice piled haphazardly one piece I its tributaries.
over another in the form of I _ river basin
ridges or walls.
; a term used to designate the
- ridge planting : area drained by a river and its
a conservation farming method ~ tri butaries.
where seeds are planted in :I - river • floodi ng
ridges which allows warmer
~ the rise of a river to an eleva-
soil temperatures and traps
; tion such that the river over-
rainwater in the furrows be-
: flows its natural banks causing
tween the ridges.
~ or threatening damage.
- riparian area
~ - river gage
the area along a waterway.
~ a device for measuring the river
- riparian zone ; stage.
a stream and all the vegetation ~ - river gage datum
on its banks.
the arbitrary zero datum el-
178 riversystem I saltmarsh II
=================*
evation which all stage mea- I it moves down the course of a
surements are made from. Inver.
• river system • runoff
all of the streams and channels I the amount of precipitation
draining a river basin. appearing in surface streams,
I rivers, and lakes, defined as
• riverine habitats I the depth to which a drainage
tidal and non-tidal river systems area would be covered if all of
that feed into wetlands. I the runoff for a given period
I of time were uniformly dis-
• rockfill dam tributed over it.
an embankment dam of earth I
or rock in which the material is I • sacramento soil moisture
accounting model
placed in layers and compacted
(sacsma)
by using rollers or rolling
equipment. a model which simulates the
movement and occurrence of
• rolled filled dam I water in and on top of the

an embankment dam of earth ground.

I

or rock in which the material is I • saline intrusion

placed in layers and compacted the saltwater infiltration of
by using rollers or rolling I freshwater aquifers in coastal
equipment. I areas, when groundwater is
• rotten ice withdrawn faster than it is be-
ing recharged.
ice in an advanced stage of dis-
integration. • salinity
I an indication of the amount of
• rough (scavenger) fish
I salt dissolved in water.
non-sport species of fish that
I • salt marsh
tolerate polluted water.
an area where salt water from
• routing an ocean, bay, or gulf meets
the methods of predicting the I fresh water from a river.
attenuation of a flood wave as
II saltwater I second-day.foet 179
*================
~ • saturation
a !111-
I the state of being infused with

~ so much of a substance
: (Examplewater) that no more
I can be absorbed, dissolved, or

~ retained.
~ • seal
the impermeable material, such
• salt water' :I as cement grout bentorute,
. or
water associated with the seas I puddling clay placed in the an-
distinguished by high salinity. : nular space between the bore-
~ hole wall and the casing of a
• saltwater intrusion I water well to prevent the down
the invasion of fresh surface ~ hole movement of surface wa-
water or groundwater by salt- : ter or the vertical mixing of
water. I artestian waters.

• sanitary landfill ~ • secondary treatment

rehabilitated land in which gar- ; second step in most waste treat-
bage and trash have been bur- : ment systems, in which bacte-
ied. ~ ria break. down the organic parts
I of sewage wastes, usually ac-
• sanitary sewers
underground pipes that carry ~ complished by bringing the
off only domestic or industrial : sewage and bacteria together in
~ trickling filters or in the acti-
waste, not storm water.
; vated sludge process.
• saturated air
~ • second-day feet
air that contains as much mois-
ture as it is possible to hold un- : the volume of water repre-
der existing conditions. ~ sented by a flow of one cubic
I foot per second for 24 hours,
• saturated zone : equal to 84,000 cubic feet. This
underground layer in which ev- ~ is used extensively as a unit of
ery available space is filled with I runoff volume. Often abbrevi-
water. ~ ated as SDF.
""18",,O===========sed:t I shaft or morningglory spillway
• sediment
fragmented organic or inor-
ganic material derived from the
weathering of soil, alluvial, and
rock materials, removed by ero-
sion and transported by water,
wind, ice, and gravity.
• sediment pollution
the introduction of sediment
into a water body.
II
I through a dam, its foundation,
I or abutments.
• seiche
a periodic oscillation, or stand-
I
ing wave, in an enclosed water
I body the physical dimensions of
which determine how fre-
quently the water level changes.
• septic system
I a domestic wastewater treat-

• sediment pond I ment system (consisting of a

a natural or artificial pond for septic tank and a soil absorption

recovering the solids from ef- I system) into which wasteS are

fluent or runoff. I piped directly from the .home,

bacteria decompose the waste,
• sediment storage capacity sludge settles to the bottom of
The volume of a reservoir I the tank, and the treated effiu-

planned for the deposition of ~ ent flows out into the ground
sediment. through drainage pipes.
• sedimentary cycle • settleable solids
biogeochemical cycle in which I in sewage, suspended solids
materials primarily are moved I that will settle when the sew-
from land to sea and back age is brought to a quiet state
agatn. for a reasonable length of time,
I usually two hours ..
• seep
a spot where water contained in I • settling
the ground oozes slowly to the the process of a substance, such
surface and often forms a pool, as dregs or sediment, sinking or
a small spring. I being deposited.
• seepage ~ • shaft or morning glory
the interstitial movement of; spillway
water that may take place ~ a vertical or inclined shaft into

II ================= Ern,jnmment/d Studies

II sheetflow I slope
which flood water spills and
then is conducted through, un-
der, or around a dam by means
of a conduit or tunnel. If the
upper part of the shaft is splayed
out and terminates in a circular
horizontal weir, it is termed a
'bell mouth' or 'morning glory'
spillway.
• sheet flow
flow that occurs overland in
places where there are no de-
fined channels, the flood water
spreads out over a large area at
a uniform depth. This also re-
ferred tb as overlana flow.
• shore ice
an ice sheet in the form of a
long, border attached to the
bank or shore, border ice.
• side channel spillway
a spillway whose crest is
roughly parallel to the channel
immediately downstream of
the spillway.
• silage
livestock food prepared by stor-
ing and fermenting green for-
age plants in a silo.
• silt
fine particles of sand or rock ~ as a bank sloping down to a
that can be picked up by the air ; river, a piece of slanting ground,
181
*================
~ or water and deposited as sedi-
I ment.
; • siltation
: the deposition of fmely divided
~ soil and rock particles upon the
I bottom of stream and rIver
~ beds and reservoirs.
~ • sinkhole
: a natural depression in a land
~ surface connected to a subter-
; ranean passage, generally oc-
: curring in limestone regions
~ and formed by solution or by
~ collapse of a cavern roof.
~ • siphon spillway
; a spillway with one or more si-
: phons built at crest level. This
~ type of spillway is sometimes
; used for providing automatic
: surface-level regulation within
~ narrow limits or when consid-
I erable discharge capacity is nec-
: essary within a short period of
~ time.
~ • slickensides
~ a smooth striated polished sur-
; face produced on rock by move-
: ment along a fault.
~ • slope
I
: to take a slanting direction, such

En-nrrmment/d Studies ================= II

182 slough I smnJ1 pillow II
=================*
such as a hillside, the upward I storage within the snow pack,
or downward slant, such as that I liquid water retention, and
of a roof. transmission and heat exchange
I at the ground-snow interface.
• slough
a stagnant swamp, marsh, bog, • snow core
or pond, especially as a part of ~ a sample of either freshly fallen
a bayou, inlet, or backwater. . snow, or the combined old and
new snow on the ground. This
• sludge I is obtained by pushing a cylin-
solid matter that settles to the der down through the snow
bottom of sedimentation tanks layer and extracting it.
in a sewage treatment plant and I
must be disposed of by diges- • snow density
tion or other methods or re- the mass of snow per unit vol-
cycled to the land. I ume which is equal to the wa-
ter content of the snow divided
• small stream flooding
by its depth.
flooding of small creeks, I
streams, or nms. • snow depth
I the combined total depth of
• snow
both the old and new snow on
precipitation in the form of ~ the ground.
branched hexagonal crystals, I
often mixed with simple ice • snow pillow
crystals, which fall more or less an instrUment used to measure
continuously from a solid cloud I snow water equivalents. Snow
sheet. These crystals may fall pillows typically have flat stain-
either separately or in cohesive less steel surface areas. The pil-
clusters forming snowflakes. I low below this flat surface is
I fIlled with antifreeze solution
• snow accumulation and
and the pressure in the pillow
ablation model
I is related to the water-equiva-
a model which simulates snow I lent depth of the snow on the
pack accumulation, heat ex- platform. One great advantage
change at the air-snow interface, I of snow pillows over a snow
a real extent of snow cover, heat · .

II ================ B"W1'OfJ_t4l Stllllils

II snow stake I sol'Pent 183
*================
survey is the frequency of ob- ~ snow and ice which has not
servations, which can be as high ; melted.
as twice per day. ; • soil erosion
• snow stake I the processes by which soil ·is
a 1-3/4 inch square, semi-per- : removed from one place by
manent stake, marked in inch I forces such as wind, water,
increments to measure snow ~ waves, glaciers, and construc-
depth. : tion activity and eventually de-
~ posited at some new place.
• snow stick
a portable rod used to measure ~ • soil gas
snow depth. ; the gas present in soil which
: may contain radon.
• snow water equivalent I

the water content obtained :I • soil moisture

from melting accumulated : water contained in the upper
snow.
.snowboard
a flat, solid, white material,
such as painted plywood, ap-
proximately two feet square,
which is laid on the ground, or
snow surface by weather ob-
servers to obtain more accurate
measurements of snowfall and
water content.
~ regions near the earth's surface.
~ • solar radiation
~ radiation emitted by the sun.
I • solute
; any substance derived from the
: atmosphere, vegetation, soil, or
~ rock that is dissolved in water.
~
• solution
I the result of solving a problem,

• snowmelt flooding ~ a liquid in which something has

flooding caused primarily by the been dissolved.
:
I
melting of snow. : • solvent
• snowpack ~ substances (usually liquid) ca-
the total snow and ice on the ; pable of dissolving or dispers-
ground, including both the :I ing one or more other sub-
new snow and the previous . stances.

=====11
184 sources I stack effict II
========*
- sources ~ of a spillway.
sources of indoor air pollutants. ~ _ spoils
Indoor air pollutants can origi- ; dirt or rock that has been re-
nate within the building or be : moved from its original loca-
drawn in from outdoors. Com- ~ tion, destroying the composi-
mon sources include people, I tion of the soil in the process,
room furnishings such as car- ~ ~ with strip-mining or dredg-
peting, photocopiers, art sup- : mg.
plies etc. I . . •
' : - spray IrrIgatiOn
- specific heat . ~ application of finely divi~ed
the amount of heat reqwre~ to ; water droplets to crops usmg
raise the temperature of a kilo- : artificial means.
gram of a substance (water) by ~ .
·
1 degree CeISIUS. .I - sprmg
: an issue of water from the
- specific yield I earth a natural fountain, a
the ratio of the water which will : sourc~ of a body or reservoir of
drain freely from the maten'al :I water.
to the total volume of the aqui- I
fer formation. This value will
always be less than die poros-
ity.
- spillway
a structure over or through I
which excess or flood flows are :
discharged. If the flow is con~ ~
trolled by gates, it is a c~n- ~ _ stack effect
trolled s~illway, if th~ elevanon ; the overall upward movement
of the spIllway crest IS the only : of air inside a building that re-
control, it is an uncontrolled ~ suits from heated air rising and
spillway. ; escaping through openings in
- spillway crest ~ the buil~ing s~per structure,
the elevation of the highest point thus causmg an mdoor pressure

II ================ EnPirrmmmtlll ShUlks

II staffgage I stream 185
*================
level lower than that in the soil ~ beams placed on top of each
gas beneath or surrounding the ; other with their ends held in
building foundation. : guides on each side of a chan-
~ nel or conduit providing a tem-
- staff gage .
I porary closure versus a perma-
a vertical staff graduated in ap- : nent bulkhead gate.
propriate units which is placed I
so that a portion of the gage is ~ - storage
in the water at all times. Ob- : water artificially impounded in
servers read the river stage off ~ surface or underground reser-
the staff gage. ; voirs for future use. Water natu-
: rally detained in a drainage ba-
- stage I
. sin, such as ground water, chan-
the level of the water surface ; nel storage, and depression
above a given datum at a given: storage.
location. I
: - storm water discharge
- standard solution I
: precipitation that does not in-
any solution in which the con- ~ filtrate into the ground or
centration is known. ; evaporate due to impervious
- static pressure : land surfaces but instead flows
condition that exists when an ~ onto adjacent land or water ar-
equal amount of air is supplied ; eas and is routed into drain/
to and exhausted from a space. :I sewer systems.
At static pressure, equilibrium : - stream
has been reached. ~ any body of running water mov-
- stilling basin ~ ing under gravity flow through
a basin constructed to dissipate clearly defmed natural channels
;
the energy of fast-flowing wa- : to progressively lower levels.
I
ter (e.g., from a spillway or
bottom outlet), and to protect I
the streambed from erosion.
- stoplogs
large logs, timbers or steel
186
================*
- stream gage
a site along a stream where the . I
stage (water level) is read ei- ~
ther by eye or measured with
recording equipment.
- stream segment
refers to the surface waters of ;
an approved planning area ex-
hibiting common biological, I
chemical, hydrological, natural,
and physical characteristics and
processes. Segments will nor-
ma1ly exhibit common reactions
to external stress such as dis- I
charge or pollutants.
- streamflow
the discharge that occurs in a
natural channel. Although the
term 'discharge' can be applied
to the flow of a canal, the word
'streamflow' uniquely describes
the discharge in a surface
stream. The term 'streamflow'
is more general than the term
'runoff', as streamflow may be
applied to discharge whether or
not it is affected by diversion or
regulation.
_ sublimation
the transition of water directly
from the solid state to the gas-
eous state, without passing
through the liquid state, or vice
II ================= Bnvirtm_tIJI Snulia
streamOlllJe I substrate II
I versa. Compare condensation,
evaporation.
_ sub-membrane
depressurisation system
a system designed to achieve
~ lower sub-membrane air pres-
sure relative to crawlspace air
pressure by use of a fan-pow-
ered vent drawing air from un-
der the soil-gas-retarder mem-
brane.
_ subsidence
sinking down of part of the
earth's crust due to under-
ground excavation, such as re-
moval groundwater.
I
- sub-slab depressurisation
I system (active)
I a system designed to achieve
lower sub-slab air pressure
I
relative to indoor air pressure
I by use of a fan-powered vent
drawing air from beneath the
I
slab.
- substance
I a material of a particular kind
I or constitution.
I - substrate
the substance acted upon by an
enzyme or a fermenter, such as
I yeast, mould, or bacteria.
II subsurfocestormflow I suspended SOl: ==========18=7
- subsurface storm flow
the lateral motion of water
through the upper layers un-
til it enters a stream channel.
This usually takes longer to
reach stream channels than
runoff. This also called
interflow.
- sulphuric acid
the acid formed when sulphur
oxides combine with atmo-
spheric moisture, a major com-
ponent of acid rain.
~ - surface irrigation
I application of water by means
; other than spraying s~ch that
: contact between the edible por-
~ tion of any food crop and the
; irrigation water is prevented.
; - surface runoff
: the runoff that travels overland
I
to the stream channel. Rain
I that falls on the stream channel
is often lumped with this quan-
tity.
I urf:
: - s ace tension
0

- supersaturation ~ the elastic-like force in a body,

the state of being infused with ; especially a liquid, tending to
more of a substance (Example: : minimise, or constrict, the area
water) than is normally possible ~ of the surface0

under given conditions of tem-

~ - surface water
perature and pressure.
~ precipitation that does not soak
- surcharge capacity ; into the ground or return to the
the volume of a reservoir be- : atmosphere by evaporation or
tween the maximum water sur- ~ transpiration. It is stored in
face elevation for which the dam ; streams, lakes, rivers, ponds,
is designed and the crest of an : wetlands, oceans, and reser-
uncontrolled spillway, or the ~ voirs.
normal full-pool elevation of ; d d l°ds
. . . - suspen e so I
the reservOlr Wlth the crest gates .
in the normal closed position. I defined in waste manage-
; ment, these are small particles
- surface impoundment : of solid pollutants that resist
an indented area in the land's ~ separation by conventional
surface, such a pit, pond, or la- ; methods. Suspended solids
goon. (along with biological oxygen

MvirrmmmtlJl Studies ================= "

"",18"",8========="",susta=~nable development I thermal pollution II
demand) are a measurement • taxa
of water quality and an indi- lone of the hierarchical catego-
c~tor of treatment plant effi- ries into which organisms are
clency. classified.
• sustainable development • temperate climates
development that ensures that I climates that are neither hot nor
the use of resources and the I co,ld mild .
environment today does not
restrict their use by future gen- I • temperature
erations. the degree of homess or cold-
ness.
• sustained overdraft
long-term withdrawal from the • terrain
aquifer of more water than is I the characteristic features of a
being recharged. I tract of land's surface, topogra-
phy.
• swamp
a type of wedand that is domi - I • terrarium
nated by woody vegetation and a box, usually made of glass,
does not accumulate appre- I that is used for keeping and
ciable peat deposits. Swamps I observing small animals or
may be fresh water or saltwa- plants.
ter and tidal or non tidal. • theodolite
an instrument used in survey-
I ing to measure horizontal and
vertical angles with a small tele-
scope that can move in the hori-
I wntal and vertical planes.
I • thermal pollution
the impairment of water qual-
• tail water height ity through temperature in-
height of water immediately crease, usually occurs as a re-
downstream of the dam. I suit of industrial cooling water
discharges.

II ================= E"pjnm_t/d Snulies

II thermocline I toxic 189
*================
- thermocline M8p4
Topographic Map
fairly thin wne in a lake that I
separates an upper warmer
wne (epilimnion) from a lower
colder wne.
- threshold pollutant
substance that is harmful to a
particular organism only above
a certain concentration, or ~_ topography
threshold level. I the detailed mapping or de-

- threshold runoff scription of the features of a

relatively small area, district, or
the runoff in inches from a rain
~ locality, the relief features or
of specified duration that
I surface configuration of an
causes a small stream to slightly : area.
exceed bank full. When avail- I
able, flood stage is used instead : - topsoil
of slightly over bank full. ~ the rich upper layer of soil in
~ which plants have most of their
- toe drain (or outfall)
; roots.
a drain which carries seepage
away from the dam and can al- ~ - ~otal gross reservoir capac-
low seepage quantities to be Ity
measured. ~ the total amount of storage ca-
- toe of dam (upstream and ; pacity available in a reservoir
downstream) : for all purposes from the stre-
~ ambed to the normal water or
the junction of the face of a dam
I normal water or normal pool
with the ground surface.
: surface level. It does not in-
- topographic map ~ elude surcharge, but does in-
a map showing the relief fea- ~ elude dead storage.
tures or surface configuration of ; _ toxic
an area, usually by means of : h mful li· . .,
contour lines. ~ ar to vmg orgarusms.

Environment,d Studies
=====11
190 toxic chemical I trWutllry II
========*
• toxic chemical ~ their odour or quantitatively by
a chemical with the potential of I air monitoring equipment.
causing death or damage to ~ • transpiration
humans, animals, or plants, the. process by which water ab-
pOlson. sorbed by plants, usually
• toxicity test I through the roots, is evaporated

the means to determine the tox- I into the atmosphere from the
icity of a chemical or an efflu- plant surface, principally from
ent using living organisms. A I the leaves.
toxicity test measures the de- I • trash rack
gree of response of an exposed I a screen located at an intake to
test organism to a specified prevent debris from entering.
chemical or effluent.
• travel time
• toxin
the time required for a flood
any of various poisonous sub- I wave to travel from one loca-
stances produced by certain I tion to a subsequent location
plant and animal cells', includ- downstream.
ing bacterial toxins, phytotoxins, I
and motoxins. • treatment
a substance with which to treat
• trace I water or a method of treating
a hydrograph or similar plot for water to clean it.
an extended-range time hori- I
zon showing one of many sce- I • treatment plant
narios generated through an facility for cleaning and treat-
ensemble forecast process. ing fresh water for drinking, or
I cleaning and treating wastewa-
• tracer gases
ter before discharging into a
compounds, such as sulphur I
water body.
hexa flouride, which are used to
identify suspected pollutant • tributary
pathways and to quantify ven- I a stream that contributes its
tilation rates. Trace gases may I water to another stream or body
be detected qualitatively by of water.
II troposphen: I tlncolljined aquiftr 191
*================
~ ence of suspended solids in wa-
; ter, an indicator of water qual-
: ity.
I
: - turbine
~ a device in which a bladed wheel
I is turned by the force of mov-
~ ing water or steam, connected
- troposphere : by a shaft to a generator to pro-
the layer of atmosphere closest ~ duce electricity.
to the Earth, extending seven to
ten miles above the surface, con- ~ - turning point
taining most of the clouds and ; a temporary point whose eleva-
moisture. : tion is determined by additions
~ and subtractions of back sights
- trough ~ and foresights, respectively.
the lowest point in a wave, also
a channel for water, a long chan- ~ - typhoid (fever)
nel or hollow. ; an acute, highly infectious dis-
_ tsunami : ease caused by the typhoid ba-
~ cillus, Salmonella typhosa,
a Japanese term that has been ; transmitted by contaminated
adopted to describe a large : food or water and characterised
seismically generated sea wave ~ by bad rashes, high fever, bron-
capable of considerable destruc- I chitis, and intestinal
tion in certain coastal areas, es- : haemorrhaging.
pecially where sub-marine I
earthquakes occur. :I - ultraviolet light
: similar to light produced by the
- turbid ~ sun, produced by special lamps.
thick or opaque with matter in ; As organisms are exposed to
suspension. Rivers and lakes : this light, they are damaged or
may become turbid after a rain- ~ killed.
fall.
~ - unconfined aquifer
- turbidity ~ an aquifer without a confIning
cloudiness caused by the pres- ; layer above it, the top surface
En"nmmmmlS~~ __________________________________ II
:=1=9=2==========unc=07:idIltedfornuz,tions I unsattlrateilzone II
of water in an unconfmed aqui- I • underwater
fer is the water table. I under the surface of the water
• unconsolidated formations lying, growing, performed:
naturally occurring earth for- worn, or operating below the
mations that have not been ~ surface of the water, as under-
lithified. Alluvium, soil,; wat~r caverns, underwater op-
gravel, clay, and overburden ~ eranon of a submarine.
are some of the terms used to : • unit hydrograph
describe
. this type of forma- :I the disch arge hy' d rograph from
non. . h 0 f surface runoff dis-
one mc
• undercurrent tributed tmiformly over the en-
tire basin for a given time pe-
a current below the upper cur-
rents or surface of a fluid body. I
riod.
I • unit ventilator
• underdrain
a concealed drain with openings I a fan-coil unit package device
through which the water enters for applications in which the use
I of outdoor and return air mix-
when the water table reaches
I ing is intended to satisfy tem-
the level of the drain.
pering requirements and venti-
• underflow lation needs.
the lateral motio~ of water I
• universal type weighting
~ough the upper layers until and recording gage
It enters a stream channel. This :
usually takes longer to reach I a. gage which collects precipita-
stream channels than runoff : non and then converts the
This also called subsurfac~ ~ weight onto an inked pen move-
storm flow. ~ ment which traces on graph
. paper ftxed to a clock driven
• undertow ~ drum.
the current beneath the surface I
that setS seaward or along the : • unsaturated zone
beach when waves are brealcing I an area underground between
on the shore. I the ground surface and the wa-
ter table where the pore spaces

II ================ Bnnrrm_tlJl Sttulies

II upstream I velocity zones 193

are not filled with water, also ~ into the sewer systems and/or
know as the zone of aeration. ; receiving waters.
- upstream ; - vadose zone
toward the source of a stream : the locus of points just above
or current. ~ the water table where soil pores
~ may either contain air or water.
- upstream slope
; This is also called the zone of
the part of the dam which is in : aeration.
contact with the reservoir wa- I
ter. On earthen dams, this slope : - valve
must be protected from the ~ a device fitted to a pipeline or
erosive action of waves by rock I orifice in which the closure
rip rap or concrete. : member is either rotated or
:I moved.10 some way as to con-
- urban flash flood guidance
~ trol or stop flow.
a specific type of flash flood
guidance which estimates the ~ - vapour
average amount of rain needed ; the gaseous phase of substances
over an urban area during a : that are liquid or solid at atmo-
specified period of time to ini- ~ spheric temperature and pres-
tiate flooding on small, gaged I sure, e.g. steam.
streams in the urban area.
; - Variable Air Volume Sys-
- urban flooding : tem (VAV)
I
flooding of streets, under- : air handling system that condi-
passes, low lying areas, or ~ tions the air to constant tem-
storm drains. This type of flood- ; perature and varies the outside
ing is mainly an inconvenience : airflow to ensure thermal com-
and is generally not life threat- ~ fort.
ening.
~ - velocity zones
- urban runoff I areas within the floodplain sub-
storm water from city streets ~ ject to potential high damage
and adjacent domestic or com- : from waves. These sometimes
mercial properties that may ~ appear on flood insurance rate
carry pollutants of various kinds ; maps.

BnPironmmtll1 StJulies ================= II

194
• ventilation air
defmed as the total air, which is
a combination of the air
brought inside from outdoors
and the air that is being re-cir-
culated within the building.
Sometimes, however, used in
reference only to the air
brought into the system from
the outdoors, this document
defines this air as 'outdoor air
ventilation.'
• vested water right
the right granted by a state wa-
ter agency to use either surface
or ground water.
• virgin flow
the stream flow which exists or
would exist if man had not
modified the conditions on or
along the stream or in the
drainage basin.
• void
the pore space or other open-
ings in rock. The openings can
be very small to cave size and
are filled with water below the
water table.
• waste disposal system
. . f I
a system. for the dlsposmg 0
wastes, eIther by surfa~e or un-
derground methods, mcludes
II ================= Ern';rrm_tIIl SlfIIlies
ventilRtionllir I Wllterpollution II
sewer systems, treatment
I works, and disposal wells.
I • wastewater
water that carries wastes from
I
homes, businesses, and indus-
I tries, a mixture of water and
dissolved or suspended solids.
I
• wastewater treatment
physical, chemical, and biologi-
I cal processes used to remove
I pollutants from wastewater be-
fore discharging it into a water
body.
• water contamination
I impairment of water quality to
I a degree that reduces the usabil-
ity of the water for ordinary
I
purposes or creates a hazard to
I public health through poisoning
or the spread of diseases.
I
• water equivalent
the amount of water, in inches,
I obtained by melting a snow
sample.
I
I • water pollution
industrial and institutional
wastes and other harmful or
I o?jectionabl~. material inul s~-
clent quantities to res t m a
: measurable degradation of the
I water quality.
II TlItIter lJUIIlity I WetJloodproofing 195
*~~~~~~~~

• water quality ~ body.

a term used to describe the ~ • weather
chemical, physical, and biologi- I day to day variation in atmo-
cal characteristics of water with ~ spheric conditions.
respect to its suitability for a
particular use. :I - weighing-type
•
precipita-
: tlon gage
• water table
~ a rain gage that weighs the rain
level below the earth's surface i or snow which falls into a
at which the ground becomes : bucket set on a platform of a
saturated with water. The sur- ~ spring or lever balance. The in- ~
face of an unconfined aquifer I creasing weight of its contents
that fluctuates due to seasonal : plus the bucket are recorded on
precipitation. I
: a chart. The record thus shows
• water table aquifer ~ the accumulation of precipita-
an aquifer confined only byat- tion.i
mospheric pressure (water lev- ~ - Wet tloodproofing
els will not rise in the well above : an approach to flood proofing
the confining bed). ~ which usually is a last resort.
• waterborne disease i Flood waters are intentionally
a disease spread by contami- allowed into the building to
:
nated water. ~ minimise water pressure on the
I structure. Wet floodproofing
• watercourse : can include moving a few valu-
any surface flow such as a river, ~ able items to a higher place or
stream, tributary. I completely rebuilding the

• water logging ~ flood able area. Wet

: floodprooting has an advantage
saturation of soil with irrigation
~ over other approaches: not
water so the water table rises
; matter how little is done, flood
close to the surface.
: damage will be reduced. Thou-
• watershed ~ sands of dollars in damage can
i
land area from which water be avoided just by moving fur-
drains to a particular water : niture and appliances out of the
I

Bnnnmmm~S~m ________________________________ II
 196 wetland I zone II
flood-prone area. I planning and design, practical
I lawn areas, efficient irriga-
• wetland tion, soil improvement, use of
area that is regularly wet or I mulches, low water demand
flooded and has a water table I plants, good maintenance.
that stands at or above the land
surface for at least part of the I • yield
year, such as a bog, pond, fen, : the quantity of water expressed
estuary, or marsh. :I either as a connnuous
.
rate 0 f
I flow (cubic feet per second, etc.)
'>i • whole-effluent toxicity
; or as a volume per unit of time.
the aggregate toxic effect of an It can be collected for a given
effiuent measured directly by a I use, or uses, from surface or
toxicity test. groundwater sources on a wa-
• wire weight gage I tershed.

a river gage comprised of a : • z/r relationship

weight which is lowered t? the ~ the empirical conversion rela-
water level. The weight IS at- I tionship between radar
tached to a cable, and as the reflectivity and precipitation
weight is lowered, a counter rate.
indicates the length of cable
released. The stage is deter- I • zero datum
mined from the length of : a reference 'zero' elevation for
cable required to reach the I a stream or river gage. This
water level. 'zero' can be referenced (usu-
I ally within ten feet of the bot-
• withdrawal use I tom of the channel) to mean
the act of removing water from sea level, or to any other
surface water or groundwater I recognised datum.
sources in order to use it.
• zone
• xeriscape I the occupied space or group of
creative landscaping for water I spaces within a building which
and energy efficiency and : has its heating or cooling con-
lower maintenance. The seven I trolled by a single thermostat.
xeriscape principles are: good

II =================_ BnPirrm_ttli Strulies

II zone ofaeration Izoned embankment:m
- zone of aeration
the locus of points just above
the water table where soil pores
may either contain air or water.
This is also called the vadose
wne.
- zone of saturation
a subsurface zone in which all
the pores or the material are
197
~ filled with groundwater under
; pressure greater than atmo-
~ spheric pressure.
: _ zoned embankment dam
~ an embankment dam which is
~ comprised of wnes of selected
; materials having different de-
: grees of porosity, permeability
~ and density.
198 II
~======~.==~~~==

Notes
 S8JON

661
*====11
200 II
==~~=====*~========
Notes

II ============= Ennrrmmmtid Studies