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GLOSSARY
A
Acid Rainl :Rain having a pH less than 5.6. The acidity results from chemical reactions occurring when water, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, generally released by industrial processes, are chemically transformed into sulphuric and nitric acids. |
Aerosol : System of solid or liquid particles suspended in a gaseous medium, having a negligible falling velocity. |
Air Pollution : The presence of contaminant or pollutant substances in the air at a concentration that interferes with human health or welfare, or produces other harmful environmental effects. |
Alternative Fuels : Substitutes for traditional liquid, oil-derived motor vehicle fuels like gasoline and diesel. Includes mixtures of alcohol-based fuels with gasoline, methanol, ethanol, compressed natural gas, and others. |
Ambient Air : The air occurring at a particular time and place outside of structures. Often used interchangeably with outdoor air |
Ambient : Surrounding. Ambient air usually means outdoor air (as opposed to indoor air).. |
Ambient Medium : Material surrounding or contacting an organism (e.g. outdoor air, indoor air, water, or soil, through which chemicals or pollutants can reach the organism. |
Ambient Temperature : Temperature of the surrounding air or other medium.. |
Atmosphere : The air surrounding the Earth, described as a series of layers of different characteristics. The atmosphere, composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen with traces of carbon dioxide, water vapour and other gases, acts as a buffer between Earth and the sun. The layers, troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and the exosphere, vary around the globe and in response to seasonal changes.. |
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| Bacteria : Group of single-cell micro-organisms, the smallest of the living organisms. Some are vital to sustain life, while others are responsible for causing highly dangerous human diseases, such as anthrax, tetanus and tuberculosis. Bacteria are found everywhere, in the soil,water and air |
Biodegradable :Capable of decomposing rapidly by microorganisms under natural conditions (aerobic and/or anaerobic). Most organic materials, such as food scraps and paper are biodegradable. |
Biodiversity :Genetic diversity: the variation between individuals and between populations within a species; species diversity: the different types of plants, animals and other life forms within a region; community or ecosystem diversity: the variety of habitats found within an area (grassland, marsh, and woodland for instance. |
Bioenergy : Biomass used in the production of energy. |
Biosfere : That part of the Earth and atmosphere capable of supporting living organisms. |
Black smoke :The fraction of the total suspended particulates in air determined from the blackness measurement of the stain produced by passing the air through standard filter paper |
Burning :Controlled process by which solid, liquid, or gaseous combustible wastes are burned and changed into gases; residue produced contains little or no combustible material. |
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Carbon Dioxide : Gas naturally produced by animals during respiration and through decay of biomass, and used by plants during photosynthesis. Although it only constitutes 0.04 percent of the atmosphere, it is one of the most important greenhouse gases. The combustion of fossil fuels is increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, which is believed to be contributing to global warming. |
| Carcinogen : Any substance that can cause or aggravate cancer. |
| Cells : In solid waste disposal, holes where waste is dumped, compacted, and covered with layers of dirt on a daily basis.The smallest structural part of living matter capable of functioning as an independent unit. |
| Clean Fuel : fuels which have lower emissions than conventional gasoline and diesel. Refers to alternative fuels as well as to reformulated gasoline and diesel |
Climate : the “average weather”, or more rigorously, as the statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities over a period of time ranging from months to thousands or millions of years. The classical period is 30 years, as defined by the World Meteorological Organization ( WMO). These quantities are most often surface variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate in a wider sense is the state, including a statistical description, of the climate system. |
Climate Change : he term 'climate change' is sometimes used to refer to all forms of climatic inconsistency, but because the Earth's climate is never static, the term is more properly used to imply a significant change from one climatic condition to another. In some cases, 'climate change' has been used synonymously with the term, 'global warming'; scientists however, tend to use the term in the wider sense to also include natural changes in climate. |
Close to Loop :A term used to describe the last, and most important, step in the recycling process. It refers to the point when a consumer buys a recycled product after it has been put into a recycling program and reprocessed into a new item.
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Compost :process whereby organic wastes, including food wastes, paper, and yard wastes, decompose naturally, resulting in a product rich in minerals and ideal for gardening and farming as a soil conditioners, mulch, resurfacing material, or landfill cover |
Conservation :Preserving and renewing, when possible, human and natural resources. The use, protection, and improvement of natural resources according to principles that will ensure their highest economic or social benefits. |
Contamination :Introduction into water, air, and soil of microorganisms, chemicals, toxic substances, wastes, or wastewater in a concentration that makes the medium unfit for its next intended use. Also applies to surfaces of objects, buildings, and various household and agricultural use products |
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DDT : The first chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide chemical name: Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane. It has a half-life of 15 years and can collect in fatty tissues of certain animals. EPA banned registration and interstate sale of DDT for virtually all but emergency uses in the United States in 1972 because of its persistence in the environment and accumulation in the food chain |
| Decomposition : The breakdown of matter by bacteria and fungi, changing the chemical makeup and physical appearance of materials. |
Decontamination : Removal of harmful substances such as noxious chemicals, harmful bacteria or other organisms, or radioactive material from exposed individuals, rooms and furnishings in buildings, or the exterior environment. |
Deforestation :The loss of tropical forests due to collection of fuelwood, commercial logging, shifting cultivation, grazing, road construction, ranching, mining and fire. Leads to soil erosion and flooding and endangers wildlife through habitat destruction. |
| Depredation :The act of killing, damaging or consuming animals, crops or other agricultural resources. |
Desertification : A process whereby the productivity of the land is reduced through deforestation, waterlogging and salinization, chemical degradation by nutrient leaching, range mismanagement such as overgrazing, soil erosion and aridity and semi-aridity. |
Distallation : The act of purifying liquids through boiling, so that the steam or gaseous vapors condense to a pure liquid. Pollutants and contaminants may remain in a concentrated residue |
Dump Sites : Waste disposal grounds. |
Dust : Small solid particles, conventionally taken as those particles below 75 micrometers in diameter, which settle out under their own weight but which may remain suspended for some time |
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Ecosystem :The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environment. |
Ecological Impact :The effect that a man-caused or natural activity has on living organisms and their non-living (abiotic) environment..
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Ecology : The relationship of living things to one another and their environment, or the study of such relationships |
Ecotourism : A trip to semi-natural areas to understand the natural and cultural history of the place visited, taking care of the integrity of the ecosystem; providing economical opportunities in order to allow the preservation of natural resources, benefiting the local population. |
Educacion Ambiental : Proceso educativo mediante el cual el educando adquiere la percepción global y pormenorizada de todos los componentes del ambiente, tanto natural como social, de la interdependencia y el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas, de la necesidad de su preservación y de su compatibilidad con el desarrollo.
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Efecto Invernadero : Los rayos solares calientan la superficie de la tierra. El calor, que tiende a ser remitido al espacio se encuentra con los denominados "gases invernadero" disueltos en el aire, que lo atrapan a mitad de camino, calentando la atmósfera. Proceso por el cual la energía del sol, que al llegar a la superficie terrestre la calienta; esta a su vez al tomar temperatura emite radiación que en la atmósfera vuelve, en parte, hacia la superficie terrestre. Este "efecto" de retroalimentación en la atmósfera, es producido por el vapor de agua (H2O), el dióxido de carbono (CO2), etc. presentes en esta última |
Emission : Pollution discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and surface areas of commercial or industrial facilities; from residential chimneys; and from motor vehicle, locomotive, or aircraft exhausts. |
Energy :The capacity to do work; involving thermal energy (heat), radiant energy (light), kinetic energy (motion) or chemical energy; measured in joules. |
Endangery Species : Animals, birds, fish, plants, or other living organisms threatened with extinction by anthropogenic (man-caused) or other natural changes in their environment. Requirements for declaring a species endangered are contained in the Endangered Species Act. |
Environment : The sum of all external conditions affecting the life, development and survival of an organism. |
Environmental Risk : The potential for adverse effects on living organisms associated with pollution of the environment by effluents, emissions, wastes, or accidental chemical releases; energy use; or the depletion of natural resources. |
Erosion : The wearing away of land surface by wind or water, intensified by land-clearing practices related to farming, residential or industrial development, road building, or logging |
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Fauna :the total animal population that inhabits an area.
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Feasibility Study :A study that compares different ways to clean up a contaminated site. The feasibility study recommends one or more actions to remediate the site. |
Food Chain :A sequence of organisms, each of which uses the next, lower member of the sequence as a food source. |
Forest :lands on which trees are the principal plant life, usually conducive to wide biodiversity.. |
| Forest Certification : A process of labeling wood that has been harvested from a well-managed forest |
Forest Degradation : Biological, chemical or physical processes which result in the loss of the productive potential of natural resources in areas covered by forests and/or used by agriculture. Degradation may be permanent, although some forest areas may recover naturally or with human assistance |
| Forest Regeneration : The natural or artificial process of re-establishing tree cover on forest land |
Flora :the total vegetation assemblage that inhabits an area. |
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Gamma Rays : Electromagnetic rays similar to X-rays, emitted in an unstable atom's nucleus, which travel in straight paths at the speed of light, penetrate matter readily, but do not make the material radioactive. They penetrate a greater area than alpha or beta rays, but do less damage because they are weaker form of radiation |
Garbage :Animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, storage, sale, preparation, cooking, and serving of foods. |
Global Warming :An increase in the near surface temperature of the Earth. Global warming has occurred in the distant past as the result of natural influences, but the term is most often used to refer to the warming predicted to occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases. Scientists generally agree that the Earth's surface has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past 140 years. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently concluded that increased concentrations of greenhouse gases are causing an increase in the Earth's surface temperature and that increased concentrations of sulfate aerosols have led to relative cooling in some regions, generally over and downwind of heavily industrialized areas.
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Greenhouse Effect :The warming of the Earth's atmosphere attributed to a buildup of carbon dioxide or other gases; some scientists think that this build-up allows the sun's rays to heat the Earth, while making the infra-red radiation atmosphere opaque to infra-red radiation, thereby preventing a counterbalancing loss of heat.
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Greenhouse Gas :A gas that contributes to the natural greenhouse effect. The Kyoto Protocol covers a basket of six greenhouse gases (GHGs) produced by human activities: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride. Annex I Parties' emissions of these gases taken together are to be measured in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents on the basis of the gases' global warming potential. An important natural GHG that is not covered by the protocol is water vapour. |
Growth Overfisihing :the process of catching fish before they are fully grown resulting in a decrease in the average size of the fish population. |
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Habitat :The place where a population (e.g. human, animal, plant, microorganism) lives and its surroundings, both living and non-living. |
Habitat Destruction :Destruction of wildlife habitats by increasing pressure for land by fast-growing human populations, pollution and over-exploitation. Whole species or populations of plants and animals have disappeared causing a loss of genetic resource that is not only regrettable from an aesthetic or philosophical point of view but also threatens man's food supply. Habitat loss takes several forms: outright loss of areas used by wild species; degradation, for example, from vegetation removal and erosion, which deprive native species of food, shelter, and breeding areas; and fragmentation, when native species are squeezed onto small patches of undisturbed land surrounded by areas cleared for agriculture and other purposes
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Haze : an atmospheric condition marked by a slight reduction in atmospheric visibility, resulting from the formation of photochemical smog, radiation of heat from the ground surface on hot days, or the development of a thin mist |
Herbicide : A chemical that controls or destroys undesirable plants.
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Hydrosphefere : The part of the Earth composed of water including clouds, oceans, seas, ice caps, glaciers, lakes, rivers, underground water supplies, and atmospheric water vapor.. |
Household Waste :Solid waste, composed of garbage and rubbish, which normally originates in a private home or apartment house. Domestic waste may contain a significant amount of toxic or hazardous waste. |
Human Health :The avoidance of disease and injury and the promotion of normalcy through efficient use of the environment, aproperly functioning society, and an inner sense of wellbeing. |
| Hydropower : Energy or power produced by moving water |
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Ignitable :Capable of burning or causing a fire.
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Incineration :A treatment technology involving destruction of waste by controlled burning at high temperatures; e.g., burning sludge to remove the water and reduce the remaining residues to a safe, non-burnable ash that can be disposed of safely on land, in some waters, or in underground locations.
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Industrial Waste :Residues produced during manufacturing operations. Unwanted materials from an industrial operation; may be liquid, sludge, solid, or hazardous waste |
Industrialize Countries :nations whose economies are based on industrial production and the conversion of raw materials into products and services, mainly with the use of machinery and artificial energy (fossil fuels and nuclear fission); generally located in the northern and western hemispheres (e.g., U.S., Japan, the countries of Europe). |
Irradation : Exposure to radiation of wavelengths shorter than those of visible light (gamma, x-ray, or ultra- violet), for medical purposes, to sterilize milk or other foodstuffs, or to induce polymerization of monomers or vulcanization of rubber. |
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L
Latitude : The angular distance between an imaginary line around a heavenly body parallel to its equator and the equator itself . |
Litosfera : Corresponde a la estructura del suelo, la que rinde su importancia es el mantillo, capa rica en nutrimentos donde se desarrolla la vida
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Landfill : Sanitary landfills are disposal sites for non-hazardous solid wastes spread in layers, compacted to the smallest practical volume, and covered by material applied at the end of each operating day. Secure chemical landfills are disposal sites for hazardous waste, selected and designed to minimize the chance of release of hazardous substances into the environment.
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Landscape : The traits, patterns, and structure of a specific geographic area, including its biological composition, its physical environment, and its anthropogenic or social patterns. An area where interacting ecosystems are grouped and repeated in similar form. |
Lithosphere :The solid inorganic portion of the earth (composed of rocks, minerals and elements). It can be regarded as the outer surface and interior of the solid earth. |
Litoral Zone : The part of the shoreline that is submerged at high tide and exposed at low tide. |
| Longitude : The angular distance between a point on any meridian and the prime meridian at Greenwich |
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Malnutrition : Defective nutrition due to inadequate intake of nutrients or to their faulty digestion, assimilation or metabolism
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Marine Environment : Marine environments include estuaries, coastal marine and nearshore zones, and open-ocean-deep-sea regions.
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Maximum Contaminat Level : The highest (maximum) level of a contaminant allowed to go uncorrected by a public water system under federal or state regulations. Depending on the contaminant, allowable levels might be calculated as an average over time, or might be based on individual test results. Corrective steps are implemented if the MCL is exceeded. |
| Methane : A colorless, nonpoisonous, flammable gas created by anaerobic decomposition of organic compounds. A major component of natural gas used in the home |
Microclimate :Localized climate conditions within an urban area or neighborhood. 2. The climate around a tree or shrub or a stand of trees. |
| Mining : The removal of minerals (like coal , gold, or silver) from the ground |
Monitoring :Periodic or continuous surveillance or testing to determine the level of compliance with statutory requirements and/or pollutant levels in various media or in humans, plants, and animals. |
Montreal Protocol : Treaty, signed in 1987, governs stratospheric ozone protection and research, and the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. It provides for the end of production of ozone-depleting substances such as CFCS. Under the Protocol, various research groups continue to assess the ozone layer. The Multilateral Fund provides resources to developing nations to promote the transition to ozone-safe technologies. |
Mutagen : An agent that causes a permanent genetic change in a cell other than that which occurs during normal growth. Mutagenicity is the capacity of a chemical or physical agent to cause such permanent changes |
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Natural Disaster :Violent, sudden and destructive change in the environment without cause from human activity, due to phenomena such as floods, earthquakes, fire and hurricanes. |
Natural Ecosystem : An ecosystem where human impact has been of no greater influence than that of any other native species, and has not affected the ecosystem's structure since the industrial revolution. Human impact excludes changes of global proportions, such as climate change due to global warming.
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Natural Habitat : Land and water areas where the ecosystems biological communities are formed largely by native plant and animal species and human activity has not essentially modified the area's primary ecological functions |
Natural Resources : A feature or component of the natural environment that is of value in serving human needs, e.g. soil, water, plantlife, wildlife, etc. Some natural resources have an economic value (e.g. timber) while others have a 'noneconomic' value. |
Nitrogen :An essential nutrient in the food supply of plants and the diets of animals. Animals obtain it in nitrogen-containing compounds, particularly amino acids. Although in the atmosphere is nearly 80% gaseous nitrogen, very few organisms have the ability to use it in this form. The higher plants normally obtain it from the soil after micro-organisms have converted the nitrogen into ammonia or nitrates, which they can then absorb.
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| Noise : Noise consists of all unwanted sound; sound that is loud, unpleasant or unexpected |
Noise Absatement : Activity to reduce the emission of noise or vibrations from a given source, or to protect persons and built-up structures from exposure to noise and vibrations |
| Noise Pollution : environmental pollution made up of harmful or annoying noise |
Non-Renewable Resource : A resource that is NOT capable of being naturally restored or replenished; a resource that is exhausted because it has not been replaced (e.g. copper) or because it is used faster than it can be replaced (e.g. oil, coal [what we call fossil fuels]). Their use as material and energy sources leads to depletion of the Earth's reserves and are characterized as such as they do not renew in human relevant periods (They are not being replenished or formed at any significant rate on a human time scale) |
| Nuclear Energy : Energy released by nuclear fission or nuclear fusion |
Nutriente : Sustancia que contiene alimento. Se emplea sobre todo en relación con los elementos del suelo y el agua que las plantas y animales toman. Compuestos de nitrógeno (N) o fósforo (P) que favorecen en las aguas y suelos el desarrollo de la vida. |
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Ocean Dumping :The use of various techniques for disposing of hazardous wastes and other wastes in open seas. Has included bulk disposal of liquid or slurry-type wastes, hazardous sludges from dredged materials and the sinking of containerized hazardous substances. |
Oil and Gas Waste : Gas and oil drilling muds, oil production brines, and other waste associated with exploration for, development and production of crude oil or natural gas..
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Organic :Generally considered as originating from plants or animals, and made primarily of carbon and hydrogen. Scientists use the term organic to mean those chemical compounds which are based on carbon.
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Overesploitation : The use of raw materials excessively without considering the long-term ecological impacts of such use |
Ozone : Found in two layers of the atmosphere, the stratosphere and the troposphere. In the stratosphere (the atmospheric layer 7 to 10 miles or more above the earth's surface) ozone is a natural form 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 major component of photochemical smog. It can seriously impair the respiratory system and is one of the most wide- spread of all the criteria pollutants for which the Clean Air Act required EPA to set standards. Ozone in the troposphere is produced through complex chemical reactions of nitrogen oxides, which are among the primary pollutants emitted by combustion sources; hydrocarbons, released into the atmosphere through the combustion, handling and processing of petroleum products; and sunlight |
Ozone Hole :A sharp seasonal decrease in stratospheric ozone concentration that occurs over Antarctica in the spring. First detected in the late 1970s, the ozone hole continues to appear as a result of complex chemical reaction in the atmosphere that involves CFCs.
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Ozone Layer : Very diluted atmospheric concentration of ozone found at an altitude of 10 to 50 kilometres above the earth's surface |
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Plaguicidas : Sustancias químicas diversas que se utilizan para eliminar organismos que por alguna razón son indeseables (hongos, malas hierbas, nemátodos, insectos, roedores, etc.) Los problemas ambientales asociados con el uso de plaguicidas tienen que ver con su toxicidad, capacidad de degradación en el medio ambiente y tendencia a acumularse en los organismos. El término plaguicida suele utilizarse como sinónimo de pesticida.
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Plastic :A material made from petroleum capable of being molded, extruded, or cast into various shapes. There are many different kinds of plastic made from different combinations of compounds. . |
Pestice : Substances or mixture thereof intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest. Also, any substance or mixture intended for use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant. |
Photosynthesis :The manufacture by plants of carbohydrates and oxygen from carbon dioxide mediated by chlorophyll in the presence of sunlight. |
Plankton : Tiny, free-floating organisms of the ocean or other aquatic systems. They may be phytoplankton or zooplankton. |
Pollution : Generally, the presence of a substance in the environment that because of its chemical composition or quantity prevents the functioning of natural processes and produces undesirable environmental and health effects.Under the Clean Water Act, for example, the term has been defined as the man-made or man-induced alteration of the physical, biological, chemical, and radiological integrity of water and other media |
Pollution Prevention : Actively identifying equipment, processes, and activities which generate excessive wastes or use toxic chemicals and then making substitutions, alterations, or product improvements. Conserving energy and minimizing wastes are pollution prevention concepts used in manufacturing, sustainable agriculture, recycling, and clean air/clean water technologies |
Population : A group of interbreeding organisms occupying a particular space; the number of humans or other living creatures in a designated area |
Protected Area : A geographically defined area which is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives. |
Protected Species : Threatened, vulnerable or endangered species which are protected from extinction by preventive measures. |
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R
Radioactive Contamination : The contamination of any material, surface, environment or person by radioactive substances. In the specific case of the human body, this radioactive contamination includes both external skin contamination and internal contamination irrespective of method of intake. |
Recycling : A resource recovery method involving the collection and treatment of a waste product for use as raw material in the manufacture of the same or a similar product.
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Reforestation :The replanting of cut or bare forest. See afforestation |
Reinforest : A large, dense forest in a hot, humid region (tropical or subtropical). Rainforests have an abundance of diverse plant and animal life, much of which is still uncatalogued by the scientific community |
Renewable Energy Source :Energy sources that do not rely on fuels of which there are only finite stocks. The most widely used renewable source is hydroelectric power; other renewable sources are biomass energy, solar energy, tidal energy, wave energy, and wind energy. |
Residential Waste : Waste generated in single and multi-family homes, including newspapers, clothing, disposable tableware, food packaging, cans, bottles, food scraps, and yard trimmings other than those that are diverted to backyard composting |
Resource : Materials found in the environment that can be extracted from the environment in an economic process. There are abiotic resources (non-renewable) and biotic resources (renewable) |
Resource Depletion :For renewable resources, the part of the harvest, logging, catch and so forth above the sustainable level of the resource stock; for non-renewable resources, the quantity of resources extracted. |
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Smog : Air pollution typically associated with oxidants. a dense, discolored radiation fog containing large quanities of soot, ash, and gaseous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, responsible for human respiratory ailments. Most industrialized nations have implemented legislation to promote the use of smokeless fuel and reduce emission of toxic gases into the atmosphere
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Smog Warning : Action, device or announcement that serves to give caution or notice to the level of air pollutants typically associated with oxidants in a given area.
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Solar Energy :The energy transmitted from the sun in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The most successful examples of energy extraction from the sun are so far solar cells used in satellites and solar collectors used to heat water. |
Solid Waste : Any solid, semi-solid, liquid, or contained gaseous materials discarded from industrial, commercial, mining, or agricultural operations, and from community activities. Solid waste includes garbage, construction debris, commercial refuse, sludge from water supply or waste treatment plants, or air pollution control facilities, and other discarded materials |
Species : A reproductively isolated aggregate of interbreeding organisms having common attributes and usually designated by a common name.2. An organism belonging to belonging to such a category |
Species Diversity : The number and variety of species found in a given area in a region. |
Species Extinction : Elimination of any species of living thing as a result of habitat destruction, hunting for sport and trophies and collection and hunting for food, pleasure, research and trade. "Incidental take" of mammals and other marine life during fishing threatens certain species |
Storm : An atmospheric disturbance involving perturbations of the prevailing pressure and wind fields on scales ranging from tornadoes to extratropical cyclones; also the associated weather and the like |
Surface Water : All water naturally open to the atmosphere (rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, streams, seas, estuaries) and all springs, wells, or other collectors directly influenced by surface water |
Sustainable Communities : communities capable of maintaining their present levels of growth without damaging effects |
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Tampering : Adjusting, negating, or removing pollution control equipment on a motor vehicle.
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| Thermal Pollution : Discharge of heated water from industrial processes that can kill or injure aquatic organisms |
Tonnage : The amount of waste that a landfill accepts, usually expressed in tons per month. The rate at which a landfill accepts waste is limited by the landfill's permit |
Toxic Cloud : An airborne mass of gases, vapors, fumes, or aerosols of toxic materials. |
Toxic Waste :Refuse posing a significant hazard to the environment or to human health when improperly handled; includes carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic or phytotoxic wastes, or wastes harmful to aquatic species, or poisonous wastes. |
Traffic Noise : Noise emitted by vehicles (heavy vehicles, cars and motorcycles, tyre/road interaction) |
Trash : Material considered worthless or offensive that is thrown away. Generally defined as dry waste material, but in common usage it is a synonym for garbage, rubbish, or refuse |
Trated Wastewater : Wastewater that has been subjected to one or more physical, chemical, and biological processes to reduce its potential of being health hazard |
Tropical Forest : The natural and semi-natural tropical or subtropical forest ecosystems, whether primary or secondary, whether closed or open forests, in both dry and humid areas. The areas concerned are those found within the tropics and subtropics delimited by the 30th northern and southern parallels |
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Urban Area : Geographic area with a high density of people over a limited area. Homes and other types of buildings tend to be close together
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| Urban Noise : Noise emitted from various sources in an urban environment |
| Urban Planing : the science of managing and directing city growth |
Ultraviolet Radiation : Radiation in the wavelength range between visible light and X-rays, divided into wavelength bands A, B, C. Much of the ultraviolet radiations in bands B and C are prevented from reaching the earth's surface by the ozone layer present in the atmosphere. |
| Untreated Wastewater : Wastewater discharged without any wastewater treatment |
Uranium :a heavy, radioactive metal (atomic number 92) used in the explosion of nuclear weapons (especially one isotope, U-235) |
Used Oil : Spent motor oil from passenger cars and trucks collected at specified locations for recycling (not included in the category of municipal solid waste) |
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Vegetation : The plants of an area considered in general or as communities, but not taxonomically; the total plant cover in a particular area or on the Earth as a whole. The total mass of plant life that occupies a given area.
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Vegetative Controls : Non-point source pollution control practices that involve vegetative cover to reduce erosion and minimize loss of pollutants |
Virgin Forest : A forest never logged. |
Vulnerability Analisys : Assessment of elements in the community that are susceptible to damage if hazardous materials are released. |
| Vulnerable Zone : An area over which the airborne concentration of a chemical accidentally released could reach the level of concern. |
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Waste : Materials that are not prime products (that is, products produced for the market) for which the generator has no further use in terms of his/her own purposes of production, transformation or consumption, and of which he/she wants to dispose. Wastes may be generated during the extraction of raw materials, the processing of raw materials into intermediate and final products, the consumption of final products, and other human activities. Residuals recycled or reused at the place of generation are excluded |
Waste Collection : The periodic or on-demand removal of solid waste from primary source locations using a collection vehicle and followed by the depositing of this waste at some central facility or disposal site |
Water Demand : Water demand is defined as the volume of water requested by users to satisfy their needs. In a simplified way it is often considered equal to water abstraction, although conceptually the two terms do not have the same meaning |
| Water Filter : Substances (such as charcoal) or fine membrane structures used to remove impurities from water |
Water Pollution : The introduction of substances that make water impure compared with undisturbed water. Usually this comes from soil erosion, introduction of poisonous chemicals from industries and spills and introduction of domestic sewage or industrial and agricultural wastes |
| Wildlife : Animals and plants that grow independently of people, usually in natural conditions |
Wind Energy : Energy extracted from wind, traditionally in a windmill, but increasingly by more complicated designs including turbines, usually to produce electricity but also for water pumping. The power available from wind is proportional to the area swept by the rotating place and the cube of the wind velocity, but less than half the available power can be recovered |
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Zona Industrial : Espacio industrial no planificado ni urbanizado, pero que se ha consolidado como tal de forma espontánea, apoyándose normalmente en infraestructuras de comunicación general o en la creada por una gran industria.
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Zero Emission Vehicles : vehicles (usually powered by electricity) with no direct emissions from tailpipes or fuel evaporation.
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| Zone of Saturation : The layer beneath the surface of the land containing openings that may fill with wate |
Zoo :All permanent establishments where animals of wild species are kept for exhibition to the public for 7 or more days a year, with the exception of circuses, pet shops and establishments which Member States exempt from the requirements of this Directive on the grounds that they do not exhibit a significant number of animals or species to the public and that the exemption will not jeopardise the objectives of this Directive
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Zooplankcton : Microscopic animals that float freely in the open water |
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