Environmental Law: Technical Concepts

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Q: What is the “polluter pays principle” in environmental law? A: The “polluter pays principle” is a concept where the polluting party is responsible for covering the costs of managing and mitigating pollution to prevent damage to human health or the environment.
Q: What is the definition of “sustainable development” in environmental law? A: Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity.
Q: What is an “environmental impact assessment” (EIA)? A: An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process used to evaluate the potential environmental effects of a proposed project or development, considering both beneficial and adverse impacts.
Q: What is the significance of the “precautionary principle” in environmental protection? A: The precautionary principle emphasizes taking proactive action to prevent harm to the environment when there is scientific uncertainty about potential risks, rather than waiting for conclusive evidence.
Q: What is the role of “environmental regulations”? A: Environmental regulations are legal rules and standards enacted by governments to protect the environment by controlling pollution, conserving natural resources, and ensuring sustainable practices.
Q: How does “environmental litigation” contribute to environmental protection? A: Environmental litigation allows individuals, organizations, and governments to seek legal remedies for environmental harm, enforce environmental laws, and hold polluters accountable.
Q: What is “environmental justice”? A: Environmental justice refers to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws and policies.
Q: What is a “biodiversity offset”? A: A biodiversity offset is a conservation action designed to compensate for the residual adverse impacts of development on biodiversity, aiming to achieve no net loss or a net gain in biodiversity.
Q: What does “carbon trading” entail? A: Carbon trading involves the buying and selling of carbon credits, which represent the right to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, as a means to reduce overall emissions.
Q: What is the purpose of “environmental auditing”? A: Environmental auditing is a systematic, documented process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence to determine whether an organization’s environmental practices comply with legal requirements and environmental policies.
Q: How does “ecosystem services” relate to environmental law? A: Ecosystem services are the benefits humans obtain from ecosystems, such as clean water, air, and pollination. Environmental law aims to protect these services through conservation and sustainable use policies.
Q: What is the “Kyoto Protocol”? A: The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that commits its parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made CO2 emissions have caused it.
Q: What is meant by “habitat conservation”? A: Habitat conservation involves protecting, preserving, and managing natural habitats to ensure the survival of wildlife species and the health of ecosystems.
Q: What are “greenhouse gases” (GHGs)? A: Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Common GHGs include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
Q: What is “climate change mitigation”? A: Climate change mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases, aiming to limit the magnitude and rate of long-term climate change.
Q: What is “environmental governance”? A: Environmental governance encompasses the processes and institutions through which decisions about the environment are made and enforced, involving various stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and civil society.
Q: What is the “Convention on Biological Diversity” (CBD)? A: The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an international treaty aimed at conserving biodiversity, using biological resources sustainably, and sharing the benefits of genetic resources fairly and equitably.
Q: What is “environmental compliance”? A: Environmental compliance means adhering to environmental laws, regulations, standards, and other requirements, such as permits, to protect the environment.
Q: What is the concept of “circular economy”? A: A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and continually using resources by designing products for durability, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling.
Q: What is “renewable energy law”? A: Renewable energy law involves regulations and policies that promote the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and biomass, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate environmental impact.
Q: What is “environmental remediation”? A: Environmental remediation is the process of cleaning up contaminated sites to protect human health and the environment, including soil, groundwater, and surface water restoration.
Q: What is “ecological footprint”? A: An ecological footprint measures the environmental impact of a person, organization, or country in terms of the amount of land and water required to produce the resources they consume and absorb the waste they generate.
Q: What does “environmental sustainability” mean? A: Environmental sustainability refers to practices that ensure natural resources are used in a way that maintains their availability for future generations while supporting current economic and social needs.
Q: What is “transboundary pollution”? A: Transboundary pollution occurs when pollution crosses national borders, causing environmental harm in a country other than the one where the pollution originated.
Q: What is the “Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA)? A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a governmental agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment by creating and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
Q: What is “environmental impact mitigation”? A: Environmental impact mitigation involves measures taken to reduce or offset the adverse effects of a project or development on the environment.
Q: What is “environmental stewardship”? A: Environmental stewardship refers to the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices.
Q: What is the “Paris Agreement”? A: The Paris Agreement is an international treaty within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Q: What is “conservation easement”? A: A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization or government agency that restricts development and ensures long-term protection of the land’s conservation values.
Q: What is “environmental monitoring”? A: Environmental monitoring is the systematic collection of data on environmental conditions and trends, such as air and water quality, to assess and manage the impact of human activities.
Q: What is “environmental liability”? A: Environmental liability refers to the legal responsibility of individuals or companies for the environmental damage they cause, including the costs of cleanup and compensation.
Q: What is “ecotoxicology”? A: Ecotoxicology is the study of the effects of toxic chemicals on biological organisms, particularly within the context of ecosystems, to understand the impact of pollutants on the environment.
Q: What is “environmental risk assessment”? A: Environmental risk assessment is the process of evaluating the likelihood and consequences of adverse environmental effects resulting from human activities or natural events.
Q: What is the “United Nations Environment Programme” (UNEP)? A: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an international organization that coordinates environmental activities and assists countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
Q: What is “carbon sequestration”? A: Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in vegetation, soils, oceans, or geological formations to mitigate climate change.
Q: What is the “Clean Air Act”? A: The Clean Air Act is a comprehensive federal law in the United States that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources to protect public health and the environment.
Q: What is “wetland mitigation banking”? A: Wetland mitigation banking is a system of credits and debits that allows developers to compensate for wetland impacts by purchasing credits from a wetland mitigation bank, which restores, creates, or preserves wetlands.
Q: What is “environmental performance”? A: Environmental performance refers to the measurable results of an organization’s management of its environmental aspects, such as emissions, waste, resource use, and compliance with environmental regulations.
Q: What is “environmental ethics”? A: Environmental ethics is the philosophical study of the moral relationships between humans and the environment, including the ethical responsibilities to protect and preserve the natural world.
Q: What is “sustainable agriculture”? A: Sustainable agriculture is farming practices that meet current food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, focusing on environmental health, economic profitability, and social equity.
Q: What is “hazardous waste management”? A: Hazardous waste management involves the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste materials that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment due to their toxic, reactive, or flammable properties.
Q: What is “environmental policy”? A: Environmental policy refers to the course of action taken by governments or organizations to manage human activities with the aim of protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.
Q: What is “renewable energy certificate” (REC)? A: A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a market-based instrument that represents the environmental benefits of generating one megawatt-hour of electricity from renewable energy sources.
Q: What is “environmental education”? A: Environmental education is the process of teaching individuals and communities about the natural environment, the impact of human activities, and the importance of sustainable practices to foster environmental stewardship.
Q: What is “environmental governance framework”? A: An environmental governance framework encompasses the policies, institutions, and processes that determine how environmental decisions are made, implemented, and enforced, involving various stakeholders.
Q: What is “ecosystem-based management”? A: Ecosystem-based management is an integrated approach to managing natural resources that considers the entire ecosystem, including humans, to achieve sustainable and resilient ecological, social, and economic outcomes.
Q: What is “climate adaptation”? A: Climate adaptation refers to the process of adjusting to current or expected climate change and its effects, to minimize harm or take advantage of beneficial opportunities.
Q: What is “environmental economics”? A: Environmental economics is the study of the economic effects of environmental policies, the economic causes of environmental problems, and the use of economic instruments to address environmental issues.
Q: What is “environmental health”? A: Environmental health is the branch of public health that focuses on the relationships between people and their environment, promoting human health and well-being through the prevention and control of environmental hazards.
Q: What is “marine conservation”? A: Marine conservation involves the protection and sustainable management of ocean and coastal ecosystems to preserve biodiversity, protect habitats, and maintain ecosystem services.
Q: What is “environmental governance indicator”? A: Environmental governance indicators are metrics used to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of environmental policies, institutions, and processes in achieving environmental goals.
Q: What is “ecosystem resilience”? A: Ecosystem resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to absorb disturbances and still maintain its essential structure, functions, and processes, allowing it to recover from environmental changes.
Q: What is “corporate environmental responsibility”? A: Corporate environmental responsibility refers to the ethical obligation of companies to minimize their environmental impact and contribute to sustainable development through responsible business practices.
Q: What is “environmental management system” (EMS)? A: An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that helps an organization achieve its environmental goals through consistent review, evaluation, and improvement of its environmental performance.
Q: What is “environmental governance”? A: Environmental governance encompasses the processes, policies, and institutions that determine how environmental decisions are made and enforced, involving a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, businesses, and civil society.
Q: What is “environmental justice”? A: Environmental justice ensures that all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, have equal access to a clean and healthy environment and are not disproportionately affected by environmental hazards.
Q: What is “environmental remediation”? A: Environmental remediation involves the removal of pollution or contaminants from environmental media such as soil, groundwater, sediment, or surface water, to protect human health and the environment.
Q: What is “environmental compliance”? A: Environmental compliance refers to adhering to environmental laws, regulations, standards, and other requirements, such as permits, to protect the environment.
Q: What is “ecological footprint”? A: An ecological footprint measures the environmental impact of an individual, organization, or country in terms of the amount of land and water required to produce the resources they consume and absorb the waste they generate.
Q: What is “environmental sustainability”? A: Environmental sustainability refers to practices that ensure natural resources are used in a way that maintains their availability for future generations while supporting current economic and social needs.
Q: What is “transboundary pollution”? A: Transboundary pollution occurs when pollution crosses national borders, causing environmental harm in a country other than the one where the pollution originated.
Q: What is the “Environmental Protection Agency” (EPA)? A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a governmental agency responsible for protecting human health and the environment by creating and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress.
Q: What is “environmental impact mitigation”? A: Environmental impact mitigation involves measures taken to reduce or offset the adverse effects of a project or development on the environment.
Q: What is “environmental stewardship”? A: Environmental stewardship refers to the responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices.
Q: What is the “Paris Agreement”? A: The Paris Agreement is an international treaty within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aimed at limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Q: What is “conservation easement”? A: A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a conservation organization or government agency that restricts development and ensures long-term protection of the land’s conservation values.
Q: What is “environmental monitoring”? A: Environmental monitoring is the systematic collection of data on environmental conditions and trends, such as air and water quality, to assess and manage the impact of human activities.
Q: What is “environmental liability”? A: Environmental liability refers to the legal responsibility of individuals or companies for the environmental damage they cause, including the costs of cleanup and compensation.
Q: What is “ecotoxicology”? A: Ecotoxicology is the study of the effects of toxic chemicals on biological organisms, particularly within the context of ecosystems, to understand the impact of pollutants on the environment.
Q: What is “environmental risk assessment”? A: Environmental risk assessment is the process of evaluating the likelihood and consequences of adverse environmental effects resulting from human activities or natural events.
Q: What is the “United Nations Environment Programme” (UNEP)? A: The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is an international organization that coordinates environmental activities and assists countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
Q: What is “carbon sequestration”? A: Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide in vegetation, soils, oceans, or geological formations to mitigate climate change.
Q: What is the “Clean Air Act”? A: The Clean Air Act is a comprehensive federal law in the United States that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources to protect public health and the environment.
Q: What is “wetland mitigation banking”? A: Wetland mitigation banking is a system of credits and debits that allows developers to compensate for wetland impacts by purchasing credits from a wetland mitigation bank, which restores, creates, or preserves wetlands.
Q: What is “environmental performance”? A: Environmental performance refers to the measurable results of an organization’s management of its environmental aspects, such as emissions, waste, resource use, and compliance with environmental regulations.
Q: What is “environmental ethics”? A: Environmental ethics is the philosophical study of the moral relationships between humans and the environment, including the ethical responsibilities to protect and preserve the natural world.
Q: What is “sustainable agriculture”? A: Sustainable agriculture is farming practices that meet current food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, focusing on environmental health, economic profitability, and social equity.
Q: What is “hazardous waste management”? A: Hazardous waste management involves the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste materials that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment due to their toxic, reactive, or flammable properties.
Q: What is “environmental policy”? A: Environmental policy refers to the course of action taken by governments or organizations to manage human activities with the aim of protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development.
Q: What is “renewable energy certificate” (REC)? A: A Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) is a market-based instrument that represents the environmental benefits of generating one megawatt-hour of electricity from renewable energy sources.
Q: What is “environmental education”? A: Environmental education is the process of teaching individuals and communities about the natural environment, the impact of human activities, and the importance of sustainable practices to foster environmental stewardship.
Q: What is “environmental governance framework”? A: An environmental governance framework encompasses the policies, institutions, and processes that determine how environmental decisions are made, implemented, and enforced, involving various stakeholders.
Q: What is “ecosystem-based management”? A: Ecosystem-based management is an integrated approach to managing natural resources that considers the entire ecosystem, including humans, to achieve sustainable and resilient ecological, social, and economic outcomes.
Q: What is “climate adaptation”? A: Climate adaptation refers to the process of adjusting to current or expected climate change and its effects, to minimize harm or take advantage of beneficial opportunities.
Q: What is “environmental economics”? A: Environmental economics is the study of the economic effects of environmental policies, the economic causes of environmental problems, and the use of economic instruments to address environmental issues.
Q: What is “environmental health”? A: Environmental health is the branch of public health that focuses on the relationships between people and their environment, promoting human health and well-being through the prevention and control of environmental hazards.
Q: What is “marine conservation”? A: Marine conservation involves the protection and sustainable management of ocean and coastal ecosystems to preserve biodiversity, protect habitats, and maintain ecosystem services.
Q: What is “environmental governance indicator”? A: Environmental governance indicators are metrics used to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and transparency of environmental policies, institutions, and processes in achieving environmental goals.
Q: What is “ecosystem resilience”? A: Ecosystem resilience is the ability of an ecosystem to absorb disturbances and still maintain its essential structure, functions, and processes, allowing it to recover from environmental changes.
Q: What is “corporate environmental responsibility”? A: Corporate environmental responsibility refers to the ethical obligation of companies to minimize their environmental impact and contribute to sustainable development through responsible business practices.
Q: What is “environmental management system” (EMS)? A: An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a framework that helps an organization achieve its environmental goals through consistent review, evaluation, and improvement of its environmental performance.
Q: What is “integrated water resources management” (IWRM)? A: Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is a process that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land, and related resources to maximize economic and social welfare without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems.
Q: What is “environmental footprint”? A: An environmental footprint measures the total impact of an individual’s, organization’s, or country’s activities on the environment, including resource consumption and waste generation.
Q: What is “biodiversity conservation”? A: Biodiversity conservation involves the protection, preservation, and sustainable management of biological diversity to maintain ecosystem health and resilience.
Q: What is “climate resilience”? A: Climate resilience is the ability of communities, economies, and ecosystems to cope with, adapt to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.
Q: What is “environmental restoration”? A: Environmental restoration is the process of returning a damaged or degraded ecosystem to a healthy, functional state through activities such as reforestation, habitat restoration, and pollution cleanup.
Q: What is “green building”? A: Green building refers to the practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings in an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient manner to reduce their impact on the environment and human health.
Q: What is “sustainable urban development”? A: Sustainable urban development aims to create cities that provide a high quality of life for residents while minimizing their environmental impact through practices such as smart growth, green infrastructure, and sustainable transportation.
Q: What is “environmental policy integration” (EPI)? A: Environmental Policy Integration (EPI) involves incorporating environmental considerations into all stages of policy-making across different sectors to achieve sustainable development.
Q: What is “environmental valuation”? A: Environmental valuation is the process of assigning monetary value to environmental goods and services, such as clean air, water, and biodiversity, to inform decision-making and policy development.

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Abatement – The reduction in degree or intensity of pollution.

Absorbed Dose – The amount of a substance absorbed into the body, usually, per unit of time. The most common unit of dose is mg per kg body weight per day (mg/kg-day).

Absorption – The penetration of one substance into or through another: specifically, the penetration of a substance into the body from the skin, lungs, or digestive tract.

Acceptable Daily Intake – An estimate of the daily exposure dose that is likely to be without deleterious effect even if continued exposure occurs over a lifetime.

Air Acidification – Sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides other acidic emissions to air cause an increase in the acidity of rainwater, which in turn acidifies lakes and soil. These acids can make the land and water toxic for plants and aquatic life. Acid rain can also slowly dissolve manmade building materials such as concrete. This impact is typically measured in units of either kg sulphur dioxide equivalent (S02e), or moles H+ equivalent.

Acute – Diseases or responses with short and generally severe course (often due to high pollutant concentrations).

Acute Exposure – A single exposure to a toxic substance which results in severe biological harm or death. Acute exposures are usually characterized as lasting no longer than a day, as compared to longer, continuing exposure over a period of time.

Added Risk – The difference between the cancer incidence under the exposure conditions compared with incidence under background conditions.

Aerobic – Life or processes that require, or are not destroyed by, the presence of oxygen.

Air Emissions – The release or discharge of a pollutant (from a stationary source) into the ambient air. For anthropogenic sources this may involve release (1) by means of a stack or (2) as a fugitive dust, mist or vapour as a result inherent to the manufacturing or formulating process. Pollutants may also be discharged from mobile sources, from area sources such as roads and fields, and from non-manufacturing, stationary sources.

ALARA(ref ALARP): Acronym for “As Low As Reasonably Achievable,” means making every reasonable effort to maintain exposures to ionizing radiation as far below the dose limits as practical, consistent with the purpose for which the licensed activity is undertaken, taking into account the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation to benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic considerations, and in relation to utilization of nuclear energy and licensed materials in the public interest. (see 10 CFR 20.1003 – US term).

Anaerobic: A life or process that occurs in, or is not destroyed by, the absence of oxygen.

Anthropogenic: Of human origin.

Attributable Risk: The rate of a disease in exposed individuals that can be attributed to the exposure. This measure is derived by subtracting the rate (usually incidence or mortality) of the disease among non-exposed persons from the corresponding rate among exposed individuals.

Benign: Not malignant; remaining localized.

Bias: Any difference between the true value and that actually obtained due to all causes other than sampling variability.

Bioremediation: Use of living organisms to clean up oil spills or remove other pollutants from soil, water, or wastewater; use of organisms such as non-harmful insects to remove agricultural pests or counteract diseases of trees, plants, and garden soil.

Carbon Footprint – Carbon-dioxide and other gasses which result from the burning of fossil fuels accumulate in the atmosphere which in turn increases the earth’s average temperature. Carbon footprint acts as a proxy for the larger impact factor referred to as Global Warming

Potential (GWP). Global warming is blamed for problems like loss of glaciers, extinction of species, and more extreme weather, among others.

Carcinogen: A substance or agent that produces or incites cancerous growth.

Carcinogenic Potency: The gradient of the dose-response curve for a carcinogen.

Chronic: Having a persistent, recurring or long-term nature (opposite to acute).

Collective Dose: The sum of the individual doses received on a given period of time by a specified population from exposure to a specified source.

Cost-benefit Analysis: A formal quantitative procedure comparing costs and benefits of a proposed project or act under a set of pre-established rules. To determine a rank ordering of projects to maximize rate of return when available funds are unlimited, the quotient of benefits divided by costs is the appropriate form; to maximize absolute return given limited resources, benefits-costs is the appropriate form.

Cradle-to-Grave or Manifest System: A procedure in which hazardous materials are identified and followed as they are produced, treated, transported, and disposed of by a series of permanent, linkable, descriptive documents (e.g., manifests).

De Minimis Risk: From the legal maxim “de minimis non curat lex” or “the law is not concerned with trifles.”

Deterministic Effect: The health effects, the severity of which varies with the dose and for which a threshold is believedto exist. Radiation-induced cataract formation is an example of a deterministic effect (also called a nonstochastic effect).

Dose-response: A correlation between a quantified exposure (dose) and the proportion of a population that demonstrates a specific effect (response).

Environment: Water, air, land, and all plants and man and other animals living therein, and the interrelationships which exist among them.

Environmental Pathway: All routes of transport by which a toxicant can travel from its release site to human populations including air, food chain, and water. The connected set of environmental media through which a potentially harmful substance travels from source to receptor.

Epidemiology: The study of the distribution and dynamics of diseases and injuries in human populations. Specifically, the investigation of the possible causes of a disease and its transmission.

Externalities: Benefits or costs, generated as a by-product of an economic activity, that do not accrue to the parties involved in the activity.

Greenhouse Effect: The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere attributed to a build-up of carbon dioxide or other gases; some scientists think that this build-up allows the sun’s rays to heat the Earth, while infra-red radiation makes the atmosphere opaque to a counterbalancing loss of heat.

Hazard: A condition or physical situation with a potential for an undesirable consequence, such as harm to life or limb.

Hazard Assessment: An analysis and evaluation of the physical, chemical and biological properties of the hazard.

HI (hazard index): Potential non-carcinogenic (systemic) effects are characterized by comparing projected intakes of
chemicals to toxicity values (i.e., reference doses). The numerical risk or hazard quotient estimates that results is
a ratio. The ratio of the intake over the reference dose (hazard index) is compared to unity (1.0).

Hormesis: The notion that small doses of radiation can be healthful.

Individual Risk: The risk to an individual rather than to a population.

In Vitro: Outside the living organism. Literally, in glass.

In Vivo: Within the living organism.

Latency Period: The period of time from exposure to an agent to the onset of a health effect.

Leachate: Liquid that has percolated through solid waste and has extracted dissolved or suspended materials from it.

Leaching: The process by which nutrient chemicals or contaminants are dissolved and carried away by water, or are moved into a lower layer of soil.

Lifecycle Analysis: Studying the environmental impacts of a product/service from “cradle to grave.”

Lifetime Exposure: Total amount of exposure to a substance that a human would receive in a lifetime (usually assumed to be 70 years).

Logit Model: A dose-response model which, like the probit model, leads to an S-shaped dose-response curve, symmetrical about the 50% response point. The logit model leads to lower “very safe doses” than the probit model even when both models are equally descriptive of the data in the observable range.

Log-probit Model: A dose-response model which assumes that each animal has its own threshold dose, below which no response occurs and above which a tumour [or other effect] is produced by exposure to a chemical.

Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect-Level (LOAEL): The lowest dose in an experiment which produced an observable adverse effect.

Malignant: Tending to become progressively worse and to result in death if not treated; having the properties of anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis.

Morbidity: A departure from a state of physical or mental well-being, resulting from disease or injury. Frequently used only if the affected individual is aware of the condition. Awareness itself connotes a degree of measurable impact. Frequently, but not always, there is a further restriction that some action has been taken such as restriction of activity, loss of work, seeking of medical advice, etc.

Mortality: Death; the death rate; ratio of number of deaths to a given population.

Mortality Rate: The number of deaths that occur in a given population during a given time interval; usually deaths per 103 or 105 people per year. Can be age, sex, race, and cause specific.

No Observable Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL): From long-term toxicological studies of agriculture chemical active ingredients, levels at which indicate a safe, lifetime exposure level for a given chemical. Used to establish tolerance for human diets. Also written, NOEL.

One-hit Model: The basic dose-response model based on the concept that a tumour can be induced by a single receptor that has been exposed to a single quantum or effective dose unit of a chemical.

Ozone: Three-atom oxygen compound (03) found in two layers of the Earth’s atmosphere. One layer of beneficial ozone occurs at 7 to 18 miles above the surface and shields the Earth from ultraviolet light. Several holes in this protective layer have been documented by scientists. Ozone also concentrates at the surface as a result of reactions between by-products of fossil fuel combustion and sunlight, having harmful health effects.

Particulates: Visible air pollutants consisting of particles appearing in smoke or mist.

Person-year: The sum of the number of years each person in the study population is at risk; a metric used to aggregate the total population at risk assuming that 10 people at risk for one year is equivalent to 1 person at risk for 10 years.

Population at Risk: A limited population that may be unique for a specific dose-effect relationship; the uniqueness may be with respect to susceptibility to the effect or with respect to the dose or exposure itself.

Primary Energy: The energy that is embodied in resources as they exist in nature (e.g., coal, crude oil, natural gas, or sunlight). For the most part, primary energy is transformed into electricity or fuels such as gasoline or charcoal. These, in turn, are referred to as secondary or site energy.

Probit Analysis: A statistical transformation which will make the cumulative normal distribution linear. In analysis of dose-response, when the data on response rate as a function of dose are given as probits, the linear regression line of these data yields the best estimate of the dose-response curve. The probit unit is y = 5 + Z(p) , where p = the prevalence of response at each dose level and Z(p) = the corresponding value of the standard cumulative normal distribution.

Quadrillion Btu (Quad): Equivalent to 10 to the 15th power Btu (1 quad = 1.055 x 10e18 joules).

Reference Concentration (RfC): An estimate (with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of magnitude) of a continuous inhalation exposure to the human population (including sensitive subgroups) that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious non-cancer effects during a lifetime.

Risk: The product of: impact of severity (consequence) and impact of likelihood (probability). Specifically for carcinogenic effects, risk is estimated as the incremental probability of an individual developing cancer over a lifetime as a result of exposure to a potential carcinogen. Specifically for non-carcinogenic (systemic) effects, risk is not expressed as a probability but rather is evaluated by comparing an exposure level over a period of time to a reference dose derived for a similar exposure period.

Source: A place where pollutants are emitted, for example a chimney stack.

Systemic Effects: Systemic effects are those that require absorption and distribution of the toxicant to a site distant from its entry point, at which point effects are produced. Most chemicals that produce systemic toxicity do not cause a similar degree of toxicity in all organs, but usually demonstrate major toxicity to one or two organs. These are referred to as the target organs of toxicity for that chemical. Systemic effects do not include cancer.

Threshold Limit Value (TLV): Refers to airborne concentrations of substances and represents conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers are protected while repeatedly exposed for an 8-hr day, 5 days a week (expressed as parts per million (ppm) for gases and vapors and as milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3) for fumes, mists, and dusts).

Water Eutrophication – When an over abundance of nutrients are added to a water ecosystem, eutrophication occurs. Nitrogen and phosphorous from waste water and agricultural fertilizers causes an overabundance of algae to bloom which then depletes the water of oxygen and results in the death of both plant and animal life. This impact is typically measured in either kg phosphate equivalent (P04e) or kg nitrogen (N) equivalent.

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