Acoustic Fatigue
Stress cracking of a material caused by repetitive vibrations induced by sound.
Activated Sludge Sewage Treatment
A method of treating organic matter in sewage effluent, using digestion by aerobic bacteria.
Aerobic
A process or organism that requires oxygen.
Albedo
A measure of the reflectivity of a surface. More reflective surfaces have higher albedos.
Anaerobic
A process or organism that doesn’t require oxygen.
Bioaccumulation
The increase in concentration of a substance in living tissue.
Biodegradability
The ease with which a material is broken down by living organisms, usually bacteria.
Biodegradation
The process of breakdown of a material by living organisms, usually bacteria.
Biological/Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
The number of mg of dissolved oxygen consumed in one litre of water at 20’c in 5 days in the dark?
Biomagnification
The progressive bioaccumulation of a material along a food chain.
Biotic Index
A measure of pollution based on the presence, abundance and state of health of selected living organisms.
BOD
Biological/Biochemical Oxygen Demand.
Carcinogen
A substance than can cause cancer.
Catalytic Converter
A device fitted to vehicle exhausts to remove pollutants such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitration and unburnt hydrocarbons.
CFC
Chlorofluorocarbons are pollutants that cause ozone depletion and contribute to global climate change.
Clean Air Act - 1956
UK legislation to control smoke pollution.
Critical Group Monitoring
A method of monitoring radioactive discharges. If the members of the public that are most at risk are safe, then so is everyone else.
Critical Pathway Analysis (CPA)
The prediction of the routes that an effluent will take in the environment, to assess pollution risk.
Cyclone Separator
Types of equipment used to remove suspended particles in gaseous effluents.
dB(A)
The decibel scale, modified to weight the frequencies to which the human ear is most sensitive.
Decibel (dB)
The unit of sound used to monitor noise pollution.
Degradation
The breakdown of a material.
Deoxygenation
To process of oxygen removal.
Diffuse Sources
Effluent emissions that come from many sources.