Environmental Health Glossary
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- Algal bloom – Algae are microscopic organisms that live in bodies of water and use photosynthesis to produce energy from sunlight. Some algae…
- Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) – Animal Feeding Operations are lots where animals are confined for at least 45 days in a 12-month period and there…
- Asthma – Asthma is a condition in which your airways narrow and swell and may produce extra mucus.
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- Bisphenol-A – A chemical most commonly found in plastic that can leach through containers, receipts and other plastic items. It impacts human…
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- Carbon dioxide – A naturally occurring gas that is also a byproduct of burning fossil fuels and biomass.
- Carbon neutral – The idea of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by balancing them so they’re equal or less than those removed naturally.
- Carbon offsets – Carbon offsets are tradable “rights” or certificates linked to activities that lower the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.
- Chemical pollution – This refers to any chemicals that negatively interact with human health and are found in everyday products such as lotions,…
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) – CFCs were once a common chemical compound used in refrigerants and aerosols until it was discovered how damaging they were…
- Clean Water Act (CWA) – The Clean Water Act (CWA) started with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act which was enacted in 1948. In 1972,…
- Concealed carry laws – “Concealed carry” has a lot of meanings under different types of state law. It generally means that a person can…
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- Eco-anxiety – The chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change.
- Environmental health – This is a part of Public Health that considers the relationship between the environment and human health. It includes both…
- Environmental justice – Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
- Environmental Justice Index – The Environmental Justice Index uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rank the cumulative impacts of environmental injustice on health for every census tract.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – The Environmental Protection Agency is an independent government program that manages environmental health risks, sponsors and conducts research, and develops…
- Environmental racism – The term was defined by Robert Bullard in his book “Dumping in Dixie.” Bullard described it as “any policy, practice…
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- Greenhouse effect – The trapping and build-up of heat in the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface that has led to climate change over the last century.
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- Heat island – An urbanized area characterized by temperatures higher than those of outlying areas.
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- Methane – Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over the…
- Microplastics – Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to humans, wildlife and plantlife.
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- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) – Nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air from the exhaust of motor vehicles and the burning of…
- Nitrogen fixation – Nitrogen fixation is the natural or industrial process that causes free nitrogen (N2).
- Nitrogen leaching – Nitrogen leaching happens when soil reaches a point where it cannot hold any more water and the air spaces between soil particles become filled with water.
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- Ozone (O3) – Ozone (O₃) is a gas composed of three oxygen atoms that occurs in the Earth’s upper atmosphere and absorbs radiation…
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- Parts per million (ppm) – Parts per million (ppm) is the number of units of mass of a contaminant per million units of total mass.…
- Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are synthetic chemicals that do not fully break down in the environment or human body,…
- PFAS – These are per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemical substances that are made up of chemicals that accumulate over time in people, animals…
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- Scrubber – A scrubber is a device or process for removing pollutants from industrial exhaust streams.
- Sea level rise – Sea level rise brought on by human caused climate change will displace millions of people and ravage coast lines around…
- Social Vulnerability Index – This uses 16 U.S. census variables to help local officials identify communities that may need support before, during or after disasters.
- Solastalgia – Solastalgia is a feeling of emotional or existential distress caused by climate and environmental change.
- Superfund – The Superfund is a U.S. federal government program designed to fund the cleanup of toxic wastes. Established in 1980, the…
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- Tropospheric ozone – Tropospheric (ground-level) ozone is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Whether in…
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- Volatile organic compound (VOC) – Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are gasses emitted into the air from a variety of products or processes. Some are…