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An aerosol is a collection of microscopic particles, solid or liquid, suspended in a gas.
In the context of air pollution, an aerosol refers to fine particulate matter, that is larger than a molecule, but small enough to remain suspended in the atmosphere for at least several hours.
The term aerosol is also commonly used for a pressurized container (aerosol can) which is designed to release a fine spray of a material such as paint. It has also come to be associated, erroneously, with the gas (propellant) used to expel materials from an aerosol can. (Source: GreenFacts )
Originating from the activity of humans. (Source: GreenFacts )
The mass of air surrounding the Earth.
The atmosphere consists of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), and traces of other gases such as argon, helium, carbon dioxide, and ozone.
The atmosphere plays an important role in the protection of life on Earth; it absorbs ultraviolet solar radiation and reduces temperature extremes between day and night. (Source: GreenFacts)
Chlorine (Cl2) is produced in large amounts and widely used both
industrially and domestically as a
disinfectant and bleach. In particular, it
is widely used in the disinfection of swimming pools and is the most commonly
used disinfectant and oxidant for drinking-water treatment. In water, chlorine
reacts to form hypochlorous acid and hypochlorites.
(Source:
WHO
Organic compounds made up of atoms of carbon, chlorine (Cl2), and
fluorine (F2). An example is CFC-12 (CCl2F2),
used as a refrigerant in refrigerators and air conditioners and as a foam
blowing agent. Gaseous CFCs can deplete the ozone layer when they slowly rise
into the stratosphere, are broken down by strong ultraviolet radiation, release
chlorine atoms, and then react with ozone molecules.
(Source:
US EPA
Glossary of Climate Change Terms
"The European Commission (EC) embodies and upholds the general interest of the [European] Union and is the driving force in the Union's institutional system. Its four main roles are to propose legislation to Parliament and the Council, to administer and implement Community policies, to enforce Community law (jointly with the Court of Justice) and to negotiate international agreements, mainly those relating to trade and cooperation."
The Commission's staff is organised into 36 Directorates-General (DGs) and
specialised services, such as the Environment DG and the Research DG.
(Source:
EC website
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) is one of the 15 specialised agencies of the European Union, which handle specific technical, scientific or management tasks. Operational since 1994, the EEA is based in Copenhagen.
"Its mission is to collect, prepare and disseminate timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information on the state and trends of the environment at European level. The founding regulation of EEA stipulates that it is open to countries that do not belong to the European Union but share its concern for the environment. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway have been members from the start, and 12 out of 13 candidate countries have joined in 2002 (...)."
(Source: EEA website
The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth)
and therme (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. We can
use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat buildings or
generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy
source because the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously
produced inside the earth.
(Source: The U.S. Energy Information Administration,
Energy Kids page
The global warming potential of a gas refers to the total contribution to global warming resulting from the emission of one unit of that gas relative to one unit of the reference gas, carbon dioxide, which is assigned a value of 1.
For example, if methane has a global warming potential of 21, it means that 1
kg of methane has the same impact on climate change as 21 kg of carbon dioxide
and thus 1 kg of methane would count as 21 kg of carbon dioxide equivalent.
(Source: based on American College & University Presidents Climate
Commitment
Greenhouse gases are those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere and clouds.
This property causes the greenhouse effect.
Water vapour (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2),
nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and
ozone (O3) are the primary greenhouse gases
in the Earth’s atmosphere. Moreover there are a number of entirely human-made
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as the halocarbons and other
chlorine and bromine containing substances,
dealt with under the Montreal Protocol. Beside CO2, N2O and CH4, the
Kyoto Protocol deals with the greenhouse gases
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6),
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).
(Source:
IPCC
Glossary
A molecule is the smallest part of any chemical compound composed of two or
more atoms and which has the qualities of that substance and can exist alone in
a free state. As an example, a molecule of water (H2O) consists of
two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on Helios
Glossary
Ozone is a form of oxygen having the molecular form of O3. It is a bluish, unstable gas with a pungent odour, found in two parts of the atmosphere: the stratosphere and the troposphere.
The ozone layer: The stratosphere contains a layer in which the concentration of ozone is greatest, the so called ozone layer. The layer extends from about 12 to 40 km. It shields the Earth from ultraviolet radiation's harmful health effects on humans and the environment. This layer is being depleted by human emissions of chlorine- and bromine-containing compounds.
Ground-level ozone: At ground level (in the troposphere), ozone is considered an air pollutant that can seriously affect the human respiratory system. It is a chemical oxidant and a major component of photochemical smog. (Source: GreenFacts)
Energy moving in the form of particles or waves. Familiar radiations are heat,
light, radio waves, and microwaves. Ionizing radiation is a
very high-energy form of electromagnetic radiation.
(Source:
US Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Glossary of Radiological Terms
Individuals or groups that are affected by a decision and have an interest in
its outcome.
(Source:
TDM Encyclopedia
Glossary
SF6. It is a colourless, odourless, inert gas that is slightly soluble in water and readily soluble in ethanol and bases.
It is used extensively in various electronic components and in the production of magnesium and aluminium. (Source: GreenFacts, based on the GreenFacts Digest on Fluorides )
A characteristic or state whereby the needs of the present and local population can be met without compromising the ability of future generations or populations in other locations to meet their needs.
The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) was established in 1993.
Inaugurated in Lisbon in 1995, it is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies.
The EMCDDA exists to provide the EU and its Member States with a factual overview of European drug problems and a solid evidence base to support the drugs debate.
Today it offers policymakers the data they need for drawing up informed drug
laws and strategies. It also helps professionals and practitioners working in
the field pinpoint best practice and new areas of research.
(Source:
www.emcdda.europa.eu
The Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP) is an advisory body, established in 1969, that advises the United Nations (UN) system on the scientific aspects of marine environmental protection.
At present GESAMP is jointly sponsored by nine UN organizations with responsibilities relating to the marine environment, and they utilize GESAMP as a mechanism for coordination and collaboration among them. GESAMP functions are to conduct and support marine environmental assessments, to undertake in-depth studies, analyses, and reviews of specific topics, and to identify emerging issues regarding the state of the marine environment. GESAMP itself today consists of 16 experts, drawn from a wide range of relevant disciplines, who act in an independent and individual capacity. Studies and assessments are usually carried out by dedicated working groups, most of whose members are not sitting members of GESAMP but part of the broader GESAMP network.
GESAMP's UN sponsors: IMO, FAO, UNESCO-IOC, WMO, IAEA, UN, UNEP, UNIDO, UNDP.GESAMP
Source:
(Source:
www.gesamp.org/about
Method to improve a person’s immunity to a particular infectious disease. It involves the administration (oral intake or injection) of a vaccine, which is a weakened, dead or inactivated form of the pathogen responsible for the infection. This stimulates the immune system which produces antibodies (Source: GreenFacts)
The difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit expressed in volts which makes electrical charges flow through a closed circuit. (Source: GreenFacts)
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