Languages:
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)
Levels of chemical or physical agents that are normally found in the environment.
Two types of background levels may exist for chemical substances or physical
agents: (a) Naturally occurring levels: ambient concentrations of substances or
agents present in the environment, without human influence; (b) Anthropogenic
levels: Concentrations of substances or agents present in the environment due to
human-made, non-site sources (e.g., automobiles, industries).
(Source:
US EPA Glossary of IRIS Terms
Caesium is one of the radioactive fission products created within a nuclear reactor during its operation.
Any one of a group of diseases that occur when cells in the body become abnormal and have the potential to spread and establish growth in nearby tissues and other parts of the body (malignancy). (Source: GreenFacts )
A theoretical risk for getting cancer if exposed to a substance every day for
70 years (a lifetime exposure). The true risk might be lower.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
An electric charge (q or Q) is the quantity of unbalanced electricity in an object (either positive or negative). It is interpreted as an excess or deficiency of electrons. Matter that possesses a charge is influenced by and produces electromagnetic fields.
Electrons, by convention have an elementary charge of -1. Ions are either positively or negatively charged. The unit of measurement of the charge of an object is the coulomb, which represents 6.24 x 1018 elementary charges. (Source: GreenFacts)
When referring to humans, a community is defined as:
A collection of human beings who have something in common.
A local community is a fairly small group of people who share a common place of residence and a set of institutions based on this fact, but the word ‘community’ is also used to refer to larger collections of people who have something else in common (e.g., national community, donor community).
When referring to other living organisms, a community is defined as:
An assemblage of species occurring in the same space or time, often linked by
biotic interactions such as competition or predation.
(Source:
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
The condition of an ecosystem is the capacity of that ecosystem to yield services, relative to its potential capacity.
The condition of an ecosystem service is the capacity of that
ecosystem service to yield benefits to people, relative to its potential
capacity.
(Source:
MA
"The "Consortium for Oceanographic Activities for Students and Teachers," or COAST, is a working collaborative designed to effectively deliver oceanographic and coastal processes education to pre- and inservice teachers from kindergarten through the twelfth grade (K-12). Each of the COAST members offers expertise in different areas and through focused efforts at specific educational levels provides depth of knowledge and resources in these areas. As a collaborative, the partners provide the broadest spectrum of means, methods and materials for ocean science education, as well as a nationwide telecommunications infrastructure."
(Source: COAST website
A substance that is either present in an environment where it does not belong or is present at levels that might cause harmful effects to humans or the environment. (Source: GreenFacts)
The complex system of plant, animal, fungal, and microorganism communities and their associated non-living environment interacting as an ecological unit.
Ecosystems have no fixed boundaries; instead their parameters are set to the
scientific, management, or policy question being examined. Depending upon the
purpose of analysis, a single lake, a
watershed, or an entire region could be
considered an ecosystem.
(Source:
US EPA
Glossary of Climate Change Terms
An electric field is an invisible force field created by the attraction and repulsion of electrical charges (the cause of electric flow), and is measured in Volts per meter (V/m).
The intensity of the electric field decreases with distance from the field source.
A static electric field (also referred to as electrostatic field) is an electric field that does not vary with time (frequency of 0 Hz). Static electric fields are created by electrical charges that are fixed in space. They are different from fields that change over time, such as electromagnetic fields generated by appliances using alternating current (AC) or by cell phones etc. (Source: GreenFacts )
Studies on human populations, which attempt to link human health effects (e.g. cancer) to a cause (e.g. exposure to a specific chemical). (Source: GreenFacts)
Contact of the cells of an organism with a substance, micro-organism or radiation. In the case of humans, this may involve contact with a substance or agent by swallowing, breathing, or through the skin or eyes. Exposure may be short-term [acute exposure], of intermediate duration, or long-term [chronic exposure].
Exposure can be divided into external and internal.
External exposure refers to the whole dose to which an organism is exposed.
Internal exposure refers only to that fraction of the initial chemical dose that is absorbed and distributed throughout the body via systemic circulation. (Source: GreenFacts)
Frequency is the measurement of the number of times that a repeated event occurs per unit of time.
The frequency of wave-like patterns including sound, electromagnetic waves (such as radio or light), electrical signals, or other waves, expresses the number of cycles of the repetitive waveform per second.
In SI units, the result is measured in Hertz (Hz), named after the German physicist, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz. 1 Hz means one cycle (or wave) per second.
Frequency has an inverse relationship to the concept of wavelength (the distance between two peaks) such that the frequency is equal to the velocity divided by the wavelength. (Source: GreenFacts)
Water beneath the Earth's surface in the spaces between soil particles and
between rock surfaces.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of
Terms
"The IAEA is the world´s center of cooperation in the nuclear
field. It was set up as the world´s "Atoms for Peace" organization in 1957
within the United Nations family. The Agency works with its Member States and
multiple partners worldwide to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear
technologies."
(Source:
IAEA website
Iodine is a trace element that is necessary for the body to produce the thyroid hormone.
It is a bluish-black, lustrous nonmetallic solid element that mainly occurs in nature under its stable form, iodine-127. Stable iodine is naturally present for instance in seaweeds, sponges, and shell fish. It is also artificially added to salt.
Exposure pathway is the physical route by which a chemical substance transfers from a source to exposed organisms.
Potential pathways include air, surface water, groundwater, soil, plants, animals and humans. May not necessarily always refer to contaminants. (Source: GreenFacts)
A group or number of people living within a specified area or sharing similar
characteristics (such as occupation or age).
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of
Terms
A psychological reaction that occurs after experiencing a highly stressing
event (as wartime combat, physical violence, or a natural disaster) outside the
range of normal human experience and that is usually characterized by
depression, anxiety, flashbacks, recurrent nightmares, and avoidance of
reminders of the event.
(Source:
Merriam-Webster
Online
The decrease in the [radiation intensity] of any radioactive material with the
passage of time due to the spontaneous emission of radiation from an atomic
nucleus.
(Source: University of Harvard Environmental Health & Safety
Material that contains unstable (radioactive) atoms that give off [ionizing]
radiation as they decay.
(Source:
CDC
Glossary of Radiological Terms
Any waste that emits energy as rays, waves, streams or energetic particles.
Radioactive materials are often mixed with hazardous waste, from nuclear
reactors, research institutions, or hospitals.
(Source:
US EPA Terms of Environment
The spontaneous emission of ionizing radiation from the nucleus of an unstable
atom. Radioisotopes lose particles and energy through this process.
(Source: GreenFacts, based on Energy Information Administration
Glossary
The Scientific Consensus represents the position generally agreed upon at a given time by most scientists specialized in a given field. (Source: GreenFacts)
Individuals or groups that are affected by a decision and have an interest in
its outcome.
(Source:
TDM Encyclopedia
Glossary
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 World Ocean Review series is published by maribus, a non-profit company founded by the mareverlag publishing house. maribus is dedicated to raising the public’s awareness of interrelationships in marine science, thus contributing to a more effective protection of the seas. Our publications are not for sale, but are made available free of charge.
Contributions to the publications have been received from numerous partners and researchers whose many years’ involvement with the marine environment has put them at the cutting edge of science:
The purpose of our publications is to present scientifically robust knowledge in a form accessible to any reader, and thus to serve all those who wish to engage actively and knowledgably in debate on the issues surrounding marine science.
(Source:
http://worldoceanreview.com/en/
The thyroid gland consists of two bodies like small walnuts; they are
connected by an isthmus beside the larynx (voice box). The thyroid gland
produces thyroid hormones T3 and T4 which
regulate the metabolism of all cells in the
body. Disorders of the thyroid gland are characterized by the inability to
produce or release sufficient thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism) or the
overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).
(Source:
EMCOM
Endocrine Disruptors
Glossary
A group of cells joined to perform a set of functions. (Source: GreenFacts)
Exposure to contingencies and stress, and the difficulty in coping with them.
(Source:
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
The likelihood of being unusually severely affected by a substance either as a
result of susceptibility to the effects of these substances or as a result of a
greater than average [exposure].
(Source:
WHO Europe
"The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 170 international companies united by a shared commitment to sustainable development via the three pillars of economic growth, ecological balance and social progress.
Our members are drawn from more than 35 countries and 20 major industrial sectors. We also benefit from a global network of 45 national and regional business councils and partner organizations located in 40 countries, involving some 1,000 business leaders globally.
The WBCSD's activities reflect our belief that the pursuit of sustainable development is good for business and business is good for sustainable development."
(Source: WBCSD website
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