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AP Environmental Ch.8&9 Flashcards

AP Environmental Ch.8&9 terms from the Cracking Exam book

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47906065acid precipitationacid rain, acid hail, acid snow; all of which occur as a result of pollution in the atmosphere.
47906066acute effectthe effect caused by a short exposure to a high level of toxin.
47906067catalytic convertera platinum-coated device that oxidizes most of the VOCs and some of the CO that would otherwise be emitted in exhaust, converting them to CO2.
47906068closedloop recycling-when materials, such as plastic or aluminum, are used to rebuild the same product. An example of this is the use of the aluminum from aluminum cans to produce more aluminum cans.
47906069compostinga process that allows the organic material in solid waste to be decomposed and reintroduced into the soil, often as fertilizer.
47906070building-related illnesswhen the signs and symptoms of an illness can be attributed to a specific infectious organism that resides in the building.
47906071chronic effectan effect that results from long-term exposure to low levels of toxin.
47906072deep well injectiondrilling a hole in the ground that's below the water table to hold waste.
47906073diseaseoccurs when infection causes a change in the state of health.
47906074dose-response analysisa process in which an organism is exposed to a toxin at different concentrations, and the dosage that causes the death of the organism is recorded.
47906075dose-response curvethe result of graphing a dose-response analysis.
47906076ED50the point at which 50 percent of the test organisms show a negative effect from a toxin.
47906077global warmingan intensification of the Greenhouse Effect due to the increased presence of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
47906078gray smog (industrial smog)smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels, especially coal.
47906079hazardous wasteany waste that poses a danger to human health; it must be dealt with in a different way from other types of waste.
47906080heat islandsurban areas that heat up more quickly and retain heat more than do nonurban areas.
47906081high-level radioactive wasteradioactive wastes that produce high levels of ionizing radiation.
47906082industrial smog (gray smog)smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels.
47906083infectionthe result of a pathogen invading a body.
47906084LD50the point at which 50 percent of the test organisms die from a toxin.
47906085leachatethe liquid that percolates to the bottom of a landfill.
47906086low-level radioactive wasteradioactive wastes that produce low levels of ionizing radiation.
47906087noise pollutionany noise that causes stress or has the potential to damage human health.
47906088non-point source pollutionpollution that does not have a specific point of release.
47906089open-loop recyclingwhen materials are reused to form new products.
47906090ozone holesthe thinning of the ozone layer over Antarctica (and to some extent, over the Arctic).
47906091pathogensbacteria, virus, or other microorganisms that can cause disease.
47906092photochemical smogwhen photochemical smog, NOx compounds, VOCs, and ozone combine to form smog with a brownish hue. point source pollution - a specific location from which pollution is released; an example of a point source location is a factory where wood is being burned.
47906093poisonany substance that has an LD50 of 50 mg or less per kg of body weight.
47906094physical treatmentin a sewage treatment plant, the initial filtration that is done to remove debris such as stones, sticks, rags, toys, and other objects that were flushed down the toilet.
47906095primary pollutantspollutants that are released directly into the lower atmosphere.
47906096primary treatmentwhen physically treated sewage water is passed into a settling tank, where suspended solids settle out as sludge; chemically treated polymers may be added to help the suspended solids separate and settle out.
47906097risk assessmentcalculating risk, or the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen.
47906098risk managementusing strategies to reduce the amount of risk (the degree of likelihood that a person will become ill upon exposure to a toxin or pathogen).
47906099secondary pollutantspollutants that are formed by the combination of primary pollutants in the atmosphere.
47906100secondary treatmentthe biological treatment of wastewater in order to continue to remove biodegradable waste.
47906101sick building syndromewhen the majority of a building's occupants experience certain symptoms that vary with the amount of time spent in the building.
47906102sludgethe solids that remain after the secondary treatment of sewage.
47906103sludge processora tank filled with aerobic bacteria that's used to treat sewage. solid waste - can consist of hazardous waste, industrial solid waste, or municipal waste. Many types of solid waste provide a threat to human health and the environment.
47906104stationary sourcesnon-moving sources of pollution, such as factories.
47906105Superfund Programa program funded by the federal government and a trust that's funded by taxes on chemicals; identifies pollutants and cleans up hazardous waste sites.
47906106threshold dosethe dosage level of a toxin at which a negative effect occurs.
47906107toxicitythe degree to which a substance is biologically harmful.
47906108toxinany substance than is inhaled, ingested, or absorbed at dosages sufficient to damage a living organism.
47906109tropospheric ozoneozone that exists in the trophosphere.
47906110U.S. Noise Control Actgave the EPA power to set emission standards for major sources of noise, including transportation, machinery, and construction.
47906111vectorthe carrier organism through which pathogens can attack.
47906112wastewaterany water that has been used by humans. This includes human sewage, water drained from showers, tubs, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, water from industrial processes, and storm water runoff.
47906113Waste-to-Energy (WTE) programwhen the energy released from waste incineration is used to generate electricity.
47906114CH 9 green taxa fiscal policy that lowers taxes on income, including wages and profit, and raises taxes on consumption, particularly the unsustainable consumption of non-renewable resources.
47906115CH 9 market permitswhen companies are allowed to buy permits that allow them a certain amount of discharge of substances into certain environmental outlets. If they can reduce their amount of discharge, they are allowed to sell the remaining portion of their permit to another company.

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