Green Glossary – A - 1-800-Recycling

Green Glossary – A

Abatement: In waste management, abatement refers to the reduction in landfill pollution through source reduction and waste recycling.
Accretion: Like coastal erosion, accretion is a change in shoreline dynamics but instead of depressions, accretions are marked by land or sand building up in certain areas.
Acid Rain: Acid Rain is rain water that contains chemicals from industrial processes that are harmful to plant and animal life.
Acidity: A quality of water measured by the pH scale. This scale goes from 0 to 14. 0 is the most acidic and 14 is the most alkaline (opposite of acidic).
Activated Carbon: Activated carbon is a material used for water filtration particularly effective in removing organic contaminants.
Activated Sludge: The mass of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, that develops when sewage or waste water is aerated. The term also refers to the type of sewage treatment process that uses bacteria that feed on organic wastes to speed up their rate of decomposition in waste water.
Active Solar: Active solar is an application, that uses electrical or mechanical equipment (typically pumps and/or fans) to assist in the collection and storage of solar energy for the purpose of heating, cooling (buildings, liquids, or gases), or making electricity.
Acute Toxicity: A substance exhibits acute toxicity if it proves hazardous or poisonous after a single dose or single exposure.
Aerated Static Pile or ASP Composting: Any type of large-scale composting system used to breakdown biodegradable organic material using machine blowers and pipes to provide air circulation.
Aeration: The process of exposing compost material to air. Aeration is also crucial in the disposal of biodegradable waste.
Agricultural Runoff: Agricultural runoff is water dispersing from farm fields due to irrigation, rain, or melted snow.
Agricultural Waste: A wide range of byproducts from agricultural processes and activities--from empty pesticide containers and silage wrap to surplus milk or wheat stalks and shell hulls.
Agronomy: The application of a combination of sciences like biology, chemistry, ecology, earth science, and genetics.
Air Cleaning: The process of purifying indoor air by removing pollutants such as smog, dust, smoke and other airborne allergens.
Air Pollution: Substances released by humans into the Earth's atmosphere that can be harmful to people, as well as animals, plant life, and the environment in general. There many types of sources of air pollution, but topping the list of contributors are fossil fuels.
Algae: A cluster of primitive, mainly aquatic plants that have chlorophyll-a as their primary photosynthetic pigment.
Algae Biodiesel: An alternative fuel derived from cultivated algae. Algae biodiesel can be used for cars, airplanes and heating systems.
Algal Bloom: Sudden, massive growths of microscopic and macroscopic plant life, such as green or bluegreen algae, which develop in lakes and reservoirs--sometimes becoming an environmental problem.
Alkalinity: The measure of the amount of alkaline buffers--primarily carbonates and bicarbonates--in water. These alkaline substances buffer the water from sudden changes in pH.
Alternative Energy: Alternative energy substitutes for traditional, often non-renewable sources of energy such as oil and coal.
Alternative Fuels: Fuel replacements to petroleum gas used to power motors, particularly vehicle motors.
Alternative Natural Materials: Alternative natural building materials are sourced right from the earth without any manufacturing process involved.
Ambient: Refers to the surrounding environment or the medium in contact with an organism. People's health and wellness depend on ambient conditions such as indoor air, outdoor air, water and soil.
Ambient Air Monitoring: systematic assessment of pollutant levels by measuring the quantity and types of certain pollutants in the surroudning, outdoor air.
American Tree Farm System or ATFS: A program dedicated to sustaining privately-owned American forests, watersheds and natural habitats established by the American Forest Foundation's Center for Family Forests.
Ammonia: A hazardous chemical widely used in many industries that is suspected to be a respiratory toxicant, neurotoxicant and reproductive toxicant.
Anaerobic: A life or process that occurs in, or is not destroyed by, the absence of oxygen.
Anaerobic Decomposition: Reduction of the net energy level and change in chemical composition of organic matter caused by microorganisms in an oxygen-free environment.
Anaerobic Digester: In waste management sites, it is a dedicated unit used for controlling the anaerobic decomposition of organic material.
Aquaculture: The farming and husbandry of water animals and plants in a controlled environment. Also known as aquafarming, aquaculture is an alternative to commercial fishing.
Aquifer: An underground layer of permeable rock, sediment or soil that can be tapped as a water source. Also known as a water table or water-bearing-stratum, an aquifer is made up of porous rocks with tiny holes--which is why it is able to store water.
Arctic Shrinkage: The significant decrease in Arctic areas that is reportedly caused by regional climate change. Some scientists attribute arctic shrinkage to global warming while others argue that it is caused by natural changes in local wind currents.
Artificial Reefs: A man-made marine habitat constructed for the purpose of encouraging the growth of sea life. Some artificial reefs can also be used to control coastal erosion.
Asbestos: Asbestos is a mineral fiber component in various construction materials such as those used for insulation, floor boards, tiles, shingles and fire-retardants.
Asbestos Abatement: A set of procedures meant to control or eradicate the release of asbestos air-pollutants from construction materials used in buildings.
Asbestos Assessment: Because asbestos is considered a toxic air pollutant that may be released from old or damaged construction materials, buildings and homes may require an asbestos risk assessment conducted by professional surveyors.
Asthma: Asthma is a respiratory illness that disrupts the transport of air in and out of the lungs. The condition is genetic and triggered or aggravated by air pollution, both indoors and outdoors.
Atmospheric Gases: The various types of gases that make up air, which is primarily composed of nitrogen and oxygen. Air is made up of 78 percent nitrogen gas and 21 percent oxygen.