Contaminants In The Environment

Front 1

Open System

Back 1

A mass balance situation where there is continual exchange of energy and mass within the environment

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Anaerobic

Back 2

A condition in the environment where no oxygen is present

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Bioavailability

Back 3

The amount of contaminant available to an organism related to the amount of contaminant in the environment and composition of diet

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Steady State

Back 4

Describes no change in concentration or accumulation of contaminant in the environment

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Henry's Law Constant

Back 5

Describes the partitioning of a contaminant between water and air

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Constrictivity

Back 6

Describes the slowing of diffusion through porous material due to the narrowing of the path of motion

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Mass balance

Back 7

Accounts for the production, loss, destruction, and accumulation of a contaminant in the environment

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Effective diffusion

Back 8

The coefficient used to describe the estimated diffusion rate of a contaminant in different media at a given temperature

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Tortuosity

Back 9

The slowing of diffusion through porous material due to bending and twisting around solid particles

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Sedimentation

Back 10

Process of contaminant settling out of water

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Closed System

Back 11

Mass balance equation with no inputs/outputs

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Bioaccumulation

Back 12

Accumulation of a contaminant in an organism through environmental exposure and food

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Mass flow rate

Back 13

Describes the amount of substance moving through a given system over time

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Deposition

Back 14

Process of contaminant settling out of air or water

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Biomagnification

Back 15

Increased concentration of a contaminant in each successive step of the food chain

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Vaporization

Back 16

Phase transition from a liquid to gas phase

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Flux density

Back 17

Amount of substance moving through a system per unit area over time

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Point source

Back 18

Easily identified and specific point of entry of a contaminant in the environment

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Sink

Back 19

Destruction of a substance in a system within the boundary of a control volume

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Advection

Back 20

Intraphase mass transfer process where the environmental media moves the contaminant

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Hydrolysis

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Degredation of a contaminant by water due to the formation of new carbon-oxygen bonds

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Solubility

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Property of a contaminant that determines its ability to dissolve

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Vapor Pressure

Back 23

Property of a contaminant that determines its tendency to move into a gas phase

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Aerobic

Back 24

Condition in the environment where oxygen is present

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Non-point source

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Diffuse entry and potentially multiple points of entry of a contaminant into the environment

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Mass transfer

Back 26

Describes movement of contaminant in the environment

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Biotransformation

Back 27

The degredation of a contaminant by microorganisms in the environment

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Bioconcentration

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The accumulation of contaminants in organisms through contact with their body

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Dispersion

Back 29

Intraphase mass transfer process where motion of media and concentration gradient causes contaminant to move in different directions

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Environmental media

Back 30

Area of the environment

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Fate

Back 31

Describes what ultimately happens to a contaminant in the environment

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Evaporation

Back 32

Intermass transfer moving contaminant from soils/water to air

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Control volume

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Defined boundaries to help solve a problem

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Input

Back 34

Describes movement of a substance into a system

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Interphase mass transfer

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Mass transfer between media

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Porosity

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Slowing of diffusion through porous material due to solid materials blocking the path of motion

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Source

Back 37

Creation of a substance in a system

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Surface Tension

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Property of the surface of a contaminant that sllows it to resist external force

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Octanol/Water

Back 39

The partition coefficient used to describe the likelihood of a contaminant to dissolve in fat

Front 40

Adhesion

Back 40

Describes the process of a contaminant attaching/binding to a solid

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Photolysis

Back 41

Degredation of a contaminant by light

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Lipophilicity

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Ability of a compound to dissolve in fats

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Diffusion

Back 43

Concentration gradient moves contaminant (intraphase mass transfer)

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Output

Back 44

Movement of substance out of a system