Languages:
An additive effect is the overall consequence which is the result of two chemicals acting together and which is the simple sum of the effects of the chemicals acting independently. (Source: GreenFacts)
A change in body function or cell structure that might lead to disease or
health problems.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
Breeding and rearing of fish, shellfish, or plants in ponds, enclosures, or
other forms of confinement in fresh or marine waters for the direct harvest of
the product.
(Source:
MA
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)
Bioaccumulation is used to describe the increase in concentration of a substance in an organism over time.
Bioaccumulative substances tend to be fat soluble and not to be broken down by the organism. (Source: GreenFacts )
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 colorless, odorless, non-combustible gas, present in low concentrations in the air we breathe (about three hundredths of one percent by volume).
Carbon dioxide is produced when any substance containing carbon is burned. It
is also a product of breathing and fermentation. Plants absorb carbon dioxide
through photosynthesis.
(Source: The Pacific Forest Trust
Glossary
The basic subunit of any living organism; the simplest unit that can exist as an independent living system. There are many different types of cells in complex organisms such as humans, each with specific characteristics. (Source: GreenFacts)
Occurring over a long period of time, either continuously or intermittently;
used to describe ongoing exposures and
effects that develop only after a long exposure.
(Source:
US EPA
Thesaurus
The long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind, and all other aspects of the Earth's climate.
It is also defined by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change as
“change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity
that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to
natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”
(Source:
CoRIS
glossary
The amount of a chemical or substance present in a particular quantity of soil, water, air, food, blood, hair, urine, breath, or any other media. (Source: GreenFacts)
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)
Dental erosion is the loss of enamel and dentine from the tooth as a result of direct acid attack.
It is caused by excessive exposure to acid substances – such as those present in fruit juices and fizzy drinks – that are different from those produced by bacteria involved in the process of dental caries (decay).
Dental erosion is irreversible.
The most common teeth affected by dental erosion are the upper front teeth, although all teeth can be affected. Teeth that have been eroded look glassy, can appear short, and have uneven tips that are easily chipped away.
(Source:
GreenFacts, based on The Dental Centre
Dental Erosion
Effects in the developing offspring due to exposure before conception (either
parent), prenatally, or postnatally to the time of sexual maturation.
Developmental effects may be expressed at any time in the life span of the
organism. Developmental effects are a subset of reproductive effects.
(Source:
CSIRO
CSIRO biological effects and safety of EMR
Glossary
The benefits people obtain from ecosystems.
These include provisioning services such as food and water; regulating
services such as flood and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual,
recreational, and cultural benefits; and supporting services such as nutrient
cycling that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.
(Source:
MA
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
The electrical current is a physical phenomenon caused by the displacement of electrons or ions that induce electric fields. By convention, current is considered to be a flux of positive charges.
The intensity of the current is the quantity of charge which passes in a
conductor per unit of time. The intensity of the current is measured in Amperes
(A).
(Source: Belgian BioElectroMagnetic Group Dictionary
Hg. Mercury in its elemental (pure) form, that is, as a metal; hence the synonym metallic mercury. A shiny, silver-gray metal that is a liquid at room temperature. (Source: GreenFacts)
A natural or man-made chemical that can interfere with endocrine glands and their hormones or where the hormones act - the target tissues. (Source: GreenFacts)
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 ability of people or animals to produce healthy offspring in abundance.
Unlike fecundity, which measures a potential ability, fertility measures the actual number of offspring of an individual, a couple, a group or a population. It is evaluated by the time to achieve pregnancy.
Please note that "fertility" corresponds to "fécondité" in French and "fecundidad" in Spanish whereas the French word "fertilité" and the Spanish word "fertilidad" mean "fecundity". (Source: GreenFacts)
Water beneath the Earth's surface in the spaces between soil particles and
between rock surfaces.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of
Terms
Small, primitive, bony fish related to the sardine and the anchovy.
Herrings are relatively small but very abundant; they swim in huge schools, feeding on plankton and small animals and plants.
Most herring family species are ocean-dwelling, living in salt water as adults, but returning to freshwater to spawn, and spending the early part of their lives in freshwater. Other herring family members are strictly freshwater fish.
The adult common herring, found in temperate and cold waters of the North Atlantic, is about 30 cm long with silvery sides and blue back. (Source: GreenFacts)
Chemical messengers that help our body do different tasks. Hormones are
produced by the endocrine glands and then
sent all over the body to stimulate certain activities. For example, insulin is
a well-known hormone that helps our body digest food. Hormones regulate our
growth, digestion, reproduction and sexual function.
(Source:
EMCOM
Endocrine disruptors
glossary
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
The health of a whole community or population is reflected in measurements of
disease incidence and prevalence, age-specific death rates, and life expectancy.
(Source:
MA
Glossary
The immune system is a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work
together to defend the body against attacks by “foreign” invaders.
(Source:
NIAID
Immune System
The act of swallowing something through eating, drinking, or mouthing objects.
A hazardous substance can enter the body this way.
(Source:
ATSDR
Glossary of Terms
Any animal lacking an internal skeleton such as a backbone or spinal column. Examples of invertebrates include worms, insects, oysters, and crabs.
The group includes all animals except fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. (Source: GreenFacts)
A site where household and industrial waste can be disposed of. It is generally spread in thin layers which are then covered with soil. (Source: GreenFacts)
Instruments of environmental policies in which a change in technology,
behaviour or products is encouraged through financial incentives (either
subsidies, taxes, price differentiation or market creation).
(Source: Environmental Programme for the Danube River Basin
Glossary
Mathematical representation or simulation of an actual situation. (Source: GreenFacts)
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
Material with one or more external dimensions, or an internal structure, at
nanoscale and which could exhibit novel characteristics compared to the same
material at a larger scale.
(Source: based on SCENIHR's
opinion on
the
Arsenic compounds containing carbon. They are mainly found in sea-living organisms, although some of these compounds have also been found in species living on land. (Source: GreenFacts)
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)
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of 209 congeners of structurally similar organic chemicals, ranging from oily liquids to waxy solids. There are 12 PCBs that are dioxin-like and can similarly be toxic and non-toxic. One dioxin-like PCB is 3,4,4',5-Tetrachlorobiphenyl.
PCBs are synthetic and produced either as a singular congener, as a homogeneous group or as a mixture. They are non-flammable, stable, have a high boiling point and exhibit electrical insulating properties. As such, PCBs have been used as coolants and lubricants in transformers and other electrical equipment, as hydraulic fluids, and as plasticizers, pigments, dyes and carbonless copy paper ink. They are also generated and released into the environment as waste byproducts of chemical manufacturing and incineration. (Source: GreenFacts)
Results of conception and ensuing pregnancy, such as sex ratio, birth weight, spontaneous abortion, congenital malformations, lower birth weight, preterm delivery or stillbirth. (Source: GreenFacts)
A type of soft sedimentary rock, formed by the deposition of successive layers of fine particles (such as clay, silt or mud) carried mainly by water. (Source: GreenFacts )
Water on the surface of the Earth, such as in lakes, rivers, streams, ponds,
and springs.
(Source:
ATSDR Glossary of Terms
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 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
A group of cells joined to perform a set of functions. (Source: GreenFacts)
The capacity or property of a substance to cause adverse effects. (Source: GreenFacts)
The tributyltin compounds are a subgroup of the trialkyl organotin family of
compounds. They are the main active ingredients in biocides used to control a
broad spectrum of organisms. Uses include wood treatment and preservation,
antifouling of boats (in marine paints), antifungal action in textiles and
industrial water systems, such as cooling tower and refrigeration water systems,
wood pulp and paper mill systems, and breweries. It is also used for control of
shistosomiasis in various parts of the world. Tributyltin compounds are present
in varying proportions in commercial products; ready-to-use wood preservatives
typically contain as little as 0.3% TBT, but some products used only in
manufacturing may contain as much as 48%.
(Source:
Extoxnet
directory
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