Pollutants discharged from a single identifiable location (e.g., pipes, ditches, channels, sewers, tunnels, containers of various types).

pollution that comes from many sources rather than from a single, specific site

Part of the water cycle where an excess of water runs down and does not sink into the soil and eventually makes it to the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

(CWA, 1972) set maximum permissible amounts of water pollutants that can be discharged into waterways; aims to make surface waters swimmable and fishable

Range of chemical and physical conditions that must be maintained for populations of a particular species to stay alive and grow, develop, and function normally

In a body of water, an area with extremely low oxygen concentration and very little life

The process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive growth of algae.

The curve obtained when the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a river into which sewage or some other pollutant has been discharged is plotted against the distance downstream from the sewage outlet

oxygen dissolved in water, dissolved oxygen is important for fish and other aquatic animals

poisonous

chemicals that interfere with the normal functioning of hormones in an animal's body

The process of cleaning water by running it through different layers of rocks and chemicals;

the process of treating wastewater and turning it into water that can be used again.

excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life and death of animal life from lack of oxygen.

a substance that provides nutrients to help crops grow better (NPK)

rapid growth of algae encouraged by too many nutrients (nitrates/phosphates) in the water

deficient in oxygen

derived from human activities

any 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.

A measure of the amount of oxygen necessary to decompose organic material in a unit volume of water. As the amount of organic waste in water increases, more oxygen is used, resulting in a higher BOD.

a temperature increase in a body of water that is caused by human activity and that has a harmful effect on water quality and on the ability of that body of water to support life, decreased DO in water

Persistent organic pollutants. Chemical compounds that persist in the environment and retain biological activity for a long time.

not naturally produced; made by artificial processes

synthetic chemicals containing chlorine that are used in the manufacture of plastics and other industrial products, become stored in the tissue of animals, and also persist in the environment

chemicals that don't readily degrade over time

The accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in various tissues of a living organism.

The increase in chemical concentration in animal tissues as the chemical moves up the food chain

A toxic metal released into the air and water mainly from coal-fired power plants and mining.

landfills (usually)

Any material that can be harmful to human health or the environment if it is not properly disposed of

Land disposal sites for solid waste; operators compact refuse and cover it with a layer of dirt to minimize rodent and insect infestations, wind-blown debris, and leaching by rain.

discarded electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, television sets, etc. contains potentially toxic heavy metals

polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill

The process of burning waste materials to reduce volume and mass, sometimes to generate electricity or heat

The goal of this federal law is to prevent unsafe and illegal disposal of hazardous wastes on land, created "cradle to grave"

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act: created superfund sites, companies are responsible for cleaning up toxic waste

three steps used to reduce the amount of waste produced and put in landfills

a process that allows the organic material in solid waste to be decomposed and reintroduced into the soil, often as fertilizer.

the process of burning something

solid and liquid waste from homes and other buildings that is carried away by sewers or drains

first step of sewage treatment; eliminates most particulate material from raw sewage using grates, screens, and gravity (settling).

second step of sewage treatment; bacteria breakdown organic waste, aeration accelerates the process.

Advanced Sewage Treatment: series of specialized chemical and physical processes used to remove specific pollutants left in the water after primary and secondary treatment

Solid waste material from wastewater

to fill with air; to expose to air

Chemical products that destroy all bacteria, fungi, and viruses (but not spores) on surfaces.

Refers to a microorganism capable of or prone to causing a disease state

bacteria that are found in excrement or sewage contamination occurring naturally in the digestive tract of human beings and animals to aid in digestion.

all of the wastewater that drains from washing machines, sinks, dishwashers, tubs or showers and can be reused for non-sanitary purposes

liquid waste or sewage discharged into a river or the sea.

Installed in homes that do not have access to municipal sewers. Used to dispose of wastewater. Wastewater runs into a underground tank, the solids precipitates out while the water proceeds downhill to gravel fill trenches and microbes decompose the remaining waste

units that convert human excrement into a soil-like material that should be buried or hauled away for disposal

Dose required to kill 50% of animals tested

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is allowed to set the standards for drinking water quality and oversees all of the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement these standards

Plot of data showing effects of various doses of a toxic agent on a group of test organisms.

level below which the toxic effects are not observable; level above which the effects are apparent

the diminishing effect with regular use of the same dose of a drug, requiring the user to take larger and larger doses before experiencing the drug's effect

death rate

an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea

An organism that transmits disease by conveying pathogens from one host to another

a deadly disease that spread across Asia and Europe in the mid-14th century, killing millions of people, spread by fleas that live on rats/rodents

An infectious disease that may affect almost all tissues of the body, especially the lungs

systems used to keep track of waste they transfer from a point of generation to an approved off-site disposal facility, and they must submit proof of this disposal to the EPA