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Glossary
This glossary includes terms used in this document and others
frequently used in discussions of contaminated sediments.
Aquatic -- living or growing in or on the
water.
Benthic Environment -- the environment at
the bottom of lakes, rivers, estuaries, or oceans.
Bioaccumulation -- the process in which
a substance is taken up by an aquatic organism through any
route, including respiration, ingestion, or direct contact
with water or sediment.
Bioavailability -- the ability of a substance
to affect organisms.
Biodegrade -- to decompose a substance by
living organisms.
Biodiversity -- the presence of many species
of organisms, plant and animal.
Biomagnification -- the increased accumulation
and concentration of a contaminant at higher levels of the
food chain; organisms higher on the food chain will have larger
amounts of contaminants than those lower on the food chain,
because the contaminants are not eliminated or broken down
into other chemicals within the organisms.
Bulk Organics -- a class of hydrocarbon
compounds including oil and grease.
Contaminated Sediment -- soil, sand, organic
matter, or minerals that accumulate on the bottom of a water
body and contain toxic or hazardous materials at concentrations
that may adversely affect human health or the environment.
Dredging -- removal of material from the
bottom of a water body by excavation or similar removal activity.
Ecological -- relating to the interrelationships
of organisms and their environment.
Endangered -- referring to an endangered
species; any species in danger of extinction throughout all
or a significant portion of its range/habitat.
Geologic -- referring to the history and
structure of the solid portion (rocks, soils, and minerals)
of the earth.
Halogenated Hydrocarbons/Persistent Organics
-- a group of chemicals that are very resistant to decay.
The banned pesticide DDT and PCBs fall into this category.
Metalloids -- metalloids are nonmetallic
elements, such as arsenic and selenium, with some of the chemical
properties of metals.
Metals -- metals include elements with a
metallic luster and are found on and beneath the earth's surface,
such as iron, manganese, lead, cadmium, zinc, nickel, gold
and mercury.
Nonpoint Source Pollution -- pollution sources
that are diffuse, without a single identifiable point of origin,
including runoff from agriculture, forestry, and construction
sites.
Nutrients -- substances such as nitrogen
and phosphorus compounds necessary for growth and survival.
Elevated levels can cause unwanted growth of algae, and can
result in the lowering of the amount of oxygen in the water
when the algae die and decay.
Point Source Pollution -- point source pollution
refers to the pollution that comes from a specific, identifiable
source, such as a pipe or channel.
Pollutant -- a chemical or biological substance
in a form that can be incorporated into, onto, or be ingested
by aquatic organisms, consumers of aquatic organisms, or users
of the aquatic environment.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)
-- a group of organic chemicals that includes several petroleum
products and their derivatives.
Sediment -- loose particles of sand, clay,
silt, and other substances that settle at the bottom of a
body of water. Sediment can come from the erosion of soil
or from the decomposition of plants and animals. Wind, water,
and ice often carry these particles great distances.
Toxic Substance -- a substance that can
cause short-term or long-term damage to biological tissue
following contact or absorption. Routes of exposure of the
substance include ingestion, inhalation, or assimilation into
any organism, either directly from the environment or indirectly
by ingestion through food chains.
Water Column -- A hypothetical "cylinder"
of water from the surface of a water body to the bottom and
within which physical and chemical properties can be measured.
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