xxviii
Glossary of Terms
receptor to a specifc agent from all sources across all routes and pathways, and cumulative exposure, which is total exposure to multiple
agents that causes a common toxic effect(s) on human health by the
same, or similar, sequence of major biochemical events. Human exposure to toxic chemicals that occurs via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal
contact exposure, combined with potency, is used to estimate “risk.”
(https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/fles/2020-01/documents/
guidelines_for_human_exposure_assessment_fnal2019.pdf)
Fugacity: The “escaping tendency” of a chemical substance from a phase in
terms of mass transfer coeffcients.
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs): Hazardous air pollutants, also known as
toxic air pollutants or air toxics, are those pollutants that are known
or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such
as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental
effects. HAPs are regulated by the United States EPA. Examples of
HAPs are, benzene, which is found in gasoline; perchloroethylene,
which is emitted from some dry-cleaning facilities; methylene
chloride, which is used as a solvent and paint stripper by a number of industries; dioxin; asbestos; toluene; and metals such as cadmium, mercury, chromium, and lead. (https://www.epa.gov/haps/
what-are-hazardous-air-pollutants)
LD50: The threshold level of exposure to toxic substances beyond which
50% of a population or organisms cannot survive. (https://unstats.
un.org/unsd/environmentgl/default.asp)
Long-Range Transport: The atmospheric transport of air pollutants within a
moving air mass for a distance greater than 100 km. (https://unstats.
un.org/unsd/environmentgl/default.asp)
Mesocosm: Any outdoor experimental system that examines the natural
environment under controlled conditions. Mesocosm studies may be
conducted in an enclosure or partial enclosure that is small enough
so that key variables can be brought under control.
Microcosm: Enclosed laboratory chamber systems that are constructed to
simulate natural systems on a reduced scale, and for measuring
responses to varying conditions (e.g., moisture, nutrients, sunlight,
and temperature) over time.
Neonicotinoids: Insecticides chemically related to nicotine. They act on
nerve synapse receptors and are much more toxic to invertebrates
than to mammals, birds, and other higher organisms. (https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/ipm/what-is-a-neonicotinoid/)
Organochlorine (OC) pesticides: Chlorine containing pesticides that control
a wide range of insects, including malaria-bearing mosquitoes, pests
in food and fber crops, and pests of livestock. Characterized by their
low polarity and persistence in soil, aquatic sediments, and air, they
tend to bioconcentrate in the tissues of invertebrates and vertebrates
from their food.
Glossary of Terms
receptor to a specifc agent from all sources across all routes and pathways, and cumulative exposure, which is total exposure to multiple
agents that causes a common toxic effect(s) on human health by the
same, or similar, sequence of major biochemical events. Human exposure to toxic chemicals that occurs via inhalation, ingestion, and dermal
contact exposure, combined with potency, is used to estimate “risk.”
(https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/fles/2020-01/documents/
guidelines_for_human_exposure_assessment_fnal2019.pdf)
Fugacity: The “escaping tendency” of a chemical substance from a phase in
terms of mass transfer coeffcients.
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs): Hazardous air pollutants, also known as
toxic air pollutants or air toxics, are those pollutants that are known
or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such
as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental
effects. HAPs are regulated by the United States EPA. Examples of
HAPs are, benzene, which is found in gasoline; perchloroethylene,
which is emitted from some dry-cleaning facilities; methylene
chloride, which is used as a solvent and paint stripper by a number of industries; dioxin; asbestos; toluene; and metals such as cadmium, mercury, chromium, and lead. (https://www.epa.gov/haps/
what-are-hazardous-air-pollutants)
LD50: The threshold level of exposure to toxic substances beyond which
50% of a population or organisms cannot survive. (https://unstats.
un.org/unsd/environmentgl/default.asp)
Long-Range Transport: The atmospheric transport of air pollutants within a
moving air mass for a distance greater than 100 km. (https://unstats.
un.org/unsd/environmentgl/default.asp)
Mesocosm: Any outdoor experimental system that examines the natural
environment under controlled conditions. Mesocosm studies may be
conducted in an enclosure or partial enclosure that is small enough
so that key variables can be brought under control.
Microcosm: Enclosed laboratory chamber systems that are constructed to
simulate natural systems on a reduced scale, and for measuring
responses to varying conditions (e.g., moisture, nutrients, sunlight,
and temperature) over time.
Neonicotinoids: Insecticides chemically related to nicotine. They act on
nerve synapse receptors and are much more toxic to invertebrates
than to mammals, birds, and other higher organisms. (https://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/ipm/what-is-a-neonicotinoid/)
Organochlorine (OC) pesticides: Chlorine containing pesticides that control
a wide range of insects, including malaria-bearing mosquitoes, pests
in food and fber crops, and pests of livestock. Characterized by their
low polarity and persistence in soil, aquatic sediments, and air, they
tend to bioconcentrate in the tissues of invertebrates and vertebrates
from their food.