Environmental health
Collective interactions of humans with the environment and the short-term and long-term health consequences of those interactions.
Air Quality Index (AQI)
A measure of local air quality and what it means for health.
Smog
Hazy atmospheric conditions resulting from increased concentrations of ground-level ozone and other pollutants.
Greenhouse gas
Gas (such as carbon dioxide) or vapor that traps infrared radiation instead of allowing it to escape through the atmosphere, resulting in a warming of the earth (the greenhouse effect).
Fossil fuels
Buried deposits of decayed animals and plants that are concerted into carbon-rich fuels by exposure to heat and pressure over millions of years; examples are oil, coal, and natural gas.
Greenhouse effect
Warming of the earth due to a buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Global warming
Increase in the Earth's atmospheric temperature when averaged across seasons and geographical regions; also called climate change.
Ozone layer
Layer of O3 in the upper atmosphere that screens out UV rays from the sun.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Chemicals used as spray-can propellants, refrigerants, and industrial solvents implicated in the destruction of the ozone layer.
Biodegradation
Natural break down of organic substances and their return into the environment.
Recycling
Use of waste materials as raw materials in the production of new products.
Pesticides
Chemicals used to prevent the spread of diseases transmitted by insects and to maximize food production by killing insects that eat crops.
Radiation
Energy transmitted in the form of rays, waves, or particles (light, sound, heat, and microwave).
Radiation sickness
An illness caused by excessive radiation exposure, marked by low white blood cell counts and nausea; possibly fatal.
Decibel
A unit of intensity of sound on a scale from 0 (average least perceptible sound) to about 120 (average pain threshold).