acute
having or experiencing a rapid onset and short but severe course.
bio accumulation
the process by which substances accumulate in the tissues of living organisms; especially toxic substances that accumulate via a food chain.
bio magnification
the process whereby concentrations of certain substances increase with each step up the food chain.
cap-and-trade policy
a pollution reduction strategy that involves two parties the governing body and the regulated companies or units emitting pollution. The government sets a cap on pollution, limiting the amount of carbon dioxide and other harmful output that companies, or
chronic
characterized by long suffering or frequent recurrence.
cost-benefit analysis
an analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs.
disease
illness or sickness often characterized by typical symptoms and physical signs.
dose-response curve
describes the change in effect on an organism caused by differing levels of exposure (or doses) to a stressor (usually a chemical) after a certain exposure time.
dose-response relationship
relationship between exposure levels and adverse effects.
EC50
the concentration of a drug antibody, or toxicant that induces a response halfway between the baseline and maximum after some specified exposure time. Commonly used as a measure of a drug's potency.
ED50
also known as the effective dose. The amount of drug that produces a therapeutic response in 50% of the people taking it.
externalities
by-products of activities that affect the well-being of people or damage the environment, where those impacts are not reflected in market prices.
green taxes
also known as ecotaxes. Taxes intended to promote ecologically sustainable activities via economic incentives.
infection
the state resulting from the invasion of the body by pathogenic microorganisms.
LD50
the amount of a substance required to kill half a given population.
marginal cost
the change in cost that results from producing one more unit of production.
market permit
a governmental approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in emissions of pollutants. Companies buy market permits, which allow a certain level of pollution. If the company can reduce its pollution level,
NGO non-governmental organization
An organization that is not part of the local, state, or federal government (e.g., Green Peace).
pathogen
any disease-producing agent, especially a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism.
poison
any substance that causes injury, illness, or death of a living organism.
risk assessment
the overall process of identifying all the risks to and from an activity and assessing the potential impact of each risk.
risk management
a strategy developed to reduce or control the chance of harm or loss to one's health or life; the process of identifying, evaluating, selecting, and implementing actions to reduce risk to human health and to ecosystems.
sustainability
how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.
threshold dose
the minimum dose that will produce a detectable degree of any given effect.
toxicity
the degree to which something is poisonous.
toxin
a poisonous substance produced by living cells or organisms.
vector
any agent (person, animal, or microorganism) that carries and transmits a disease (e.g., mosquitoes are vectors of malaria and yellow fever).