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TOXIC TORTS GLOSSARY |
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Glossary of Toxic
Torts Terms
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Acid Deposition: A complex chemical and
atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when emissions of sulfur and nitrogen
compounds and other substances are transformed by chemical processes in the
atmosphere, often far from the original sources, and then deposited on earth in
either wet or dry form. The wet forms, popularly called "acid rain,"
can fall as rain, snow, or fog. The dry forms are acidic gases or particulates.
Acid Rain: Precipitation which has been
made acidic by airborne pollutants.
Action levels: Regulatory levels
recommended by EPA for enforcement by FDA and USDA when pesticide residues occur
in food or feed commodities for reasons other than the direct application of the
pesticide. As opposed to "tolerances" which are established for
residues occurring as a direct result of proper usage, action levels are set for
inadvertent residues resulting from previous legal use or accidental
contamination.
Activated Sludge Process: A sewage
treatment process by which bacteria that feed on organic wastes are continuously
circulated and put in contact with organic waste in the presence of oxygen to
increase the rate of decomposition.
Active Ingredient: In any pesticide
product, the component that kills, or otherwise controls, target pests.
Pesticides are regulated primarily on the basis of active ingredients.
Acute Effect: An adverse effect on any
living organism in which severe symptoms develop rapidly and often subside after
the exposure stops.
Adaptation: Changes in an organism's
structure or habits that help it adjust to its surroundings.
Additive Effect: Combined effect of two or
more chemicals equal to the sum of their individual effects.
Aerobic Treatment: Process by which
microbes decompose complex organic compounds in the presence of oxygen and use
the liberated energy for reproduction and growth. (Such processes include
extended aeration, trickling filtration, and rotating biological contactors.)
Aerosol: A suspension of liquid or solid
particles in a gas.
Affidavit: A written statement or
declaration whose contents are sworn to be true by the signer before a notary or
some other judicial officer authorized to take oaths. A witness's affidavit
carries such weight that a judge will frequently accept it place of oral
testimony in court.
Agricultural Waste: Poultry and livestock
manure, and residual materials in liquid or solid form generated from the
production and marketing of poultry, livestock, fur bearing animals, and their
products. Also includes grain, vegetable, and fruit harvest residue.
Agrochemical: Synthetic chemicals
(pesticide and fertilizers) used in agricultural production.
Air Emissions: Gas emitted into the air
from industrial and chemical processes, such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and others.
Air Pollutant: Any substance in the air
that could, in high enough concentration, harm man, other animals, vegetation,
or material. Pollutants may include almost any natural or artificial composition
of airborne matter capable of being airborne. They may be in the form of solid
particles, liquid droplets, gases, or in combination thereof. Exclusive of
pollen, fog, and dust, which are of natural origin, about 100 contaminants have
been identified and fall into the following categories: solids, sulfur
compounds, volatile organic chemicals, nitrogen compounds, oxygen compounds,
halogen compounds, radioactive compounds, and odors.
Air Quality Criteria: The levels of
pollution and lengths of exposure above which adverse health and welfare effects
may occur.
Air Quality Standards: The level of
pollutants prescribed by regulations that may not be exceeded during a given
time in a defined area.
Airborne Particulates: Total suspended
particulate matter found in the atmosphere as solid particles or liquid
droplets. Chemical composition of particulates varies widely, depending on
location and time of year. Airborne particulates include: windblown dust,
emissions from industrial processes, smoke from the burning of wood and coal,
and motor vehicle or non-road engine exhausts.
Algae: Chiefly aquatic, eucaryotic
one-celled or multicellular plants without true stems, roots and leaves, which
are typically autotrophic, photosynthetic, and contain chlorophyll. Algae are
not typically found in groundwater.
Algal Bloom: Sudden, massive growths of
microscopic and macroscopic plant life, such as green or bluegreen algae, which
develop in lakes and reservoirs, which can affect water quality adversely and
indicate potentially hazardous changes in local water chemistry.
Answer: A defendant's written response to
a plaintiff's initial court filing, called a complaint. An answer normally
denies some or all facts asserted by the complaint and may sometimes include
counterclaims of allegations or charges against the plaintiff. A defendant
usually has 30 days to file an answer after being served with the plaintiff's
complaint.
Appeal: A request to a higher court to
reverse the decision of a trial court's final judgment.
Asbestos: A naturally occurring fibrous
silicate mineral popular in manufacturing and industry due to its strength,
chemical and thermal stability. Types include: chrysotile (which accounted for
95% of industrial use), amosite and crocidolite.
Asbestos Abatement: Procedures to control
fiber release from asbestos-containing materials in a building or to remove them
entirely, including removal, encapsulation, repair, enclosure, encasement, and
operations and maintenance programs.
Asbestosis: An asbestos-related disease
which causes scarring of the lung tissue.
Attainment Area: An area considered to
have air quality as good as or better than the national ambient air quality
standards as defined in the Clean Air Act. An area may be an attainment area for
one pollutant and a non-attainment area for others.
Abatement: Reducing the degree or
intensity of, or eliminating, pollution.
Absorption: The penetration of atoms,
ions, or molecules into the bulk mass of a substance.
Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): Estimate of
the largest amount of chemical to which a person can be exposed on a daily basis
that is not anticipated to result in adverse effects (usually expressed in
mg/kg/day). Same as RfD.
Accidental Death: When the death of an
individual is ruled to be the result of an accident and not the result of murder
or suicide.
Accidental Death Insurance: Insurance
which pays the beneficiary a lump sum in the event the insured dies as the
result of an accident.
Arava: Arava was the first
orally-administered drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis. It is a
Disease-Modifying AntiRheumatic Drug, a class of drugs that relieve pain and
slow the disease's progression but also carry health risks. Arava has been
linked to increased chance of liver damage vs. other DMARD drugs.
Avandia: Avandia is an anti-hyperglycemic
agent in the class of oral antidiabetic medications called thiazolidinediones (TZDs)
or glitazones. These drugs are used to treat type II diabetes mellitus by
combating insulin resistance. There are numerous reports of liver and biliary
disorders associated with the drug, and Avandia has been linked to several cases
of severe liver toxicity, most mere days or weeks after starting the drug.
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