A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
BAC
Biotechnology Advisory Committee.
backfill
the material used to refill an excavation, or the process of doing so.
background level
in air pollution, the level of pollutants present in ambient air from natural sources.
back pressure
pressure exerted against a flow.
backwash
(abbr. BW) - upward flow of water through a resin to cleanse, expand, and classify the resin.
backwashing
the process of cleaning an ion exchange, rapid sand or mechanical filter by reversing the flow of water.
BACT
Best Available Control Technology.
bacteria
microscopic single-cell plants which reproduce by fission or by spores, identified by their shapes; coccus, spherical; bacillus, rod-shaped; and spirillum, curved.
bactericidal
bacteria-destroying.
BADCT
Best Available Demonstrated Control Technology.
BADT
Best Available Demonstrated Technology.
baffle
a deflector that changes the direction of flow or velocity of water, sewage, or particulate matter. Also used to deaden sound.
baghouse
an air pollution abatement device used to trap particulates by filtering gas streams through large fabric bags usually made of glass fibers.
BAL
British Anti-Lewisite. A name for the drug dimercaprol, a treatment for toxic inhalations.
baling
compacting solid waste into blocks to reduce volume.
ballistic separator
a machine that sorts organic from inorganic matter for composting.
band application
in pesticides, the spreading of chemicals over or next to each row of plants in a field.
BARF
Best Available Retrofit Facility.
bar screen
in waste water treatment, a device that removes large solids.
BART
Bay Area Rapid Transit.
BART
Best Available Retrofit Technology.
basal application
in pesticides, the spreading of a chemical on stems or trunks just above the soil line.
base
substances that (usually) liberate OH anions when dissolved in water and weaken a strong acid. Bases react with acids to form salts and water. Bases have a pH >7, turn litmus paper blue, and may be corrosive to human tissue. They are also called alkali and caustic.Examples are lye and DRANO. See acid; alkali; pH.
BAT
Best Available Technology.
BAT
Best Available Treatment.
BATEA
Best Available Technology Economically Available.
Baume, Be
an arbitrary scale of specific gravities devised by the French chemist Antoine Baume (c. 1800; pronounced bo-may) that indicate concentration of materials in a solution.
BBF
CWT Treatment-Combo - Cooling Water Treatment (ETUS).
BCDC
Bay Area Conservation and Development Commission.
BCF
Bioconcentration Factor.
BCM
Blood-Clotting Mechanism effects.
BCPT
Best Conventional Pollutant Technology.
BCT
Best Conventional pollutant Control Technology.
BCT
Best Conventional Technology.
BDAT
Best Demonstrated Available Technology.
BDAT
Best Demonstrated Achievable Technology.
BDT
Best Demonstrated Technology.
bed
the ion exchanger or filter media in a column or other tank or operational vessel.
bed depth
measure of resin bed from top to bottom.
bed volume
(abbr. BV) - the amount of space occupied by the resin bed in cubic feet or gallons.
BEI, biological exposure indexes
numerical values based on procedures to determine the amount of a material the human body absorbs by measuring the material the human body absorbs by measuring the material or its metabolic products in tissue, fluid, or exhaled air. See the ACGIH publication Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indexes.
belowground release
means any release to the subsurface of the land and to ground water. This includes, but is not limited to, releases from the belowground portions of an underground storage tank system and belowground releases associated with overfills and transfer operations as the regulated substance moves to or from an underground storage tank.
beneath the surface of the ground
means beneath the ground surface or otherwise covered with earthen materials.
benthic region
the bottom layer of a body of water.
benthos
the plants and animals that inhabit the bottom of a water body.
BEP
Black Employment Program.
beryllium
a metal that can be hazardous to human health when inhaled. It is discharged by machine shops, ceramic and propellant plants, and foundries.
beta particle
an elementary particle emitted by radioactive decay that may cause skin burns. It is halted by a thin sheet of metal.
BG
Billion Gallons.
BIA
Bureau of Indian Affairs.
BID
Buoyancy Induced Dispension.
BIF
boilers and industrial furnaces; category of thermal treatment operations whose combustion processes and air emissions were unregulated under RCRA Subpart O until 1991; includes cement and lightweight aggregate kilns, asphalt and smelting furnaces, and industrial boilers and furnaces.
BIO-1
Biocide-Restricted - Cooling Water Treatment (ETUS).
BIO-2
Biocide-Restricted - Cooling Water Treatment (ETUS).
BIO-3
Biocide-Restricted - Cooling Water Treatment (ETUS).
BIO-4
Biocide-Restricted - Cooling Water Treatment (ETUS).
BIO-5
Biocide-Restricted - Cooling Water Treatment (ETUS).
bioassay
using living organisms to measure the effect of a substance, factor, or condition.
bioaugmentation
addition of microbial populations or strains to indigenous populations to speed destruction of contaminants during bioremediation or biotreatment.
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
amount of oxygen in milligrams per liter used by microorganisms to consume biodegradable organics in wastewater under aerobic conditions. See also BOD(5).
biocide
a chemical used to control the population of troublesome microbes. Pesticide.
bioconcentration
The build-up of a chemical in plants and animals to levels above what is found in the surroundings.
biodegradable
any substance that decomposes quickly through the action of microorganisms.
biodegradability
susceptibility of a substance to decomposition by microorganisms; specifically, the rate at which compounds may be chemically broken down by bacteria and/or natural environmental factors.
BIO-DISP
Bio Disperse - Cooling Water Treatment.
biological additives
means microbiological cultures, enzymes, or nutrient additives that are deliberately introduced into an oil discharge for the specific purpose of encouraging biodegradation to mitigate the effects of the discharge.
biological control
using means other than chemicals to control pests, such as predatory organisms, sterilization, or inhibiting hormones.
biological magnification
the concentration of certain substances up a food chain. A very important mechanism in concentrating pesticides and heavy metals in organisms such as fish.
biological monitoring
periodic examination of body substances, such as blood or urine, to determine the extent of hazardous material absorption as opposed to mere exposure.
biological oxidation
the way that bacteria and microorganisms feed on and decompose complex organic materials. Used in self-purification of water bodies and activated sludge wastewater treatment.
biomass
the amount of living matter in a given unit of the environment.
biomonitoring
the use of living organisms to test water quality at a discharge site or downstream.
BIOPLUME
Model to Predict the Maximum Extent of Existing Plumes.
bioremediation
process using enzymatic actions of microbes to degrade contaminants.
biosphere
the portion of Earth and its atmosphere that can support life.
biostabilizer
a machine that converts solid waste into compost by grinding and aeration.
biostimulation
controlled addition of nutrients to stimulate growth and activity of microbial populations used in bioremediation or biotreatment.
biota
all living organisms of a region or system.
BIOTREAT
Biocide Extender (ETUS).
biotreatment
process of degrading contaminants in wastestreams, such as industrial wastewater by stimulating enzymatic actions of microbes.
black liquor
Kraft cooking liquor recovered from brown stock washers in the pulp mill.
blast furnace
a furnace producing iron from ore by reduction with coke.
BLM
Bureau of Land Management.
BLOB
Biologically Liberated Organo-Beasties.
bloom
a proliferation of algae and/or higher aquatic plants in a body of water, often related to pollution.
blowdown
the withdrawal of water from an evaporating water system to maintain a solids balance within specified limits of concentration of those solids.
BLS
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
BMPs
Best Management Practices.
BMR
Baseline Monitoring Report.
BNA
Base Neutral/Acid.
BNA
Bureau of National Affairs.
BOD
Biological Oxygen Demand.
BOD
biochemical oxygen demand of a water, being the oxygen required by bacteria for oxidation of the soluble organic matter under controlled test conditions.
BOD(5)
five-day biochemical oxygen demand is the quantity of oxygen used by bacteria in consuming organic matter in a sample of wastewater over a five-day period. BOD from the standard five-day test equals about two-thirds of the total BOD. See also biochemical oxygen demand.
body burden
the total toxic material a person has ingested or inhaled from all sources over time. E.G., lead can be inhaled from gasoline engine exhaust and ingested from drinking water channeled through lead-soldered pipes, lead glazes on dishes, or flakes from painted surfaces, as well as from a variety of industrial operations.
BOF
Basic Oxygen Furnace.
bog
wet, spongy land usually poorly drained, highly acid and rich in plant residue, the result of lake eutrophication.
boiling point, BP
the temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the surrounding atmospheric pressure so that the liquid rapidly becomes a vapor. Flammable materials with low BP's generally present special fire hazards. E.g., butane, BP = 31 degrees F; gasoline, BP = 100 degrees F. For mixtures, a range of temperatures is given.
BOM
Bureau of Mines.
bonding
a safety practice where two objects (tanks, cylinders, etc.) are interconnected with clamps and wire. This equalizes the electrical potential between the objects and helps prevent static sparks that can ignite flammable materials. See Grounding.
boom
a floating device used to contain oil on a body of water.
BORON-XX
Boron Remover Reagent (ETUS).
botanical pesticide
a plant-produced chemical used to control pests; for example nicotine or strychnine.
BOYSNC
Beginning-Of-Year Significant Non-Compliers.
BPCT
Best Practicable Control Technology.
BPHE
Baseline Public Health Evaluation.
BPJ
Best Professional Judgment.
BPT
Best Practicable Technology.
BPT
Best Practicable Treatment.
BRA
Baseline Risk Assessment.
brackish water
a mixture of fresh and salt water.
BRB
Be Right Back.
bradycardia
a slow heartbeat with pulse rate below 60/minute.
breakthrough
see End Point.
breeder
a nuclear reactor that produces more fuel than it consumes.
brine
a salt solution, generally sodium chloride. A strong solution of salt(s), such as the sodium chloride brine used in the regeneration of ion exchange water softeners, but also applied to the mixed sodium, calcium and magnesium chloride waste solution from regeneration.
British Anti-Lewisite
See BAL.
broadcast application
in pesticides, to spread a chemical over an entire area.
broke
Trim or excess sheet from paper manufacture returned to a pulping device for recovery.
bronchitis
Inflammation of the larger air passages of the lungs.It may be caused by disease or physical or chemical irritants.Symptoms are generally that of a chest cold and may include in addition chestpain and coughing. EXAMPLE LAY LANGUAGES: Inflammation of lungs.
BSO
Benzene Soluble Organics.
BS&W (bottom sediment and water)
a measure of oil quality based on the volume percent of sediment and water than can be centrifuged from a sample.
BTU
British thermal unit. The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of HàO from 63 degrees F to 64 degrees F.See Calorie.
BTW
By The Way.
buddy system
refers to a system where all personnel entering the Hot Zone work at a minimum in pairs to assure their safety.
buffer
a substance in solution which accepts hydrogen ions or hydroxyl ions added to the solution as acids or alkalies, minimizing a change in pH.
buffer strips
strips of grass or other erosion-resisting vegetation between or below cultivated strips or fields.
buffer zone
refers to an area adjacent to a restricted zone, to which personnel may enter, but for which protective measures are recommended to minimize exposure to hazardous materials.
BUG-OUT
Sanitary Sludge Treatment (ETUS).
bulk density
The measured density/volume ratio for a solid including or not corrected for the voids contained in the bulk of material, in lb/cubic foot or kg/cubic meter.
bulking
Production of a light, fluffy biomass, usually due to the presence of filamentous organisms.
BUN
Blood Urea Nitrogen.
burial ground (graveyard)
a disposal site for unwanted radioactive materials that uses earth or water for a shield.
burning agents
means those additives that, through physical or chemical means, improve the combustibility of the materials to which they are applied.
burning rate
The time it takes a sample of solid material to burn a prescribed distance. The results are given in units of distance/time.
BY
Budget Year.
