Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability
Act
COC
Contaminant of Concern
CREG
Cancer Risk Evaluation Guide
CSF
Cancer Slope Factor
CPF
Cancer Potency Factor
DOD
Department of Defense
DOH
Washington State Department of Health
DNTs
2,4 and 2,6-Dinitrotoluene
Ecology
Washington State Department of Ecology
EMEG
Environmental Media Evaluation Guide
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
HARM
Hazard Assessment Rating Methodology
IRP
Installation Restoration Program
LOAEL
Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level
LTHA
Lifetime Health Advisory
MCL
Maximum Contaminant Level
MOU
Memorandum of Understanding
MRL
Minimal Risk Level
MW
Monitoring Well
NFA
No Further Action
NOAEL
No Observed Adverse Effect Level
NPDES
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System
NPL
National Priorities List
PAH
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
PCP
Pentachlorophenol
PCB
Polychlorinated Biphenyl
PCE
Tetrachloroethylene, Perchloroethylene
PHA
Public Health Assessment
PHAP
Public Health Action Plan
ppb
parts per billion
ppm
parts per million
RCRA
Resource, Conservation and Recovery Act
RDX
Royal Demolition Explosive
RfD
Oral Reference Dose
RI/FS
Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study
RMEG
Reference Media Evaluation Guide
ROD
Record of Decision
SARA
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986
SMS
Washington State Sediment Management Standards
SVOC
Semi-Volatile Organic Chemical
TCE
Trichloroethylene
TNT
2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene
TPH
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
trans-1,2-DCE
trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene
ug/dl
micrograms per deciliter
VOC
Volatile Organic Compounds
GLOSSARY
Acute:
Occurring over a short time, usually a few minutes or hours. An acute exposure can result in short-term or long-term health effects. An acute effect happens a short time (up to 1 year) after exposure.
Air Sparging:
Process designed to clean up volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater by forcing air into the contaminated groundwater which forces the VOCs up to the surface where they are released to the air.
Air Stripping:
Process by which volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are removed from soil or water by movement of air through the material causing the VOCs to evaporate more readily.
Ambient:
Surrounding. For example, ambient air is usually outdoor air (as opposed to indoor air).
Aquifer:
Water-bearing rock or rock formation located bvvxeneath the ground surface.
Background Level:
A typical or average level of a chemical in the environment. Background often refers to naturally occurring substances but can include contaminants so widespread in the environment so that no specific source is apparent.
Bedrock:
A general term for the rock that underlies the overburden.
Bedrock aquifer:
Sub-surface water-bearing area in which the water is contained in and moves through fractures (cracks) in the bedrock.
Carcinogen:
Any substance that may produce cancer.
Chronic:
Occurring over a long period of time (more than 1 year).
Concentration:
The amount of one substance dissolved or contained in a given amount of another. For example, sea water contains a higher concentration of salt than fresh water.
Contaminant:
Any substance or material that enters a system (e.g., the environment, human body, food, etc.) where it is not normally found.
Dermal contact:
Contact with the skin. Refers to absorption through the skin as a route of exposure.
Dose:
The amount of substance to which a person is exposed. Dose often takes body weight into account.
Downgradient:
Refers to a location toward which groundwater will flow.
Environmental Media:
Groundwater surface water, air, soil sediment and biota.
Environmental Transport:
Movement of contaminants from the source to points where human exposure can occur.
Exposure:
Contact with a chemical by swallowing, breathing, or direct contact (such as through the skin or eyes). Exposure may be short term (acute) or long term (chronic).
Exposure Pathway:
An exposure pathway is the process by which an individual is exposed to contaminants that originate from some source of contamination. It consists of five elements: 1) Source of Contamination, 2) Environmental Media/Transport, 3) Point of Exposure, 4) Route of Expoxsure and 5) Receptor Population.
Groundwater:
Water contained in the spaces between soil and rock below the water table. This water can be in overburden (shallow) aquifers or in bedrock aquifers.
Ingestion:
Swallowing (such as eating or drinking). Chemicals can get into or on food, drink, utensils, cigarettes, or hands where they can then be ingested. After ingestion, chemicals can be absorbed into the blood and distributed throughout the body.
Inhalation:
Part of the breathing process. Exposure can occur by inhaling contaminants which can then be deposited in the lungs, taken into the blood, or both.
Lagoon:
A man-made pond designed to receive wastewater from a drainage system.
Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level (LOAEL):
The LOAEL is the lowest dose at which an adverse health effect is seen in a particular study. The LOAEL is often used to derive MRLs and RfDs.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL):
The MCL is a regulatory limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for contaminants in drinking water. If an MCL is exceeded, regulatory action is required under the Safe Drinking Water Act. MCLs are not always strictly health based but can consider technological or economic feasibility.
Media:
Soil, water, air, plants, animals, or any other parts of the environment that can contain contaminants.
Minimal Risk Level (MRL):
Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) are levels of chemical exposure below which non-cancer effects are not expected. MRLs are derived by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. An MRL is derived by dividing a LOAEL or NOAEL by "safety factors" to account for uncertainty and provide added health protection.
National Priorities List (NPL):
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) listing of sites that have undergone preliminary assessment and site inspection to determine which locations pose an immediate threat to persons living or working near the release. These sites are most in need of cleanup.
National Toxicology Program (NTP):
NTP conducts toxicological testing on those substances most frequently found at sites on the National Priorities List of the EPA, and which also have the greatest potential for human exposure.
No Apparent Public Health Hazard
A conclusion category used when human exposure to contaminated media is occurring or has occurred in the past, but the exposure is below a level of health hazard.
No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL):
The NOAEL is the highest dose from a study that did not find any adverse health effects. The NOAEL is often used to derive MRLs and RfDs.
No Public Health Hazard:
A conclusion category used when data indicate that no current, past or potential future exposure exists and therefore no health hazard.
Oral Reference Dose (RfD):
Oral Reference Doses (RfDs) are levels of chemical exposure, derived by the Environmental Protection Agency, below which non-cancer effects are not expected. An RfD is derived by dividing a LOAEL or NOAEL by "safety factors" to account for uncertainty and provide added health protection.
Ordnance:
Military ammunition containing explosive materials.
Plume:
An area of chemicals in a particular medium, such as air or groundwater, moving away from its source in a long band or column. A plume can be a column of smoke from a chimney or chemicals moving with groundwater.
Point of Exposure:
A location of potential or actual human contact with a contaminated medium (e.g., drinking water well, residential yard, playground, ect..)
Potential/Indeterminate Public Health Hazard:
A conclusion category used when no conclusions about public health hazard can be made because environmental and/or toxicological data are lacking.
Public Availability Session:
An informal, drop-by meeting at which community members can meet one-on-one with state health department and ATSDR staff members to discuss health and site-related concerns.
Public Health Assessment:
The evaluation of data and information on the release of hazardous substances into the environment in order to assess any current or future impact on public health, develop health advisories or other recommendations, and identify studies or actions needed to evaluate and mitigate or prevent human health effects; also, the document resulting from that evaluation.
Public Health Hazard:
Sites that pose a public health hazard as the result of long-term exposures to hazardous substances.
Soil Bioventing:
Process designed to clean-up contaminated soil through oxygen enrichment. The added oxygen increases microbial activity and speeds up the degradation of the soil contaminants.
Receptor Population:
Persons who are exposed or potentially exposed to the contaminants of concern at a point of exposure.
Risk:
In risk assessment, the probability that something will cause injury, combined with the potential severity of that injury.
Route of Exposure:
The way in which a person may contact a chemical substance. For example, drinking (ingestion) and bathing (skin contact) are two different routes of exposure to contaminants that may be found in water.
Source:
Origin of a contaminant release into the environment, or, if the source is unknown, the environmental media through which contaminants are presented at a point of exposure.
Superfund:
Another name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), which created ATSDR.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):
Substances that easily become vapors or gases and contain carbon and different proportions of other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, sulfur, or nitrogen. Many VOCs are commonly used as solvents (paint thinners, lacquer thinner, degreasers, and dry cleaning fluids).
