.
| A | |
| Abatement | To stop some action or activity
from continuing to occur. For example a county health director may have the power to abate
a public health nuisance by stopping citizens from dumping garbage in the front yards of their own residences. See also Injunction.24 |
| Absorption | The uptake of water or dissolved chemicals by a cell or an organism (as tree roots absorb dissolved nutrients in the soil).19 |
| Adsorption | * The process by which
chemicals are held on the surface of a mineral or soil particle (compare with Absorption).19 * Retention of a substance by soil particles.10 |
| Aeration | Creating contact between air and a liquid in the air, bubbling air through the liquid, or agitating the liquid to promote surface absorption.15 |
| Aerobic | In the presence of or requiring oxygen.10,11 |
| Aerobic Bacteria | Bacteria that require free elemental oxygen for their growth. Oxygen in chemical combination will not support aerobic organisms.15 |
| Aerobic Composting | Composting environment characterized by bacteria active in the presence of oxygen (aerobes); generates more heat and is a faster process than anaerobic composting.1 |
| Aerobic Lagoon | See Lagoon. |
| Agitation | The remixing of liquid and settled solids.15 |
| Agricultural Cost Share Program | See Cost Sharing. |
| Agriculture | The science, art, and business of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock useful to man.18 |
| Agronomy | The science of crop production and soil management.21 |
| Algae | Microscopic plants which contain chlorophyll and live floating or suspended in water. They also may be attached to structures, rocks or other submerged surfaces. They are food for fish and small aquatic animals. Excess algal growths can impart tastes and odors to potable water. Algae produce oxygen during sunlight hours and use oxygen during the night hours. Their biological activities appreciably affect the pH and dissolved oxygen of the water.19 |
| Algal Bloom | A large, visible mass of algae found in bodies of water such as lakes or estuaries. Blooms occur most often during warm weather, but may also occur at other times of the year. Color ranges from green to red.11 |
| Ambient | Surrounding, as in the surrounding environment. The medium surrounding or contacting an organism (e.g., a person), such as outdoor air, indoor air, water, or soil, through which chemicals or pollutants can be carried and can reach the organism.9 |
| Ambient Monitoring | Performed to determine existing environmental conditions or contaminant levels in the environment, against which future conditions can be compared.10 |
| Ammonia | A pungent alkaline gas, a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3). It is formed naturally when bacteria decompose nitrogen-containing compounds, such as manures. Emissions of ammonia can be a problem in enclosed livestock facilities, and in the ambient air they may contribute to very fine particulate matter. Synthetic ammonia is used as a nitrogen fertilizer. Also called anhydrous ammonia, it is the basic feed stock for the production of all nitrogen fertilizers as well as being a direct application material. Synthetic ammonia is made through a reaction between natural gas and nitrogen.14 |
| Amortization | The process of paying off a debt liability and accrued interest through a series of equal, periodic payments.20 |
| Anaerobic (Anoxic) | In the absence of oxygen.10, 11 |
| Anaerobic Bacteria | Bacteria not requiring the presence of free or dissolved oxygen for metabolism. Strict anaerobes are hindered by dissolved oxygen and sometimes by highly oxidized substances, such as sodium nitrates, nitrites, and perhaps sulfates.15 |
| Anaerobic Composting | Composting environment characterized by bacteria active in the absence of oxygen (anaerobes).1 |
| Anaerobic Lagoon | See Lagoon. |
| Animal Feeding Operation | Defined by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency as a lot or facility where: 1. animals are kept 45 days of the year or more 2. structures or animal traffic prevents vegetative growth.13 |
| Animal Unit | A standard measure, based on feed requirements, used to combine various classes of livestock according to size, weight, age, and use. For federal lands, an animal unit represents one mature cow, bull, steer, heifer, horse, mule, or five sheep, or five goats, all over six months of age. An animal unit month is the amount of forage needed to sustain one animal unit, or its equivalent, for one month. Grazing fees for federal lands are charged by animal unit months or head-months.14 |
| Aquaculture | The production of aquatic plants or animals in a controlled environment.21 |
| Aquifer | * Water-bearing formation of
rock or soil that will yield useable supplies of water. May be classified as confined or
unconfined.10 * An underground geological formation, or group of formations, containing usable amounts of groundwater that can supply wells or springs for domestic, industrial, and irrigation uses. Removing more groundwater from an aquifer than is naturally replenished is called overdrafting, and can result in a dropping water table, increased pumping costs, land subsidence (which reduces the future recharge capacity), saltwater intrusion, reduced streamflows in interconnected ground- and surface-water systems, and exhaustion of groundwater reserves. Overdrafting groundwater occurs primarily in the Plains States and the West.14 |
| Artesian (Flowing) Aquifer | Aquifer in which water is held under pressure by confining layers, forcing water to rise in wells above the top of the aquifer.10 |
| Assimilative Capacity | * Natural ability of soil and
water to use and decompose potential pollutants without harmful effects to the
environment.10 * The amount of pollutants that a water body may absorb while maintaining corresponding water quality standards, including protection of aquatic life and human health.11 * The ability of a body of water to cleanse itself; its capacity to receive wastewaters or toxic materials without deleterious effects and without damage to aquatic life or humans who consume the water.14 |
| Available Nitrogen | Amount of nitrogen present as either nitrate or ammonium, forms which can be readily taken up by plants.10 |
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| B | |
| Backwashing | The process of reversing the flow of water back through the filter media to remove the entrapped solids.19 |
| Bacteria | * Microscopic one-celled
organisms which live everywhere and perform a variety of functions. While decomposing
organic matter in water, bacteria can greatly reduce the amount of oxygen in the water.10,11 * A group of essentially one cell microscopic organisms lacking chlorophyll. Bacteria are usually regarded as plants.15 |
| Baseflow | The amount of water in a stream that results from groundwater discharge.11 |
| Benefit-Cost Analysis | See Cost-Benefit Analysis. |
| Best Management Practice (BMP) | * Structural or managerial
technique recognized as the most effective and practical means of controlling pollution
for an agricultural, urban, forested, or mining area.10 * A structural or nonstructural method, activity, maintenance procedure, or other management practice used singularly or in combination to reduce nonpoint source inputs to receiving waters in order to achieve water quality protection goals. Examples include animal waste management systems, conservation tillage systems, vegetated filter strips, etc.11 * A conservation practice or combination of practices designed to maintain agricultural productivity while reducing point- and nonpoint-source water pollution. State water quality agencies (or their designees) determine BMPs to fit local conditions and to make the most efficient use of natural resources and purchased inputs.14 |
| Bioaccumulation | *Bioaccumulation is the process
by which chemicals concentrate in an organism. For example, DDT concentrates in fish and
birds that eat fish. This concentration effect is expressed as the ratio of the
concentration of the chemical in an organism (like a fish) to its concentration in the
surrounding medium (usually water). Bioaccumulation refers to the uptake of chemicals both
from water (bioconcentration) and from ingested food and sediment.9
* The absorption and storage of toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and certain pesticides in plants and animals. For example, lead that is ingested by calves can bioaccumulate in their bones, interfering with calcium absorption and bone development. Stored chemicals may be released to the blood stream at a later time, for example, during gestation or weight loss. Bioconcentration is a synonym for biaccumulation.14 |
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) | * Laboratory measurement of the
amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms while decomposing organic matter in a product.
BOD levels are indicative of the effect of the waste on fish or other aquatic life which
require oxygen to live, and though not a specific compound, it is defined as a
conventional pollutant under the Federal Clean Water Act.10 * A measure of the amount of oxygen consumed in five days due to natural, biological processes that break down organic matter, such as those that take place when manure or sawdust is put in water. High levels of oxygen-demanding wastes in waters deplete dissolved oxygen (DO), thereby endangering aquatic life. Sometimes referred to as biological oxygen demand.14 * The quantity of oxygen used in the biochemical oxidation of organic matter in a specified time, at a specified temperature, and under specified conditions. A standard test used in assessing wastewater strength.15 |
| Biodegradation | The destruction of mineralization of natural or synthetic organic materials by microorganisms.15 |
| Biodegradeable | Capable of being broken down (decomposed) by microorganisms.10 |
| Biodiversity (or Biological Diversity) | * The variety of life and its
processes. It includes the variety of living organisms, the genetic differences among them
and the communities and ecosystems in which they occur.21 * In general, the variety and variation among plants, animals, and microorganisms, and among their ecosystems. It has three levels: ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic (within species) diversity. The concept of maintaining biodiversity holds that civilization should preserve the greatest possible number of existing species so that a highly diverse genetic pool, which can be tapped for useful and beneficial characteristics, will be available into the future. Genetic diversity provides resources for genetic resistance to pests and diseases. In agriculture, biodiversity is a production system characterized by the presence of multiple plant and/or animal species, as contrasted with the genetic specialization of monoculture.14 |
| Biological Control | The practice of using beneficial natural organisms to attack and control harmful plant and animal pests and weeds is called biological control, or biocontrol. This can include introducing predators, parasites, and disease organisms, or releasing sterilized individuals. Biocontrol methods may be an alternative or complement to chemical pest control methods. Biocontrol is part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service program to control several economically important pests of food and fiber crops; it also is researched and used by other USDA agencies that promote integrated pest management.14 |
| Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) | The amount of oxygen required by aerobic biological processes to break down the organic matter in water. BOD is a measure of the pollutional strength of biodegradeable waste on dissolved oxygen in water.11 (see also Biochemical Oxygen Demand) |
| Biomass | The generic term for any living matter that can be converted into usable energy through biological or chemical processes. It encompasses feedstocks such as agricultural crops and their residues, animal wastes, wood, wood residues and grasses, and municipal wastes.14 |
| Biosolids | * The solid, slime-solid, or
liquid residue generated during the treatment of (domestic) sewage in a wastewater
treatment facility. The definition also includes a material derived from biosolids (i.e.
biosolids to compost).1 * The processed solids that have been separated from the liquid portion of municipal wastewater during treatment.2 |
| Biosolids Composting | The process involving the aerobic biological degradation or bacterial conversion of dewatered biosolids that works to produce compost that can be used as a soil amendment or conditioner.1 |
| Biotechnology | The use of technology, based on living systems, to develop products for commercial and other purposes. Examples include plant regeneration and gene manipulation and transfer. 21 |
| Blue Baby Syndrome | See Methemoglobinemia. |
| Boar | A replacement boar is any intact (uncastrated) male pig intended for use in the breeding herd, but which has not yet been used for breeding. A service boar is any boar that is being, or has been, used for breeding purposes.22 |
| Bona-Fide Farm | An agricultural operation that by law is considered to be a farm for regulatory purposes. Bona-fide farms may include swine farm operations or greenhouses and nurseries. Many states' laws prohibit local governments from prohibiting the existence or activities of bona-fide farms within their jurisdiction or within designated agricultural areas. See also Right-To-Farm.24 |
| Breeder | An individual or company who is the owner of the sow at the time she was mated or bred to produce a litter of pigs.22 |
| Buffer | Area adjacent to a shoreline, wetland, or stream where development is restricted or limited.5 |
| Buffer Zone | Neutral area which acts as a protective barrier separating two conflicting forces. An area which acts to minimize the impact of pollutants on the environment or public welfare. For example, a buffer zone is established between a composting facility and neighboring residents to minimize odor problems.10 |
| By-product | Material, other than the intended product, generated as a result of an industrial process.17 |
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| C | |
| Carbon-to-Nitrogen Ratio (C:N ratio) | Ratio representing the quantity of carbon (C) in relation to the quantity of nitrogen (N) in a soil or organic material. It serves to indicate product quality.1 |
| Castings | Manure, i.e., excretion, of earthworms. Earthworm castings are high in nutrients for plants and microorganisms.12 |
| Carrying Capacity | The maximum stocking rate for livestock possible without damaging vegetation or related resources. Carrying capacity may vary from year to year on the same area, due to fluctuating forage production. Used by the government in decisions about how much livestock will be allowed on an allotment on public lands.14 |
| Census of Agriculture | A count taken of the number of farms, land in farms, crop acreage, production information, farm value and farm products. The census is taken every five years.21 |
| Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) | * Laboratory measurement of the
amount of oxygen used in chemical reactions that occur in water as a result of the
addition of wastes. A major objective of conventional wastewater treatment is to reduce
the chemical and biochemical oxygen demand.10 * The amount of oxygen utilized in the chemical reactions that occur in water as a result of the addition of wastes. COD is a measure of the pollutional strength of chemical waste on dissolved oxygen in water.11 * Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a measure of the oxygen consumed when organic matter is broken down chemically rather than naturally. COD can be determined much more quickly than BOD and more accurately reflects the amount of organic matter in a water sample.14 |
| Clean Air Act | The primary federal law governing efforts to control air pollution. Federal legislation addressing air pollution was first adopted in 1955 (Air Pollution Control Act, P.L. 84-159) research and technical assistance. Subsequent amendments, most notably the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 (P.L. 91-604), 1977 (P.L. 95-95), and 1990 (P.L. 101-549), strengthened the federal role. The Clean Air Act seeks to protect human health and the environment from emissions that pollute the air. EPA is required to establish minimum National Standards Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), while states are assigned primary responsibility for developing compliance. Areas not meeting the standards (nonattainment areas) are required to implement specific control measures. There is no direct federal regulation of agriculture under the Clean Air Act. Two of the NAAQS (for particulates and ozone) could affect agriculture: particulates, because certain agricultural practices, such as prescribed burning and tilling, create airborne particles that might be targeted for control in State Implementation Plans; and ozone, because concentrations of ozone above the standard can adversely affect crop yields. Ozone is formed in the atmosphere when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (from manufacturing, transportation, and utilities) react in the presence of sunlight (agriculture rarely if ever represents significant sources of ozone precussors).14 |
| Clean Water Act | * This is the principal law
governing pollution of the nation's rivers, lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters.
Originally enacted in 1948 as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (P.L. 80-845), it
was totally revised by amendments in 1972 that gave the Act its current name and shape
(P.L. 92-500). The objective of the Act is the restoration and maintenance of the
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. The Act is
implemented by the EPA in partnership with state and local governments. Programs in the
Act have been primarily directed at managing point source pollution (wastes discharged
from industrial facilities, sewage treatment plants, and municipal storm sewer systems).
Agricultural activities have been less of a focus, but some may be affected by the Clean
Water Act. Large confined animal feeding operations are treated like industrial sources
and are subject to permit requirements. Programs to manage nonpoint source pollution
(rainfall runoff from farms, rangelands, forests, etc.) may affect agriculture. A program
in the Act that regulates discharges of dredged and fill material into wetlands (Section
404) requires permits for activities on agricultural wetlands.14
* Federal legislation administered by the U.S. EPA that serves as the primary means of protecting and regulating the surface water quality of the United States. The goal of this legislation is to eliminate the discharge of contaminants into United States waters and to achieve a level of water quality capable of supporting propagation of fish and wildlife and water-based recreation.11 |
| Coagulation | The clumping together of very fine particles into larger particles caused by the use of chemicals (coagulants). The chemicals neutralize the electrical charges of the fine particles and cause destabilization of the particles. This clumping together makes it easier to separate the solids from the water by settling, skimming, draining, or filtering.19 |
| Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) | State legislation that requires local land use plans to be developed and adopted by individual counties and municipalities in North Carolina's twenty-county coastal area. Land use plans must be in accordance with standards adopted by the North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission.11 |
| Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program (Section 6217) | The portion of the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) that requires states with approved coastal zone management programs to develop Non-point Pollution Control Programs. These coastal nonpoint programs will build on existing coastal management and nonpoint source pollution programs designed to reduce and prevent coastal water quality problems.11 |
| Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments (CZARA) | Legislation enacted by Congress in 1990 to reauthorize the Coastal Zone Management Act. The CZARA includes requirements for states with approved coastal zone management programs to develop coastal nonpoint pollution control programs.11 |
| Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) | A federal program designed to encourage environmentally responsible development through long-range planning and the establishment of clear, enforceable standards for growth and land use in coastal areas.11 |
| Coastal Zone Management Program | P.L. 92-583 (October 27, 1972) created the Coastal Zone Management Program in 1972 to provide grants to eligible states and territories as an incentive to prepare and implement plans guiding the use of coastal lands and resources. Amendments in 1990 require participants to develop nonpoint pollution programs. These programs must specify and implement management measures to restore and protect coastal waters. For agriculture, management measures are specified for erosion, sediments, nutrients, pesticides, grazing, and animal waste. Participants must implement these management measures after they have been approved by whatever means necessary, including regulation. Federal approval of state proposals is pending.14 |
| Coliform Bacteria | Microorganisms which typically inhabit the intestines of warm-blooded animals. They are commonly measured in drinking water analyses to indicate pollution by human or animal waste.10 |
| Compliance | To legally abide by all laws, regulations, ordinances enforced by federal, state, and local governments as well as court orders.24 |
| Composting | Controlled microbial degradation of organic waste yielding an environmentally sound product with value as a soil amendment.10 |
| Composting | * A natural biological process
that accelerates the breakdown of waste materials.3 * The controlled biological degradation of organic material.3 * A biological process in which organic matter is degraded to a relatively stable humus like material.4 * An accelerated biooxidation of organic matter passing through a thermophilic stage (45º to 65ºC) where microorganisms (mainly bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes) liberate heat, carbon dioxide and water. The heterogeneous organic material is transformed into a homogeneous and stabilized humus like product through turning or aeration.7 * The controlled biological decomposition of organic material, such as sewage sludge, animal manures, or crop residues, in the presence of air to form a humus-like material. Controlled methods of composting include mechanical mixing and aerating, ventilating the materials by dropping them through a vertical series of aerated chambers, or placing the compost in piles out in the open air and mixing it or turning it periodically.14 * The aerobic decomposition of organic wastes to a relatively stable humus subject to further, slower decay but sufficiently stable not to reheat or cause odor or fly problems.15 |
| Compound | A substance composed of two or more elements whose composition is constant. For example, table salt (sodium chloride - NaCl) is a compound.19 |
| Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) | See Superfund.10 |
| Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) | A CNMP identifies actions or priorities that will be followed to meet clearly defined nutrient management goals at an agricultural operation.23 |
| Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) | Generally, a facility where large numbers of farm animals are confined, fed, and raised, such as dairy and beef cattle feedlots, hog production facilities, and closed poultry houses. EPA has developed a specific regulatory definition of CAFO for the purposes of enforcing the Clean Water Act. The Act requires individual places that are potential sources of water pollution to obtain point source discharge permits that specify the allowable levels of effluent from each of these places. The EPA regulations define 'animal feeding operations' as those confining livestock or poultry for 45 days or more in a 12-month period in a facility that has no vegetative ground cover. Such places are further considered 'concentrated,' and therefore required to have an EPA permit, if they reach certain size limits or meet other criteria specified in the EPA regulations. Those size limits are 700 mature dairy cattle, 1,000 beef cattle, 100,000 chickens, 55,000 turkeys, 2,500 swine, or 10,000 sheep.14 |
| Confined Aquifer | Water-bearing formation whose upper boundary is a layer which does not transmit water readily.10 |
| Conservation | Preserving and renewing natural resources to assure their highest economic or social benefit over the longest period of time. Clean rivers and lakes, wilderness areas, a diverse wildlife population, healthy soil, and clean air are natural resources worth conserving for future generations.17 |
| Conservation Tillage | Any of several farming methods that provide for seed germination, plant growth and weed control, yet maintain effective ground cover throughout the year and disturb the soil as little as possible. The aim is to reduce soil loss and energy use while maintaining crop yields and quality.21 |
| Contaminant | * Any physical, chemical,
biological, or radiological substance causing an impurity in the environment.10
* Any substance or material in a system (the environment, the human body, food, etc.) where it is not normally found; or, a substance in a system where it is naturally occurring , but found in an unusually high concentration.9 |
| Corrosive | Capable of eating away materials and destroying living tissue on contact.10 |
| Cost-Benefit Analysis | A quantitative evaluation of the costs which would be incurred versus the overall benefits to society of a proposed action such as the establishment of an acceptable dose of a toxic chemical.19 |
| Cost Sharing | * A publicly financed program
through which society, as the beneficiary of environment protection, shares part of the
cost of pollution control with those who must actually install the controls.19 * A state pro gram designed to accelerate the implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) on agricultural operations to reduce the input of agricultural non-point source pollution into waters of the state. In North Carolina, this program, administered by the North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation, reimburses farmers for up to 75 percent of the installation cost of approved BMPs and also provides incentive payments for management changes that improve water quality.11 |
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| D | |
| Decomposition | Breaking down into component parts or basic elements.10 |
| Decomposition Gases | Produced in the breakdown of garbage or other material. Some, such as methane, are flammable.10 |
| Deep-Pit System | System with a concrete floor and masonry or concrete side walls, constructed 2-6 feet below the ground. The cages are built 8 feet or more above the pit floor. Because the pit is built below ground level, care must be taken to insure that surface and ground water are not contaminated. Foundation drains and external grading to direct surface water away help to keep manure dry, so that natural composting might occur. The most important benefit of the deep- pit is that manure can be stored for several months or more.13 |
| Degradable | Capable of being chemically reduced or broken down.10 |
| Denitrification | Biochemical conversion of nitrate (NO3) to nitrite (NO2), ammonia (NH3), and free nitrogen (N), as in soil by microorganisms.10 |
| Digestion | Commonly, the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter in water solution or suspension into simpler or more biologically stable compounds, or both. Organic matter may be decomposed to soluble organic acids or alcohols and then to gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. Bacterial action alone cannot complete destruction of organic solid materials.15 |
| Discharge | * Flow of surface water in a
stream or the flow of ground water from a spring, ditch, or flowing artesian well.10 * In water resources, the term refers to the flow of surface water in a stream or canal or the outflow of ground water from a flowing artisan well, ditch, or spring. In environmental protection, the term is used synonymously with effluent or emission as a term of point source pollution release.14 * The release of any waste into the environment from a point source. Usually refers to the release of a liquid waste into a body of water through an outlet such as a pipe, but also refers to air emissions.17 |
| Disposal | The discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste or hazardous waste into the environment (land, surface water, ground water, and air).17 |
| Dissolved Oxygen (DO) | The oxygen freely available in water, vital to fish and other aquatic life and necessary for the prevention of odors in water. DO levels are a critical indicator of a waterbody's ability to support desirable aquatic life. Secondary and advanced wastewater treatments are generally designed to ensure adequate DO in waste-receiving waters by removing, digesting, or oxidizing oxygen-demanding wastes (see biological oxygen demand).14 |
| Diversion Rate | Measure of the amount of waste material being diverted for recycling compared with the total amount previously thrown away.10 |
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| E | |
| E. Coli | See Escherichia Coli. |
| Ecological Risk Assessment | A process used to estimate how likely it is that there will be adverse effects on plants or animals from exposure to chemicals (or to other potential stress, such as the draining of a wetland). The process includes problem formulation, characterization of exposure, characterization of ecological effects, and risk characterization.9 |
| Ecology | The study of the relationships between all living organisms and the environment, especially the totality or pattern of interactions; a view that includes all plant and animal species and their unique contributions to a particular habitat.17 |
| Economics | * The study of optimal resource
allocation to maximize the welfare of people. * Science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of commodities.18 * A social science that studies the allocation of limited resources to the production of goods and services used to satisfy consumer's unlimited wants and needs.20 |
| Economies of Size | The concept that the average cost of production per unit declines as the size of the operation grows. One reason farms have been growing in size is to make more economical use of machines capable of covering more ground with less labor, to capture economies of size. Larger sized farms can typically get volume discounts on such inputs as chemicals and seed.14 |
| Ecoregion | An area of relatively homogeneous environmental conditions, usually defined by elevation, geology, and soil type. Examples include mountains, piedmont, coastal plain, sandhills and slate belt.11 |
| Ecosystem | * A community of animals and
plants and the physical environment in which they live.10,11 * A functioning community of nature that includes fauna and flora together with the chemical and physical environment with which they interact. Ecosystems vary greatly in size and characteristics; an ecosystem can be a mud puddle, a field or orchard, or a forest. An ecosystem provides a unit of biological study and can be a unit of management.14 * The interacting synergism of all living organisms in a particular environment; every plant, insect, aquatic animal, bird, or land species that forms a complex web of interdependency. An action taken at any level in the food chain, use of a pesticide for example, has a potential domino effect on every other occupant of that system.17 |
| Effluent | * The liquid that comes out of
a septic tank or other wastewater treatment system after completion of the treatment
process.5 * Discharge or emission of a liquid or gas.10 * Wastewater, treated or untreated, that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall. Generally refers to wastes discharged into surface waters.11 * A liquid leaving a container or process.15 |
| Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) | Also known as Title II of the 1986 "Superfund" Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). Requires certain manufacturers to submit annual reports documenting the amount of toxic chemicals their facilities release into the environment. EPA supplies this information to government officials and the public. Requires every community in the United States to be part of a comprehensive emergency plan.11 |
| Emission | * Waste released or emitted to
the environment. The term is commonly used in referring to discharges of gases and
particles to the atmosphere, i.e., air pollutants, and also is used in referring to
particles or energy released radioactively. Sometimes the term is used broadly,
encompassing any pollutant discharge.14 * The release or discharge of a substance into the environment. Generally refers to the release of gases or particulates into the air.17 |
| Endotoxins | A toxin produced within a microorganism and released upon destruction of the cell in which it is produced. Endotoxins can be carried by airborne dust particles at composting facilities.1 |
| Energy Recovery | Conversion of waste energy, generally through the combustion of processed or raw refuse (incineration), to produce steam.10 |
| Environment | * The sum of all the external
conditions that may act upon a living organism or community to influence its development
or existence.11 * The totality of the surrounding external conditions--biological, chemical, and physical--within which an organism, community, or object exists. The term is not exclusive in that organisms can be and usually are part of another organism's environment. Thus one can speak of the environment as that within which humankind lives, i.e., separate and external; or, one can speak of humankind as a component of the environment.14 |
| Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) | A document prepared by or for EPA which identifies and analyzes, in detail, environmental impacts of a proposed action. As a tool for decision-making, the EIS describes positive and negative effects and lists alternatives for an undertaking, such as development of a wilderness area.17 |
| Erosion | * Natural breakdown and
movement of soil and rock by water, wind, or ice. The process may be accelerated by human
activities.10 * Wearing away of rock or soil by the gradual detachment of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice, and other mechanical and chemical forces.11 * The wearing away of the land surface. Unconsolidated materials, such as soil, erode more rapidly than consolidated materials, such as rock. The most common causes of erosion are wind and moving water. The susceptibility of soil to erosion is quantified by the erosion index. Water causes sheet, rill, and gully erosion.14 * The process in which water or wind moves soil from one location to another.21 |
| Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) |
Species of coliform bacteria that inhabit intestines of people and animals.10 |
| Escherichia C 0157:H7 (E. Coli 0157:H7) | A bacterium that lives harmlessly in the intestines of animals such as cattle, reptiles, and birds. However, in humans the bacterium, which can be transmitted through foods, can cause bloody diarrhea, and also lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life threatening disease. Although other known strains of E. coli are thought to be harmless to humans, the 0157:H7 strain is particularly virulent and dangerous. It has been implicated in several major outbreaks of foodborne illness in recent years. After a 1993 outbreak in the West, caused by the consumption of undercooked hamburgers, resulted in hundreds of illnesses and several deaths, USDA began regularly testing samples of ground beef for the pathogen. USDA, as part of its new hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) rule, also now requires all meat and poultry slaughter plants to regularly test carcasses for generic E. coli (as opposed to the 0157:H7 strain) in order to verify that their sanitary systems are effectively controlling fecal contamination.14 |
| Estuary | * Coastal waters situated
between rivers and near-shore ocean waters, where tidal action and river flow mix fresh
and saltwater. Such areas include bays, sounds, mouths of rivers, salt marshes, and
lagoons.11 * Regions of interaction between rivers and near- shore ocean waters, where tidal action and river flow mix fresh and salt water. Such areas include bays, mouths of rivers, salt marshes, and lagoons. These brackish water ecosystems shelter and feed marine life, birds, and wildlife. Estuaries typically include adjoining wetlands.14 |
| Eutrophication | * From the Greek, meaning well
nourished; nutrient enrichment causing enhanced primary production in marine ecosystems
often represented by presence of algal bloom.6 * Degradation of water quality due to enrichment by nutrients primarily nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), which results in excessive plant (principally algae) growth and decay. Low dissolved oxygen in the water is a common consequence.10,11 * The process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of plant nutrients, especially nitrates or phosphates. This nutrification promotes algae growth that, when it dies, can lead to the depletion of dissolved oxygen, killing fish and other aquatic organisms. While eutrophication is a natural, slow-aging process for a body of water, human activities can greatly accelerate the process.14 |
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| F | |
| Facultative Bacteria | Bacteria that can grow in the presence, as well as the absence, of oxygen.15 |
| Farrowing | * Stage during which pigs are
born, and kept until they are weaned from the sow.13 * Production of a litter of one or more live, stillborn or mummified pigs on or after the 110th day of pregnancy (day of service is considered as day 0).22 |
| Fecal Coliform | Bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals. The presence of high numbers of fecal coliform bacteria in a water body can indicate the recent release of untreated sewage and/or the presence of animal feces. These organisms may also indicate the presence of pathogens that are harmful to humans.11 |
| Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) | Makes EPA responsible for regulating the manufacture, distribution, and use of pesticides in the United States. EPA provides North Carolina with support and oversight in enforcement of pesticide regulations and programs to train and certify pesticide applicators.11 |
| Feed Conversion (Feed Efficiency) | Units of feed consumed per unit of weight gained. Also, the production (meat, milk) per unit of feed consumed.22 |
| Fertilizer | Any organic or inorganic material which is added to soil to provide nutrients for plant growth.21 |
| Fertilizer Value | The potential worth of the plant nutrients in the wastes and available to plants when applied to soil. It is the cost of obtaining the same nutrients commercially.15 |
| Filter Strip | * Strip or area of vegetation
often situated at the edge of a field or along a waterway that is used for removing
sediment, organic matter, and other pollutants from stormwater runoff.11
* An area of vegetation, generally narrow and long, that slows the rate of runoff, allowing sediments, organic matter, and other pollutants that are being conveyed by the water to be removed. Filter strips reduce erosion and the accompanying stream pollution, and can be a best management practice.14 |
| Filtration | The process of passing a liquid through a filter to remove suspended matter.15 |
| Finishing Stage | Stage leading to and including full adulthood for swine. Pigs remain here until they reach market weight (240 to 260 pounds).13 |
| Frequency of Storm | Anticipated number of years between storms of equal intensity and/or total rainfall volume. For example, a 25-year 24-hour storm is the volume of rainfall that could be expected to occur during a 24-hour period once every 25 years on average.11 |
| Freshwater | All waters that would have a chloride ion content of less than 500 parts per million under natural conditions.11 |
| Fungicide | A pesticide used to control or destroy fungi on food or grain crops.17 |
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| G | |
| Garbage | Waste food that is thrown away, generally defined as wet food waste. The term is also used to describe all products discarded, regardless of their reusability or recyclability.10 |
| General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) | An international pact that governs much of the world trade. The agreement consists of rules of conduct in international trade, a system for resolving trade disputes and a forum for conducting multi-lateral trade discussion.21 |
| Genetic Engineering | A process of inserting new genetic information into existing cells in order to modify an organism for the purpose of changing particular characteristics.17 |
| Geographic Information System (GIS) | Computerized database system containing natural resources and land use data that can be used to analyze and display information in spatial, or map, format.10 |
| Gestation | Period of time between conception and farrowing.22 |
| Gilt | A female of swine specie less than one year of age that has not produced a litter of pigs.22 |
| Greenhouse Effect | The hypothesized warming of the Earth's atmosphere as a result of increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other gases that trap infrared radiation emitted from the earth's surface. While the increase in such gases is well documented, the effect on climate remains debatable. Estimates of the temperature effect range from zero to an increase of several degrees average global temperature by 2050; changes in temperature would affect rainfall patterns. Significant climate change would inevitably affect agricultural practices.14 |
| Groundwater | Underground water stored in aquifers. Groundwater is created by rain which soaks into the ground and flows down until it collects above an impervious zone.11 |
| Growing Stage | Stage that occurs after the piglets leave the nursery. Pigs are larger and better able to take care of themselves at this stage, so larger group pens and a less controlled environment is needed. They are kept here until they reach 120 to 140 pounds.13 |
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| H | |
| Habitat | The place where a population (e.g., human, animal, plant, microorganism) lives, characterized by physical features (e.g., desert) and/or dominant plants (e.g., deciduous forest).14 |
| Half-life | Time required for one-half of a specified substance to decompose.10 |
| Hazardous Waste | Solid, liquid, or gaseous substance which, because of its source or measurable characteristics, is classified under state or federal law as potentially dangerous and is subject to special handling, shipping, and disposal requirements.10 |
| Heavy Metals | Those metals that have high specific gravity and high atomic mass, such as lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, silver, and mercury. In sufficient concentrations, these metals are toxic to humans and aquatic life.11 |
| Herbicide | A pesticide designed to control or kill plants, weeds, or grasses. Almost 70% of all pesticide used by farmers and ranchers are herbicides. These chemicals have wide-ranging effects on non-target species (other than those the pesticide is meant to control).17 |
| Holding Pond | A storage, usually earthen, where lot runoff, lagoon effluent, and other dilute wastes are stored before final disposal. It is not designed for treatment.15 |
| Humus | * Organic materials resulting
from decay or plant or animal matter. Also referred to as compost.10
* Decomposed organic matter. Healthy soil will consist of about 3.5 to 5% of this organic matter. Humus is soft, sweet-smelling, shapeless dark and crumbly and smells like the forest floor (more correctly, the forest floor smells like humus because that is what is naturally there). It is this stage of the decomposition process, which provides nutrients for plant life. It contains about 30% each of lignin, protein, and complex sufars. It contains 3 - 5% nitrogen and 55 - 60% carbon. Humus is the slow-release food source for microorganism development. It is constantly being transformed into acids, enzymes and minerals and, therefore, must be constantly replenished for proper vegetative nutrition.12 * The dark, high carbon residue from plant decomposition. Similar residues are in composted manure and well-digested sludges.15 |
| Hydrology | Science dealing with the properties, distribution, and flow of water on or in the earth.10 |
| Hypoxia | A low oxygen condition in the water that occurs where a free flowing body of water (like a river) enters a larger body of water, resulting in the rapid growth of plankton/phytoplankton that subsequently die and, in the process, consumes large amounts of oxygen.21 |
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| I | |
| In-vessel Composting | Method in which the compost material is continuously and mechanically mixed and aerated in a large, contained area.10 |
| Incineration | The destruction of solid, liquid, or gaseous wastes by controlled burning at high temperatures. Hazardous organic compounds are converted to ash, carbon dioxide, and water. Burning destroys organics, reduces the volume of waste, and vaporizes water and other liquids the wastes may contain. The residue ash produced may contain some hazardous material, such as non-combustible heavy metals, concentrated from the original waste.17 |
| Infiltration | * Entry of water from
precipitation, irrigation, or runoff into the soil profile.10
* The process of water entering soil through the surface.15 |
| Infiltration rate | The rate at which water enters soil under a given condition, expressed as a depth of water per unit time, usually inches per hour.15 |
| Injunction | An order issued in a court of law that requires a person to do something or not do something.24 |
| Insecticide | A pesticide compound specifically used to kill or prevent the growth of insects.17 |
| Integrated Pest Management (IPM) | * A program, begun in 1972,
that aims to decrease pesticide applications by teaching farmers to use a variety of
alternative control techniques to capitalize on natural pest mortality. These techniques
include biological controls, genetic resistance, tillage, pruning, and others. Pesticide
applications are used only when preventive practices fail to keep impending crop damage
from exceeding the cost of controlling the pest with a chemical.14 * A combination of biological, cultural, and genetic pest control methods with use of pesticides as the last resort. IPM considers a targeted species' life cycle and intervenes in reproduction, growth, or development to reduce the population. Land use practices are examined for possible change; other animals, birds, or reptiles in the ecosystem are used as natural predators.17 * An integrated approach to controlling plant pests using careful monitoring of pests and weeds. It may include use of natural predators, chemical agents and crop rotations.21 |
| Integrated Solid Waste Management | Practice of using several alternative waste management techniques to manage and dispose of specific components of the municipal waste stream. Waste management alternatives include source reduction, recycling, composting, energy recovery, and landfilling.10 |
| Intensive Livestock Operation (ILO) | An animal feeding operation that is defined as intensive if it contains a number of animal units at or over set numbers of animal units established by federal and state laws. For example, if a farm contains 1,000 animal units and the state law that governs that farm defines an ILO as any farm having over 250 animal units than that farm would be an ILO.24 |
| Irrigation | Applying water (or wastewater) to land areas to supply the water (and sometimes nutrient) needs of plants. Techniques for irrigating include furrow irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, trickle (or drip) irrigation, and flooding. About 51 million acres of land are irrigated in the United States. More acres of corn are irrigated than any other crop, but only about 15% of the harvested acres. In contrast, irrigation is used for 100% of rice, 81% of orchards, 64% of vegetables, and 36% of cotton. About 40% of freshwater withdrawals in the nation are for irrigation, making agriculture the single largest user of water. Nearly half of all irrigation water withdrawals are in the western states, where in some areas competition for available supplies among uses, including base stream flow, has become controversial. Consumptive use as a percent of withdrawals is about 56% for irrigation.14 |
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| J |
| K |
| L | |
| Lagoon | * A treatment structure for
agricultural wastes. Lagoons can be aerobic, anaerobic, or facultative depending on their
loading and design, and can be used in series to produce a higher quality effluent.15 * A shallow, artificial treatment pond where sunlight, bacterial action, and oxygen work to purify wastewater; a stabilization pond. An aerated lagoon is a treatment pond that uses oxygen to speed up the natural process of biological decomposition of organic wastes. A lagoon is regulated as a point source under the Clean Water Act if there is a direct surface water discharge. Some lagoons that discharge into ground water also are regulated if they have a direct hydrogeologic connection to surface water. In other areas, lagoons were historically used to dump various liquid, solid, and hazardous wastes from manufacturing or industrial processes. These wastes typically flooded and polluted surrounding environs or seeped underground. Such lagoons are now regulated under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) but some must be cleaned up under Superfund.17 |
| Landfill | A method for final disposal of solid waste on land. The refuse is spread and compacted and a cover of soil applied so that effects on the environment (including public health and safety) are minimized. Under current regulations, landfills are required to have liners and leachate treatment systems to prevent contamination of ground water and surface waters. An industrial landfill disposes of non-hazardous industrial wastes. A municipal landfill disposes of domestic waste including garbage, paper, etc. This waste may include toxins that are used in the home, such as insect sprays and powders, engine oil, paints, solvents, and weed killers.17 |
| Leachate | Liquid "run-off". Leachate from the compost pile contains nutrients generated in the composting process. In contrast, as groundwater and rain flow through a landfill, they pick up weak acids created by decaying organic matter. As these acids react with other garbage, the leachate can become toxic which may contaminate streams and groundwater unless the landfill is properly constructed to contain the run-off.12 |
| Leaching | * Movement through soil of
dissolved or suspended substances in water.10 * The process by which chemicals are dissolved and transported through the soil by percolating water. Pesticides and nutrients from fertilizers or manures may leach from fields, areas of spills, or feedlots and thereby enter surface water, groundwater, or soil. Leaching from concentrated sources such as waste sites and loading areas vulnerable to spills can be prevented by paving or containment with a liner of relatively impermeable material designed to keep leachate inside a treatment pond, landfill, or a tailings disposal area. Liner materials include plastic and dense clay.14 * The removal of soluble constituents from soils or other material by water.15 |
| Lethal Concentration 50 (LC 50) | A concentration of a pollutant or effluent at which 50% of the test organisms die; a common measure of acute toxicity.17 |
| Lethal Dose 50 (LD 50) |
The dose of a toxicant that will kill 50% of test organisms within a designated period of time. The lower the LD 50, the more toxic the compound.17 |
| Liner | Structure of natural clay or manufactured material (plastic) which serves as a barrier to restrict leachate from reaching or mixing with ground water in landfills, lagoons, etc.17 |
| Liquid Manure | Liquid manure is usually less than 8% solids. Wash water, runoff, precipitation, and so forth are added, if needed, to dilute the manure and lower the solids content.13 |
| Litter | Pigs born to a sow during one farrowing.22 |
| Livestock Wastes | Manure with added bedding, rain or other water, soil, etc. It also includes wastes such as milkhouse or washing wastes not particularly associated with manure. It also includes hair, feathers, and other debris.15 |
| Loading | Amount of a substance entering the environment (soil, water, or air).10,11 |
| Lot | Any paved or unpaved outdoor animal area - feedlot, handling area, resting areas, etc.15 |
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| M | |
| Macronutrients | Nutrients that plants require in substantial doses. They include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, sulfur and magnesium.12 |
| Manure | The fecal and urinary defecations of livestock and poultry. Manure does not include spilled feed, bedding, or additional water or runoff.15 |
| Methane | * Odorless, colorless,
flammable and explosive gas produced by municipal solid waste undergoing anaerobic
decomposition. Methane is emitted from municipal solid waste landfills.10
* Explosive (when highly concentrated) gas that is formed when organic materials decompose in anaerobic conditions which exist in landfills. Landfill operators must have a method of venting methane gas before it becomes volatile.12 |
| Methemoglobinemia | Illness caused by high levels of nitrate in drinking water, above about 45 ppm, which infants are particularly susceptible to. Current safe drinking water standards call for nitrate levels below 10 ppm. Also referred to as Blue Baby Syndrome.13 |
| Micronutrients | Nutrients that plants require in small doses, primarily to enhance the ability to absorb macronutrients. They include iron, manganese, copper, boron, molybdenum, chlorine, cobalt and zinc.12 |
| Mineralization | Microbial conversion of an element from an organic (containing carbon) to an inorganic (not containing carbon) state.10 |
| Mitigation | Measures taken to reduce adverse effects on the environment.17 |
| Moratorium | A prohibition on a specific action or thing that may last for an undetermined or a set period of time.24 |
| Most Probable Number (MPN) | Statistical expression for estimating the number of microorganisms in a culture or a volume of water.10 |
| Mulch | Natural or artificial layer of plant residue or other material covering the land surface which conserves soil moisture, holds soil in place, aids in establishing plant cover, and minimizes temperature fluctuations.10 |
| Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) | Non-hazardous discarded material generated in residential, commercial, institutional, and light industrial settings. It is defined by local governments, and in general does not include automobile oil, tires, lead-acid batteries, hazardous or infectious wastes, demolition debris, etc.10 |
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| N | |
| NAFTA | See North American Free Trade Agreement. |
| National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) | Federal legislation that requires federal agencies to prepare environmental statements for federal or federally assisted projects having an impact on the environment.11 |
| National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) | Federal regulations that regulate discharge of wastewater to surface waters such as streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. An NPDES permit is required for any project involving the construction, alteration, and/or operation of any sewer system, treatment works, or disposal system and for construction of certain stormwater runoff structures which would result in a discharge into surface waters.11 |
| Nitrate | A nitrogen compound. Nitrate pollution of drinking water, shallow wells being particularly vulnerable, is of concern because infants are particularly sensitive. A nitrate drinking water standard has been set under the Safe Drinking Water Act. An EPA national survey of drinking water wells conducted from 1988 to 1990 indicated that 2.4% of rural domestic wells contained nitrate at or above the 10 mg/L standard. Higher rates of contamination have been found in areas of high vulnerability; for example, surveys along the upper Des Moines river indicate that 20 to 30% of wells exceed the standard.14 |
| Nitrification | * Biochemical oxidation of
ammonia (NH3), ammonium (NH4), or atmospheric nitrogen (N) to
nitrate (NO3) or nitrite (NO2).10 * Conversion of ammonium to nitrate. |
| Nitrogen | * An element essential to the
growth and development of plants; occurs in manure and chemical fertilizer and, in excess,
can cause waters to become polluted by promoting excessive growth of algae and other
aquatic plants.11 * An element found in the air and in all plant and animal tissues. For many crops, nitrogen fertilizer is essential for economic yields. However, nitrogen can also be a pollutant when nitrogen compounds are mobilized in the environment (e.g., leach from fertilized or manured fields), are discharged from septic tanks or feedlots, volatilize to the air, or are emitted from combustion engines. As pollutants, nitrogen compounds can have adverse health effects and contribute to degradation of waters (see eutrophication).14 |
| No Observable Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) | Chemical exposure dose or level producing no observable adverse effect in long-term toxicity studies. This level is used to establish a tolerance for human consumption.10 |
| Nondischarge Systems | Wastewater disposal systems that do not discharge to surface waters, such as spray irrigation, land application, or conventional septic systems.10 |
| Nonpoint Source | Any source of pollution not associated with a distinct discharge point. Includes sources such as rainwater, runoff from agricultural lands, industrial sites, parking lots, and timber operations, as well as escaping gases from pipes and fittings.17 |
| Nonpoint Source Pollution (Contamination) | * Pollution which enters waters
mainly as a result of precipitation and subsequent runoff from land which has been
modified by human activity.5 * Water contamination derived from diffuse sources such as construction sites, agricultural fields, and urban runoff.10 * Sources of water pollution not associated with a distinct discharge source; includes rainwater, erosion, runoff from roads, farms, and parking lots, and seepage from soil-based wastewater disposal systems.11 |
| North Carolina Environmental Policy Act (NCEPA) | Requires the preparation of an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement for any activity that involves the expenditure of public monies or that requires state approval or that may significantly affect the quality of the environment.11 |
| North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | A multilateral trade agreement negotiated by the United States, Canada and Mexico that sets forth agreements to lower and/or eliminate unfair trade barriers that affect the trade of goods and services between the three countries. NAFTA entered into force on January 1, 1994. The agriculture portion of NAFTA effectively is three bilateral agreements; U.S./Mexico, Mexico/Canada, and U.S./Canada. The U.S.-Canada agricultural agreement in NAFTA was negotiated previously as part of the U.S.- Canada Free Trade Agreement.14 |
| N-P-K | An abbreviation for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). In the chemical philosophy, these three elements are considered important to force crop production (as opposed to the organic philosophy goal of improving the biodiversity of the soil). U.S. law requires that the ratio of these three elements be specified on every bag of commercially-available fertilizer. A ratio of 3-1-2 or 4-1-2 is considered good.12 |
| Nuisance Contaminant | Constituents in water which are not normally harmful to health but may cause offensive taste, odor, color, corrosion, foaming, or staining.10 |
| Nursery Building | Building used for piglets after they are weaned. Pigs are kept in small groups in this heated, well-insulated enclosure until they reach 60 to 80 pounds. A wire or other very porous floor is used to maintain sanitary conditions. The nursery slotted phase is often broken up into two growth stages, called, respectively, a "hot" and "cold" nursery, reflecting the room temperatures used.13 |
| Nutrient | Element essential for plant or animal growth. Major nutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, oxygen, sulfur, and potassium.10 |
| Nutrient pollution | Contamination by excessive inputs of nutrient: a primary cause of eutrophication of surface waters, in which excess nutrients, usually nitrogen or phosphorus, stimulate algal growth. Sources of nutrient pollution include runoff from fields and pastures, discharges from septic tanks and feedlots, and emissions from combustion.14 |
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| O | |
| Organic | * Literally refers to something
derived from plant or animal matter. Includes anything that is or was living, made from
something living, excreted from something living. The term "organic" is used to
describe a philosophy of working within the laws and systems existing in nature to achieve
a healthy environment that is bountiful long-term. Healthy soil is the foundation of this
philosophy, therefore, the term comes up frequently in discussions of home composting.12 * Chemically, a compound or molecule containing carbon bound to hydrogen. Organic compounds make up all living matter. The term organic frequently is used to distinguish 'natural' products or processes from man-made 'synthetic' ones. Thus natural fertilizers include manures or rock phosphate, as opposed to fertilizers synthesized from chemical feedstocks. Likewise, organic farming and organic foods refer to the growing of food crops without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides or fertilizers; pests are controlled by cultivation techniques and the use of pesticides derived from natural sources (e.g., rotenone and pyrethrins, both from plants) and the use of natural fertilizers (e.g., manure and compost). Some consumers, alleging risks from synthetic chemicals, prefer organic food products. The FACT Act of 1990 required USDA to define organic foods for marketing purposes.14 |
| Organic Compound | Any carbon-based substance, including some petroleum products, solvents, pesticides, and halomethanes. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are those which are readily vaporized; a number of these are known or probable carcinogens.10 |
| Organic Farming | A production system that completely or mostly excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides or growth regulators.21 |
| Organic Matter | Chemical substances of animal or vegetable origin containing carbon.15 |
| Organic Farming | Crop production systems that generally exclude the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. To the maximum extent feasible, organic farming systems rely on crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, off-farm organic wastes, mechanical cultivation, and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity, to supply nutrients to plants, and to control weeds and pests.14 |
| Organically Grown | Food, feed crops, and livestock grown within an intentionally-diversified, self-sustaining agro-ecosystem. In practice, farmers build up nutrients in the soil using compost, agricultural wastes, and cover crops instead of synthetically derived fertilizers to increase productivity, rotate crops, weed mechanically, and reduce dramatically their dependence on the entire family of pesticides. Farmers must be certified to characterize crops as organically grown and can only use approved natural and synthetic biochemicals, agents, and materials for three consecutive years prior to harvest. Livestock must be fed a diet that includes grains and forages that have been organically grown and cannot receive hormones, sub-therapeutic antibiotics, or other growth promoters.17 |
| Oxygen Demand | Chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD and BOD) are measures of the oxygen consumed when a substance degrades. Materials such as food waste and dead plant or animal tissue use up dissolved oxygen in the water when decomposed through chemical or biological processes.10,11 |
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| P | |
| Particulates | Liquid or solid particles such as dust, smoke, mist, or smog found in air emissions.17 |
| Pathogen | Disease-causing biological agent such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus.10,11 |
| Percolation | Movement of water through soil or rock.10 |
| Performance Standard | A limitation on the emission or discharge of a pollutant that may be expressed as an emission or discharge standard or as a requirement for specific operating procedures.11 |
| Permeability | Capacity of soil, sediment, or porous rock to transmit water.10 |
| Persistence | Resistance to degradation as measured by the period of time required for complete breakdown of a material. Depends on temperature, pH, soil type, light intensity, etc.10 |
| Pesticide | Substances intended to repel, kill, or control any species designated a "pest" including weeds, insects, rodents, fungi, bacteria, or other organisms. The family of pesticides includes herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, fungicides, and bactericides.17 |
| pH | Numerical measure of hydrogen ion activity with a scale of 0 to 14. Neutral is pH 7; values below 7 are acid, and values above 7 are alkaline. Waters that are too acid or alkaline can be unfit for animal or plant life.11 |
| Pfiesteria Piscicida | A toxic dinoflagellate that has
been associated with fish lesions and fish kills in coastal waters from Delaware to North
Carolina. A natural part of the marine environment, dinoflagellates are microscopic,
free-swimming, single-celled organisms, usually classified as a type of alga. The vast
majority of dinoflagellates are not toxic. Although many dinoflagellates are plant-like
and obtain energy by photosynthesis, others, including Pfiesteria, are more animal-like
and acquire some or all of their energy by eating other organisms. Discovered in 1988 by researchers at North Carolina State University, Pfiesteria piscicida is now known to have a highly complex life-cycle with 24 reported forms, a few of which can produce toxins. A few other toxic dinoflagellate species with characteristics similar to Pfiesteria have been identified but not yet named. These are referred to as "Pfiesteria-like organisms," and they occur from Delaware to the Gulf of Mexico.16 |
| Phosphorous (P) | * An element essential to the
growth and development of plants; occurs in manure and chemical fertilizer and, in excess,
can cause waters to become polluted by promoting excessive growth of algae and other
aquatic plants.11 * An essential nutrient for plants and animals that is commonly applied to crops as a phosphate fertilizer. Phosphorus can contribute to the eutrophication of lakes and other water bodies. Sources of excess phosphorus include sewage and agricultural runoff.14 |
| Phytate | Enzyme that can liberate phytate bound in Phosphorus (P) in the pig’s digestive tract. (Background: P is an essential nutrient for normal growth, feed conversion and bone development. However, over 60% of the P in corn and soybean meal is bound as phytate P and unavailable to the pig. Inorganic P sources must be added to corn-soy feeds for normal pig growth and development. As a result, excessive amounts of P are excreted in pig manure. Supplementing feed grade phytase to pig feeds may reduce the need for inorganic P supplementation and reduce P excretion in manure.) |
| Point Source | A stationary location or fixed facility such as an industry or municipality that discharges pollutants into air or surface water through pipes, ditches, lagoons, wells, or stacks; a single identifiable source such as a ship or a mine.17 |
| Point Source Pollution (Contamination) | Wastes or wastewater discharged
to receiving waters through a defined and controllable source.5 Water contamination from specific sources such as leaking underground storage tanks, landfills, industrial waste discharge points, or chemical mixing sites.10 A specific discharge that is traceable to a distinct source (pipe, ditch, container, well, etc.) such as those from wastewater treatment plants or industrial facilities.11 |
| Pollutant | A contaminant that adversely alters the physical, chemical, or biological properties of the environment. The term includes toxic metals, carcinogens, pathogens, oxygen-demanding materials, heat, and all other harmful substances, contaminants, or impurities. |
| Pollution | Presence of a contaminant to such a degree that the environment (land, water, or air) is not suitable for a particular use. |
| Potable | Suitable for drinking.10 |
| Precision Farming | Farmers use global positioning (GPS) technology involving satellites and sensors on the ground and intensive information management tools to understand variations in resource conditions within fields. They use this information to more precisely apply fertilizers and other inputs and to more accurately predict crop yields.14 |
| Productivity | A measure of technical efficiency, typically expressed as the added output for an additional unit of input or the average output per unit of input, i.e., labor, land, capital productivity.14 |
| Pyrolysis | Chemical decomposition of a material by heat in the absence of oxygen.10 |
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| Q |
| R | |
| Receiving Water | Body of water that receives runoff or wastewater discharges; may be a river, stream, lake, estuary, or groundwater.10,11 |
| Recharge | Downward movement of water through soil to ground water.10 |
| Recharge Area | Land area over which precipitation infiltrates into soil and percolates downward to replenish an aquifer.10 |
| Recyclables | Materials that still have useful physical or chemical properties after serving their original purpose and that can be reused or remanufactured into additional products, thereby serving as substitutes for raw materials.10 |
| Recycling | Process by which materials otherwise destined for disposal are collected, reprocessed or remanufactured, and reused. Mandatory recycling programs require by law that consumers separate trash so that some or all recyclable materials are not burned or dumped in landfills.10 |
| Regulation | A requirement or rule passed by an agency or department of federal, state, or local government that is authorized to create and enforce a requirement or rule through an authorizing statute or constitutional authority.24 |
| Residue | Materials remaining after processing, incineration, composting, or recycling have been completed; normally disposed of in landfills.10 |
| Resource Recovery | Extraction and utilization of materials and energy from the waste stream.10 |
| Reuse | Use of a product, such as a softdrink bottle, in its original form more than once for the same purpose.10 |
| Reverse Osmosis (RO) | Water treatment process in which contaminants are removed by forcing water through a membrane having microscopic holes that allow water molecules, but not larger compounds, to pass through. RO units do not remove all chemicals, and they generally discharge more than half of the total water as waste.10 |
| Right-To-Farm | A term usually applied to state laws and regulations that prohibit local governments from passing ordinances that prohibit the existence of an agricultural operation, a bona-fide farm, or its activities in an area. Right-To-Farm laws may also protect agricultural operations from nuisance suits (give immunity from nuisance suits) where claims of nuisance arise from neighboring property owners or residents that are, or claim to be, injured by activities of those operations or conditions resulting from those activities.24 |
| Riparian | * Of, on, or pertaining to, the
banks of a stream, river, or lake.11 * Pertaining to or situated on or along the bank of a stream or other body of water. Often referred to in the context of cattle grazing and protection of streams for fish and wildlife habitat, and water quality purposes. Riparian rights refers to the entitlement of a land owner to certain uses of water on or bordering the property, including the right to prevent diversion or misuse of upstream waters (generally a matter of state law).14 |
| Riparian Buffer | A strip of vegetation planted along the bank of a body of water which slows the rate of flow of runoff from adjoining uplands, causing sediment and other materials to fall out onto the land before the runoff enters and pollutes the body of water.14 |
| Riparian Rights | The system of water allocation used in the humid eastern portion of the United States. Water may be used only by riparian landowners and is recognized that all users will experience shortages periodically. In contrast with the prior appropriations system used in the arid West, water is not acquired by use, and access to it cannot be lost by lack of use.14 |
| Risk | The probability that damage to life, health, and/or the environment will occur as a result of a given hazard (such as exposure to a toxic chemical). Some risks can be measured or estimated in numerical terms (e.g., one chance in a hundred).9 |
| Risk Assessment | See Ecological Risk Assessment |
| Risk Management | The process of actually trying to reduce risk, e.g., from a toxic chemical, and/or of trying to keep it under control. Risk management involves not just taking action, but also analyzing and selecting among options and then evaluating their effect.9 |
| River Basin | The land area drained by a river and its tributaries. There are 17 major river basins in North Carolina.11 |
| Ruminants | Animals which have even-toed hooves and chew their cud. Such farm animals include cattle, sheep, and goats.13 |
| Runoff | Rainfall or other precipitation that is not absorbed by the soil, but drains off the land into streams, rivers, and other receiving waters.11 |
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| S | |
| Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) | * Passed by Congress in 1974,
and amended in 1986, to insure safe drinking water. It directs the EPA to establish and
enforce water quality standards to protect public health.10 * P.L. 93-523 (December 16, 1974) as amended, is the key federal law for protecting public water systems from harmful contaminants. First enacted in 1974, the Act, as amended, is administered by the EPA through regulatory programs that establish standards and treatment requirements for drinking water contaminants, control underground injection of wastes that might contaminate water supplies, and protect ground and surface water sources. Regulated public water systems under the Act are those that have at least 15 service connections or regularly serve 25 or more individuals. The 1996 amendments (P.L. 104-182) broadened the definition of 'public water system' to include systems that deliver water through pipes or 'other constructed conveyances,' and intended to include agricultural irrigation systems that convey water through open viaducts or ditches (unless the water is not used for 'residential uses', or unless alternative water is provided for drinking and cooking; or unless water for drinking, cooking, and bathing is treated). The 1996 amendments also require states to identify, to the extent practicable, origins of contaminants in areas providing source waters for public water systems to determine the susceptibility of systems to contamination.14 |
| Saturated Zone | Portion of the soil or rock profile in which all pores are filled with water.10 |
| Sediment | * Eroded soil and rock
material, and plant debris, transported and deposited by water.10
* Topsoil, sand, and minerals washed from the land into water, usually after rain or snow melt. Sediments collecting in rivers, reservoirs, and harbors can destroy fish and wildlife habitat and cloud the water so that sunlight cannot reach aquatic plants. Loss of topsoil from farming, mining, or building activities can be prevented through a variety of erosion-control techniques.17 |
| Sedimentation Pollution Control Act | Applies to any land-disturbing activity that uncovers one or more contiguous acres of land. Its purpose is to protect the state's streams and lands from degradation caused by land disturbances that erode sediments. All agricultural and mining activities are officially exempt from these regulations (although mining activities are covered under the Mining Act). Forestry activities must utilize accepted Best Management Practices (BMPs) to qualify for an exempt status.11 |
| Septic System | An on-site system designed to treat and dispose of domestic sewage from a residence or business not connected to a sewer line. A typical septic system consists of a tank that receives waste and holds it while bacteria decompose solids, and a system of tile lines or a pit for disposal of the liquid effluent. The sludge that remains in the tank after decomposition of the solids must be pumped out periodically. By using the assimilative capacity of the land, a properly operating septic system has minimal impact but an improperly functioning system can be a source of nitrogen pollution and of groundwater contamination.14 |
| Setback | Specific distance that a structure or area must be located away, from other defined areas or structures. For example, a setback for swine farms of 1,500 feet away from occupied residences requires that those farms be located no closer than 1,500 feet away from such residences.24 |
| Settleable Solids | Matter in wastewater that either settles to the bottom or floats to the top during a preselected settling period.15 |
| Settling Basin | Should be placed between the lot and a holding pond or infiltration area to remove large manure solids that float or settle from the runoff. Paved shallow basins or channels provide for easy cleaning after runoff occurs. An expanded metal screen and perforated pipe riser can be used to settle out solids, and a 10-12% slope at the ramped entrance of the basin facilitates clean-out with front-end loaders.13 |
| Settling Tank | A tank in which settleable solids are removed by gravity.15 |
| Sewage | The waste and wastewater produced by residential and commercial sources and discharged into sewers.11 |
| Siting | Choosing a location for a facility.17 |
| Slotted Flooring | The floor surface of a building that has open spaces or grooves to allow material to drop below the floor surface.15 |
| Sludge | * Heavy, slimy residue
remaining from the treatment of municipal and industrial water and wastewater. Digested
sewage sludge remains after decomposition under controlled temperature, pH, and mixing in
a digester tank.10 * The residue (solids and some water) produced as a result of raw or wastewater treatment.17 |
| Slurry | A pumpable mixture of solids and fluid.17 |
| Soil Liner | Landfill liner composed of compacted soil or synthetic material designed to assist in containment of leachate.10 |
| Solid Manure | A combination of urine, bedding, and feces with little or no extra water added. It is usually found in loafing barns, calving pens, and open lots with good drainage.13 |
| Solid Waste | As defined under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), any solid, semi-solid, liquid, or contained gaseous materials discarded from industrial, commercial, mining, or agricultural operations, and from community activities. Solid waste includes garbage, construction debris, commercial refuse, sludge from water supply or waste treatment plants, or air pollution control facilities, and other discarded materials.17 |
| Solid Waste Management | Related to storage, collection, transportation, treatment, utilization, processing, and final disposal of solid waste or resource recovery, and facilities necessary for such activities.10 |
| Solids Content | The residue remaining after water is evaporated from a sample at a specified temperature, usually about 215oF (103oC).15 |
| Sow | Any breeding female that has farrowed at least one litter or has reached 12 months of age.22 |
| Sprayfield | Area of land over which liquid animal wastes may be sprayed for disposal of those wastes. Usually various types of crops are grown on a sprayfield to assist in the uptake of nutrients from the soil.24 |
| Stakeholders | All parties, individuals, governments, businesses, farms, and etc., that may be interested in, are affected by, or are responsible for the creation of laws, regulations and issues of concern to a community. For example, a farmer is a stakeholder in government regulation of odor that arises from his animal feeding operation's swine lagoon as well as the neighbor that lives nearby that may complain about the odor.24 |
| Steady State Live Weight (SSLW) | The average day to day total live weight of any animal on the farm during their growth cycle.24 |
| Stormwater | Water that is generated by rainfall and is often routed into drain systems in urban areas to prevent flooding.11 |
| Superfund | Common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) designed to clean up abandoned or inactive hazardous waste dump sites.10 |
| Surface Runoff | Precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water in excess of what can infiltrate the soil surface and be stored in small surface depressions; a major cause of erosion and transporter of nonpoint source pollutants.14 |
| Suspended Solids | Solids that either float on the surface or are suspended in water, wastewater, or other liquids.17 |
| Sustainable Agriculture | * An integrated system of plant
and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the
long term: A) satisfy human food and fiber needs; B) enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends; C) make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; D) sustain the economic viability of farm operations; and E) enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.8 * Environmentally friendly methods of farming that allow the production of crops or
livestock without damage to the farm as an ecosystem, including effects on soil, water
supplies, biodiversity, or other surrounding natural resources. The concept of sustainable
agriculture is an "intergenerational" one in which we pass on a conserved or
improved natural resource base instead of one which has been depleted or polluted. Terms
often associated with farms or ranches that are self-sustaining include
"low-input," organic, "ecological," "biodynamic," and
"permaculture."17 |
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| T | |
| Thermophilic Bacteria | This group of bacteria species work to break down organic matter under "hot" conditions of 104 degrees up to 170 degrees. This type of bacteria can perform the greatest decomposition in the shortest amount of time.12 |
| Tipping Fee | Charge, usually in dollars per ton, for the unloading or dumping of waste at a landfill, transfer station, recycling center, or waste-to-energy facility, also called a disposal or service fee.10 |
| Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) | Concentration of all substances dissolved in water (solids remaining after evaporation of a water sample).10 |
| Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) | The total waste (pollutant) loading from point and non-point sources that a water body can assimilate while still maintaining its water quality classification and standards.11 |
| Total Suspended Solids (TSS) | Concentration of all substances suspended in water (solids remaining after filtering of a water sample).11 |
| Toxic Substance (Toxicant) | Harmful to plant or animal life, either immediately (acute toxicity) or over a long time period (chronic toxicity).10 |
| Toxicity | The extent, quality, or degree of being poisonous or harmful to humans or other living organisms.9 |
| Trash | Material considered worthless, unnecessary or offensive that is usually thrown away. In common usage, it is a synonym for garbage, rubbish or refuge.10 |
| Tributary | A stream or river that flows into a larger stream or river.11 |
| Turbidity | A cloudy condition in water caused by suspended silt or organic matter.11 |
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| U | |
| Unconfined (Water Table) Aquifer | Water-bearing formation whose upper boundary is the water table (as opposed to a confining layer).10 |
| Unsaturated Zone | Portion of the soil profile, which contains both air and water. Water in this zone cannot enter a well.10 |
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| V | |
| Value-added products | In general, products that have increased in value because of processing; such products include wheat flour, and soybean oil. Livestock are considered value added products because they have increased the value of pasture and feed grains going into them. The terms value-added and high-value are often used synonymously.14 |
| Vermicomposting | A biooxidation and stabilization process of organic material that, in contrast to composting, involves the joint action of earthworms and microorganisms and does not involve a thermophilic stage. The earthworms are the agents of turning, fragmentation, and aeration.7 |
| Vertical integration | The integration of successive stages of the production and marketing functions under the ownership or control of a single management organization. For example, much of the broiler industry is highly vertically integrated in that processing companies own or control the activities from production and hatching of eggs, through the growth and feeding of the chickens, to slaughter, processing, and wholesale marketing.14 |
| Volatile | Any substance which evaporates quickly.17 |
| Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) | Any organic compound which evaporates readily to the atmosphere. VOCs contribute significantly to photochemical smog production and certain health problems. 17 |
| Volatilization | Conversion of substance to gaseous form.10 |
| Volume Reduction | The processing of waste materials so as to decrease the amount of space the materials occupy, usually by compacting or shredding (mechanical), incineration (thermal), or composting (biological).10 |
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| W | |
| Waste Stream | The total waste generated by all contributors (households, industry, government) in a particular area (city, county, state).10 |
| Waste Treatment Pond | A shallow lagoon or similar storage facility, often man-made, used to treat liquid agricultural wastes, particularly liquid manure from livestock production farms, through the interaction of sunlight, wind, algae, and oxygen. Through natural biological processes, microscopic organisms consume wastes present in the water.14 |
| Water Quality Standard (WQS) | The combination of a designated use and the maximum concentration of a pollutant which will protect that use for any given body of water.17 |
| Water Supply Watershed Protection Act (WSWPA) | State legislation enacted to limit growth and land disturbance in North Carolina's water supply watersheds in order to maintain the quality of surface drinking water supplies. Counties and municipalities with water supply watersheds in their land-use jurisdictions are required to develop watershed protection plans and ordinances that meet or exceed state guidelines.11 |
| Water Table | Top of an unconfined aquifer, below which the pore spaces are saturated with water.10 |
| Watershed (Drainage Basin) | * All land and water that
drains runoff to a stream or other surface water body.10 * A geographic area in which water, sediment, and dissolved materials drain to a common outlet such as a point on a larger stream, a lake, an underlying aquifer, an estuary, or an ocean.11 * The total land area, regardless of size, above a given point on a waterway that contributes runoff water to the flow at that point. It is a major subdivision of a drainage basin. The United States is generally divided into 18 major drainage areas and 160 principal river drainage basins containing about 12,700 smaller watersheds.14 |
| Weaning | The act of separating the pigs and the female.22 |
| Wetlands | * Areas that are regularly wet
or flooded and have a water table that stands at or above the land surface for at least
part of the year. Coastal wetlands extend back from estuaries and include salt marshes,
tidal basins, marshes, and mangrove swamps. Inland freshwater wetlands consist of swamps,
marshes, and bogs.10 * Areas inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration to support and that, under normal circumstances, do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Coastal wetlands extend back from estuaries and include salt marshes, tidal basins, marshes, and mangrove swamps. Inland freshwater wetlands consist of swamps, marshes, and bogs.11 * Areas of predominantly hydric soils that can support a prevalence of water-loving plants, know as hydrophilic vegetation. Wetlands are transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water. Types of wetlands are distinguished by water patterns (the frequency and length of flooding) and location in relation to upland areas and water bodies. Wetlands perform many functions including wildlife and fish habitat, storage and conveyance of flood waters, sediment and pollution control, and recreation. Under the swampbuster program, landowners may produce crops in these areas, but only if the water patterns, or hydrology, in the wetland area is not altered and any woody vegetation is not removed.14 * Areas that are soaked or flooded by surface or ground water frequently enough or for sufficient duration to support plants, birds, animals, and aquatic life. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, estuaries, and other inland and coastal areas, and are federally protected. Wetlands frequently serve as recharge/discharge areas and are known as "nature's kidneys" since they help purify water. Wetlands also have been referred to as natural sponges that absorb flood waters, functioning like natural tubs to collect overflow. Wetlands are important wildlife habitats, breeding grounds, and nurseries because of their biodiversity. Many endangered species as well as countless estuarine and marine fish and shellfish, mammals, waterfowl, and other migratory birds use wetland habitat for growth, reproduction, food, and shelter. Wetlands are among the most fertile, natural ecosystems in the world since they produce great volumes of food (plant material).17 |
| Windrow | A large, elongated pile of composting material.10 |
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| X |
| Y |
| Z | |
| Zoning | * Designation by ordinances of
areas of land reserved and regulated for different land uses; a type of regulatory
ordinance based on a land use plan.10 * Regulation created and enforced by county and city governments for the purposes of regulating and controlling activities and conditions within those areas. One example of a zoning regulation would be a zoning ordinance that prohibits the building of residential houses within a determined number of feet of any swine farm or swine farm lagoon.24 |
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| List of Acronyms | |
| AFO | Animal Feeding Operation |
| ASCS | Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service |
| BMP | Best Management Practice |
| BOD | Biochemical Oxygen Demand (sometimes referred to as Biological Oxygen Demand) |
| CAA | Clean Air Act |
| CAFO | Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation |
| CAMA | Coastal Area Management Act |
| CAP | Compliance Audit Program |
| CERCLA | Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act |
| CES | Cooperative Extension Service |
| COD | Chemical Oxygen Demand |
| COE | Corps of Engineers |
| CRC | Coastal Resources Commission |
| CNMP | Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan |
| CWA | Clean Water Act |
| CZARA | Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments |
| CZMA | Coastal Zone Management Act |
| DCM | Division of Coastal Management |
| DEH | Division of Environmental Health |
| DEHNR | Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources |
| DEM | Division of Environmental Management Resources |
| DMF | Division of Marine Fisheries |
| DO | Dissolved Oxygen |
| DPR | Division of Parks and Recreation |
| DWR | Division of Water Resources |
| EIS | Environmental Impact Statement |
| ELG | Effluent Limitation Guideline |
| EMC | Environmental Management Commission |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
| EPCRA | Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act |
| FIFRA | Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act |
| GATT | General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade |
| GIS | Geographic Information System |
| HQW | High Quality Waters |
| ILO | Intensive Livestock Operation |
| IPM | Integrated Pest Management |
| MPR | Manure Production Rights (in the Netherlands) |
| MSW | Municipal Solid Waste |
| NAAQS | National Ambient Air Quality Standard |
| NAFTA | North American Free Trade Agreement |
| NCEPA | North Carolina Environmental Policy Act |
| NEPA | National Environmental Policy Act |
| NOAA | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| NPDES | National Pollution Discharge Elimination System |
| NSW | Nutrient Sensitive Waters |
| NVZ | Nitrate Vulnerable Zone |
| ORW | Outstanding Resource Waters |
| POTW | Publicly Owned Treatment Works |
| RCRA | Resource Conservation and Recovery Act |
| SARA | Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act |
| SCS | Soil Conservation Service |
| SDWA | Safe Drinking Water Act |
| SSLW | Steady State Live Weight |
| SWCC | Soil and Water Conservation Commission |
| TDS | Total Dissolved Solids |
| TKN | Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen |
| TMDL | Total Maximum Daily Load |
| TOC | Total Organic Carbon |
| TSS | Total Suspended Solids |
| USDA | United States Department of Agriculture |
| USGS | United States Geological Survey |
| VOC | Volatile Organic Compounds |
| WQS | Water Quality Standard |
| WSWPA | Water Supply Watershed Protection Act |
| WWTP | Wastewater Treatment Plant |
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| Units of Measurement 10 |
| 1 inch (in) = 2.54 centimeters (cm) = 25.4 millimeters (mm) |
| 1 foot (ft) = 30.5 centimeters (cm) = 0.305 meters (m) |
| 1 yard (yd) = 36 inches (in) = 0.914 meters (m) |
| 1 mile (mi) = 5280 feet (ft) = 1.61 kilometers (km) |
| 1 square yard (yd2) = 9 square feet (ft2) = 0.836 square meters (m2) |
| 1 square yard (yd2) = 9 square feet (ft2) = 0.836 square meters (m2) |
| 1 acre (ac) = 43,560 square feet (ft2) = 0.405 hectares (ha) = 4050 square meters (m2) |
| 1 square mile (mi2) = 640 acres (ac) = 259 hectares (ha) |
| 1 cubic foot (ft3) = 7.48 gallons (gal) = 28.3 liters (L) |
| 1 cubic yard (yd3) = 27 cubic feet (ft3) = 202 gallons (gal) = 0.765 cubic meters (m3) |
| 1 gallon (gal) = 0.137 cubic feet (ft3) = 8.33 pounds (lbs) water = 3.78 liters (L) |
| 1 gallon (gal) = 0.137 cubic feet (ft3) = 8.33 pounds (lbs) water = 3.78 liters (L) |
| 1 acre-inch (ac-in) = 3630 cubic feet (ft3) = 27,154 gallons (gal) = 102.8 cubic meters (m3) |
| 1 acre-foot (ac-in) = 43,560 cubic feet (ft3) = 325,851 gallons (gal) = 1234 cubic meters (m3) |
| 1 pound (lb) = 454 grams (g) = 0.454 kilograms (kg) |
| 1 ton (ton) = 2000 pounds (lbs) = 907 kilograms (kg) = 0.907 megagrams (Mg) |
| 1 pound per acre (lb/ac) = 1.12 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) |
| 1 bushel per acre, 60 lb (bu/ac) = 67.2 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) |
| 1 bushel per acre, 56 lb (bu/ac) = 62.7 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) |
| 1 bushel per acre, 48 lb (bu/ac) = 53.8 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha) |
| 1 cubic foot per second (cfs) = 449 gallons per minute (gpm) = 28.32 liters per second (L/s) |
| 1 million gallons per day (MGD) = 1.55 cubic feet per second (cfs) = 3785 cubic meters per day (m3/day) |
| 1 milligram per liter (mg/L) =1 part per million (ppm) =1000 parts per billion (ppb)* |
| 1 microgram per liter (mg/L) =1 nanogram per milliliter (ng/mL) = 1 part per billion (ppb) * |
| 1 nanogram per liter (ng/L) =1 part per trillion (ppt) = 1000 parts per quadrillion (ppq) * |
| 1 picogram per liter (pg/L) = 1 part per quadrillion (ppq) * |
| 1 grain per gallon (gpg) = 17.1 milligrams per liter (mg/L) |
| 1 pound per square inch (psi) = 2.04 inches mercury (in Hg) = 27.7 inches water (in H2O) |
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| Chemical Elements, Symbols, and Atomic Masses | ||
| Element | Symbol | Atomic Mass |
| Ammonia | NH3 | 17.03056 |
| Ammonia-nitrogen | NH3-N | |
| Carbon | C | 12.011 |
| Carbon monoxide | CO | 28.0104 |
| Carbon dioxide | CO2 | 44.0098 |
| Hydrogen | H | 1.00794 |
| Hydrogen sulphide | H2S | 34.08188 |
| Methane | CH4 | 16.04276 |
| Nitrate | NO3 | 62.00494 |
| Nitrate-nitrogen | NO3-N | |
| Nitrogen | N | 14.00674 |
| Nitrous oxide | N2O | 44.01288 |
| Orthophosphate-phosphorous | OPO4-P | |
| Oxygen | O | 15.9994 |
| Phosphate | P2O5 | 141.944524 |
| Phosphorous | P | 30.973762 |
| Potash | K2O | 94.196 |
| Potassium | K | 39.0983 |
| Sulfur | S | 32.066 |
| Source: Brady, James E. and John R. Holum, "Chemistry: The Study of Matter and its Changes," Second Edition, New York, 1996. |
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| Sources | |
| 1 | Spellman, Frank R., "Wastewater Biosolids To Compost," Lancaster, PA, 1997. |
| 2 | King County, WA, Department of Natural Resources, Wastewater Treatment Division, http://waterquality.metrokc.gov/bmp/basic.htm. |
| 3 | Composting Council, http://composter.com/composting/compcouncil/composting.html. |
| 4 | Ritter, William F., "Organic Wastes As Fertilizers," in: Agricultural Engineering, Vol. 73, No. 3, May 1992, pp.17-20. |
| 5 | Cape Lookout Internet Services, http://www.clis.com/amcbride/def.html. |
| 6 | Fertilizer Industry Federation of Australia, http://www.fifa.asn.au/fifa8.htm. |
| 7 | Dominguez, Jorge, Clive Edwards, and Scott Subler, "A Comparison Of Vermicomposting And Composting," in: BioCycle April 1997, v.38(1), pp.57-59. |
| 8 | Public Law 101-624, Title XVI, Subtitle A, Section 1683, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., NAL KF 1692.831 1990, (http://freenet.macatawa.org/org/ogm/Chap94/def.htm, 2-5-98) |
| 9 | Environmental Defense Fund: Scorecard Glossary, http://www.scorecard.org/about/glossary.tcl. |
| 10 | Water Quality and Waste Management Glossary. Prepared by Gregory D. Jennings and Ronald E. Sneed, Extension Specialists, Biological & Agricultural Engineering. Published by North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, Publication Number: EBAE 144-90. |
| 11 | Glossary of Water Quality Terms and Acronym List. Prepared by Vernon N. Cox and Leon E. Danielson, Agricultural and Resource Economics, Applied Resource Economics and Policy Group; and Gregory D. Jennings, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/arep/glossary.html. |
| 12 | Http://www.mastercomposter.com. |
| 13 | Purdue University - Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Region 5), http://danpatch.ecn.purdue.edu/~epados/farmstead/yards/src/glossary.htm. |
| 14 | Committee for the National Institute for the Environment. Congressional Research Service, Report for Congress, Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, October 1, 1997, http://www.cnie.org/nle/AgGlossary/AgGlossary.htm. |
| 15 | Livestock waste facilities handbook - 3rd edition. Prepared under the direction of the Livestock Wastes Subcommittee of the MidWest Plan Service, 1993. Glossary based on ASAE R292.1. |
| 16 | USEPA Office of Water: "What You Should Know About Pfiesteria Piscicida," http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/pfiesteria/fact.html. |
| 17 | USEPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance: "Glossary," http://es.epa.gov/oeca/guide/glossary.htm. |
| 18 | The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. |
| 19 | A Dictionary of Technical and Legal Terms Related to Drinking Water. United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 810-B-94-006, June 1994. |
| 20 | Amos World Glossary, http://amos.bus.okstate.edu/glossary/. |
21 |
American Farm Bureau. Farm Facts, Glossary of Agricultural Terms, http://www.fb.com/today/farmfacts/glossary.html. |
22 |
North Carolina State University - Extension Swine Husbandry. Guidelines for Uniform Swine Improvement Programs - Glossary, http://mark.asci.ncsu.edu/nsif/guidel/APPENDF.HTM. |
| 23 | Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations, http://www.epa.gov/owm/finafost.htm. |
| 24 | North Carolina State University,
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics: "Swine Farm Zoning Notebook."
Edited by Ted Feitshans, Michele Marra, Pamela Kaval, and Brandon King, http://www2.ncsu.edu:80/unity/lockers/project/waterprimer/ SwineFarmZoningNotebook/index.htm. |
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| Updated March 8, 2000 | |