Laboratory Terms E

A glossary of science, chemistry, environmental and laboratory terms.

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Ecological Entity: In ecological risk assessment, a general term referring to a species, a group...
Ecological Exposure: Exposure of a non-human organism to a stressor.
Ecological Impact: The effect that a man-caused or natural activity has on living organisms and ...
Ecological Indicator: A characteristic of an ecosystem that is related to, or derived from, a measu...
Ecological Integrity: A living system exhibits integrity if, when subjected to disturbance, it sust...
Ecological Risk Assessment: The application of a formal framework, analytical process, or model to estima...
Ecology: The relationship of living things to one another and their environment, or th...
Economic Poisons: Chemicals used to control pests and to defoliate cash crops such as cotton.
Ecosphere: The "bio-bubble" that contains life on earth, in surface waters, and in the a...
Ecosystem: The interacting system of a biological community and its non-living environme...
Ecosystem Structure: Attributes related to the instantaneous physical state of an ecosystem; examp...
Ecotone: A habitat created by the juxtaposition of distinctly different habitats; an e...
Effluent: Wastewater--treated or untreated--that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer,...
Effluent Guidelines: Technical EPA documents which set effluent limitations for given industries a...
Effluent Limitation: Restrictions established by a state or EPA on quantities, rates, and concentr...
Ejector: A device used to disperse a chemical solution into water being treated.
Electrodialysis: A process that uses electrical current applied to permeable membranes to remo...
Electromagnetic Geophysical Methods: Ways to measure subsurface conductivity via low-frequency electromagnetic ind...
Electrostatic Precipitator ESP: A device that removes particles from a gas stream (smoke) after combustion oc...
Eligible Costs: The construction costs for wastewater treatment works upon which EPA grants a...
EMAP Data: Environmental monitoring data collected under the auspices of the Environment...
Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory: An annual report by facilities having one or more extremely hazardous substan...
Emergency Chemical: A situation created by an accidental release or spill of hazardous chemicals ...
Emergency Exemption: Provision in FIFRA under which EPA can grant temporary exemption to a state o...
Emergency Removal Action: 1. Steps take to remove contaminated materials that pose imminent threats to ...
Emergency Response Values: Concentrations of chemicals, published by various groups, defining acceptable...
Emergency Suspension: Suspension of a pesticide product registration due to an imminent hazard. The...
Emission: Pollution discharged into the atmosphere from smokestacks, other vents, and s...
Emission Cap: A limit designed to prevent projected growth in emissions from existing and f...
Emission Factor: The relationship between the amount of pollution produced and the amount of r...
Emission Inventory: A listing, by source, of the amount of air pollutants discharged into the atm...
Emission Standard: The maximum amount of air polluting discharge legally allowed from a single s...
Emissions Trading: The creation of surplus emission reductions at certain stacks, vents or simil...
Emulsifier: A chemical that aids in suspending one liquid in another. Usually an organic ...
Encapsulation: The treatment of asbestos-containing material with a liquid that covers the s...
Enclosure: Putting an airtight, impermeable, permanent barrier around asbestos-containin...
End User: Consumer of products for the purpose of recycling. Excludes products for re-u...
End-of-the-pipe: Technologies such as scrubbers on smokestacks and catalytic convertors on aut...
End-use Product: A pesticide formulation for field or other end use. The label has instruction...
Endangered Species: Animals, birds, fish, plants, or other living organisms threatened with extin...
Endangerment Assessment: A study to determine the nature and extent of contamination at a site on the ...
Endocrine Disrupting Compounds EDCs: Endocrine disruptors are exogenous substances that act like hormones in the e...
Endrin: A pesticide toxic to freshwater and marine aquatic life that produces adverse...
Energy Management System: A control system capable of monitoring environmental and system loads and adj...
Energy Recovery: Obtaining energy from waste through a variety of processes (e.g. combustion).
Enforceable Requirements: Conditions or limitations in permits issued under the Clean Water Act Section...
Enforcement: EPA, state, or local legal actions to obtain compliance with environmental la...
Enforcement Decision Document EDD: A document that provides an explanation to the public of EPA's selection of t...
Engineered Controls: Method of managing environmental and health risks by placing a barrier betwee...
Enhanced Inspection and Maintenance: An improved automobile inspection and maintenance program--aimed at reducing ...
Enrichment: The addition of nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon compounds) from ...
Entrain: To trap bubbles in water either mechanically through turbulence or chemically...
Environment: The sum of all external conditions affecting the life, development and surviv...
Environmental Assessment: An environmental analysis prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Pol...
Environmental Audit: An independent assessment of the current status of a party's compliance with ...
Environmental Equity: Equal protection from environmental hazards for individuals, groups, or commu...
Environmental Exposure: Human exposure to pollutants originating from facility emissions. Threshold l...
Environmental Fate: The destiny of a chemical or biological pollutant after release into the envi...
Environmental Fate Data: Data that characterize a pesticide's fate in the ecosystem, considering facto...
Environmental Impact Statement: A document required of federal agencies by the National Environmental Policy ...
Environmental Indicator: A measurement, statistic or value that provides a proximate gauge or evidence...
Environmental Justice: The fair treatment of people of all races, cultures, incomes, and educational...
Environmental Lien: A charge, security, or encumbrance on a property's title to secure payment of...
Environmental Medium: A major environmental category that surrounds or contacts humans, animals, pl...
Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking: Joint EPA, NOAA, and USGS program to provide timely and effective communicati...
Environmental Response Team: EPA experts located in Edison, N.J., and Cincinnati, OH, who can provide arou...
Environmental Risk: The potential for adverse effects on living organisms associated with polluti...
Environmental Site Assessment: The process of determining whether contamination is present on a parcel of re...
Environmental Sustainability: Maintenance of ecosystem components and functions for future generations.
Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Mixture of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar and smok...
Epidemiology: Study of the distribution of disease, or other health-related states and even...
Epilimnion: Upper waters of a thermally stratified lake subject to wind action.
Episode: An air pollution incident in a given area caused by a concentration of atmosp...
Equilibrium: In relation to radiation, the state at which the radioactivity of consecutive...
Equivalent Method: Any method of sampling and analyzing for air pollution which has been demonst...
Erosion: The wearing away of land surface by wind or water, intensified by land-cleari...
Established Treatment Technologies: Technologies for which cost and performance data are readily available.
Estimated Environmental Concentration: The estimated pesticide concentration in an ecosystem.
Estuary: Region of interaction between rivers and near-shore ocean waters, where tidal...
Ethanol: An alternative automotive fuel derived from grain and corn; usually blended w...
Ethylene Dibromide EDB: A chemical used as an agricultural fumigant and in certain industrial process...
Eutrophic Lakes: Shallow, murky bodies of water with concentrations of plant nutrients causing...
Eutrophication: The slow aging process during which a lake, estuary, or bay evolves into a bo...
Evaporation Ponds: Areas where sewage sludge is dumped and dried.
Evapotranspiration: The loss of water from the soil both by evaporation and by transpiration from...
Exceedance: Violation of the pollutant levels permitted by environmental protection stand...
Exclusion: In the asbestos program, one of several situations that permit a Local Educat...
Exclusionary Ordinance: Zoning that excludes classes of persons or businesses from a particular neigh...
Exempt Solvent: Specific organic compounds not subject to requirements of regulation because ...
Exempted Aquifer: Underground bodies of water defined in the Underground Injection Control prog...
Exemption: A state (with primacy) may exempt a public water system from a requirement in...
Exotic Species: A species that is not indigenous to a region.
Experimental Use Permit: A permit granted by EPA that allows a producer to conduct tests of a new pest...
Explosive Limits: The amounts of vapor in the air that form explosive mixtures; limits are expr...
Exports: In solid waste program, municipal solid waste and recyclables transported out...
Exposure: The amount of radiation or pollutant present in a given environment that repr...
Exposure Assessment: Identifying the pathways by which toxicants may reach individuals, estimating...
Exposure Concentration: The concentration of a chemical or other pollutant representing a health thre...
Exposure Indicator: A characteristic of the environment measured to provide evidence of the occur...
Exposure Level: The amount (concentration) of a chemical at the absorptive surfaces of an org...
Exposure Pathway: The path from sources of pollutants via, soil, water, or food to man and othe...
Exposure Route: The way a chemical or pollutant enters an organism after contact; i.e. by ing...
Exposure-Response Relationship: The relationship between exposure level and the incidence of adverse effects.
Extraction Procedure: Determining toxicity by a procedure which simulates leaching; if a certain co...
Extraction Well: A discharge well used to remove groundwater or air.
Extremely Hazardous Substances: Any of 406 chemicals identified by EPA as toxic, and listed under SARA Title ...

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