Laboratory Terms

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

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Waste: 1. Unwanted materials left over from a manufacturing process. 2. Refuse from ...
Waste Characterization: Identification of chemical and microbiological constituents of a waste material.
Waste Exchange: Arrangement in which companies exchange their wastes for the benefit of both ...
Waste Feed: The continuous or intermittent flow of wastes into an incinerator.
Waste Generation: The weight or volume of materials and products that enter the waste stream be...
Waste Load Allocation: 1. The maximum load of pollutants each discharger of waste is allowed to rele...
Waste Minimization: Measures or techniques that reduce the amount of wastes generated during indu...
Waste Piles: Non-containerized, lined or unlined accumulations of solid, nonflowing waste.
Waste Reduction: Using source reduction, recycling, or composting to prevent or reduce waste g...
Waste Stream: The total flow of solid waste from homes, businesses, institutions, and manuf...
Waste Treatment Lagoon: Impoundment made by excavation or earth fill for biological treatment of wast...
Waste Treatment Plant: A facility containing a series of tanks, screens, filters and other processes...
Waste Treatment Stream: The continuous movement of waste from generator to treater and disposer.
Waste-Heat Recovery: Recovering heat discharged as a byproduct of one process to provide heat need...
Waste-to-Energy Facility: Facility where recovered municipal solid waste is converted into a usable for...
Wastewater: The spent or used water from a home, community, farm, or industry that contai...
Wastewater Infrastructure: The plan or network for the collection, treatment, and disposal of sewage in ...
Wastewater Operations and Maintenance: Actions taken after construction to ensure that facilities constructed to tre...
Wastewater Treatment Plan: A facility containing a series of tanks, screens, filters, and other processe...
Water Purveyor: A public utility, mutual water company, county water district, or municipalit...
Water Quality Criteria: Levels of water quality expected to render a body of water suitable for its d...
Water Quality Standards: State-adopted and EPA-approved ambient standards for water bodies. The standa...
Water Quality-Based Limitations: Effluent limitations applied to dischargers when mere technology-based limita...
Water Quality-Based Permit: A permit with an effluent limit more stringent than one based on technology p...
Water Solubility: The maximum possible concentration of a chemical compound dissolved in water....
Water Storage Pond: An impound for liquid wastes designed to accomplish some degree of biochemica...
Water Supplier: One who owns or operates a public water system.
Water Supply System: The collection, treatment, storage, and distribution of potable water from so...
Water Table: The level of groundwater.
Water Treatment Lagoon: An impound for liquid wastes designed to accomplish some degree of biochemica...
Water Well: An excavation where the intended use is for location, acquisition, developmen...
Water-Soluble Packaging: Packaging that dissolves in water; used to reduce exposure risks to pesticide...
Water-Source Heat Pump: Heat pump that uses wells or heat exchangers to transfer heat from water to t...
Waterborne Disease Outbreak: The significant occurence of acute illness associated with drinking water fro...
Watershed: The land area that drains into a stream; the watershed for a major river may ...
Watershed Approach: A coordinated framework for environmental management that focuses public and ...
Watershed Area: A topographic area within a line drawn connecting the highest points uphill o...
Weight of Scientific Evidence: Considerations in assessing the interpretation of published information about...
Weir: 1. A wall or plate placed in an open channel to measure the flow of water. 2....
Well: A bored, drilled, or driven shaft, or a dug hole whose depth is greater than ...
Well Field: Area containing one or more wells that produce usable amounts of water or oil.
Well Injection: The subsurface emplacement of fluids into a well.
Well Monitoring: Measurement by on-site instruments or laboratory methods of well water quality.
Well Plug: A watertight, gastight seal installed in a bore hole or well to prevent movem...
Well Point: A hollow vertical tube, rod, or pipe terminating in a perforated pointed shoe...
Wellhead Protection Area: A protected surface and subsurface zone surrounding a well or well field supp...
Wetlands: An area that is saturated by surface or ground water with vegetation adapted ...
Wettability: The relative degree to which a fluid will spread into or coat a solid surface...
Wettable Powder: Dry formulation that must be mixed with water or other liquid before it is ap...
Wheeling: The transmission of electricity owned by one entity through the facilities ow...
Whole-Effluent-Toxicity Tests: Tests to determine the toxicity levels of the total effluent from a single so...
Wildlife Refuge: An area designated for the protection of wild animals, within which hunting a...
Wire-to-Wire Efficiency: The efficiency of a pump and motor together.
Wood Packaging: Wood products such as pallets, crates, and barrels.
Wood Treatment Facility: An industrial facility that treats lumber and other wood products for outdoor...
Wood-Burning-Stove Pollution: Air pollution caused by emissions of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, tot...
Working Level Month WLM: A unit of measure used to determine cumulative exposure to radon.
Working Level WL: A unit of measure for documenting exposure to radon decay products, the so-ca...

Analytical testing dots

Ask an Expert

Call 1-800-695-7222 for a Quick Quote, or reach us online...

Contact Form