Faculty of filology department of foreign languages and literature course work

GLOSSARY
Acid: A substance that has a pH of less than 7 (7 = neutral) which can lower the pH value of water or soils to be harmful to growth of crops.
Acre-foot (AF): A quantity or volume of water covering one acre to a depth of one foot; equal to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons.
Activated Carbon: Adsorptive particles or granules of carbon usually obtained by heating carbon (such as wood). These particles or granules have a high capacity to selectively remove certain trace and soluble materials, including many contaminants, from water.
Active Management Area (AMA): The five areas in the state – Prescott, Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson and Santa Cruz – where the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Code, administered by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, recognized the need to aggressively manage finite groundwater resources.
Acute: Occurring over a short period of time; used to describe brief exposures and effects which appear promptly after exposure.
Acute Exposure: A single exposure to a toxic substance which may result in severe biological harm or death. Acute exposures are usually characterized as lasting no longer than a day, as compared to longer, continuing exposure over a period of time.
Best Management Practice (BMP): Methods that have been determined to be the most effective, practical means of preventing or reducing pollution from non-point sources.
Billet: A bar of steel or iron that is in an intermediate manufacturing stage.
Bioaccumulation: The retention and concentration of a substance by an organism.
Bioassay: A test which determines the effect of a chemical on a living organism.
Bioconcentration: The accumulation of a chemical in tissues of an organism (such as fish) to levels that are greater than the level in the medium (such as water) in which the organism resides.
Biological Degradation: A process by which micro-organisms break down waste materials. Nutrient additives may be introduced into a contaminated area (such as groundwater or soil) for the specific purpose of encouraging biodegradation.