Ashland 1
Ashland 2
Bliss/Laughlin
Dayton I
Dayton III
Dayton IV
DaytonWarehouse Guterl
Harshaw
Linde
Luckey
Painesville
NFSS
Seaway
SLDA
Ton. Landfill
Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
Environmental Glossary: A - B |
A |
|
|---|---|
ALARA |
As Low As Reasonably Achievable, or keeping radiation emissions and exposures to levels set as far below regulatory limits as is rasonably possible in order to protect public health and the environment. |
alpha radiation |
The most energetic but least penetrating form of radiation. It can be stopped by a sheet of paper and cannot penetrate human skin. However, if an alpha-emitting isotope is inhaled or ingested, it will cause highly concentrated local damage. |
aquifer |
A permeable body of rock capable of yielding quantities of groundwater to wells and springs. |
AR |
Administrative Record, a required, comprehensive file of documents that forms the basis of decisions made regarding cleanup. |
ARARs |
Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements, a comprehensive set of laws and regulations that are relevant to guide the selection of cleanup activity at a particular site. |
asbestos |
A strong and incombustible fiber widely used in the past for fireproofing and insulation. The small, buoyant fibres are easily inhaled or swallowed, causing a number of serious diseases including: asbestosis, a chronic disease of the lungs that makes breathing more and more difficult; cancer; and mesothelioma, a cancer (specific to asbestos exposure) of the membranes that line the chest and abdomen. |
atom |
The smallest particle of an element having the chemical properties of that element; the fundamental building block of matter. |
B |
|
background radiation |
The natural radioactivity in the environment. Natural radiation consists of cosmic rays, filtered through the atmosphere from outer space, and radiation from the naturally radioactive elements in the earth (primarily uranium, thorium, radium and potassium). Also known as natural radiation. |
baseline risk assessment |
(See BRA). |
BDN |
Biodenitrification, the process of breaking down nitrates into harmless elements through the use of living bacteria. |
beta radiation |
High-energy electrons (beta particles) emitted from certain radioactive material. Can pass through 1 to 2 centimeters of water or human flesh and can be shielded by a thin sheet of aluminum. Beta particles are more deeply penetrating than alpha particles but, because of their smaller size, cause less localized damage. |
biological effects |
The early or delayed results of biological damages caused by nuclear radiation (alpha, beta, gamma). |
biosphere |
The part of the earth and its atmosphere in which living things exist. |
BNI |
Bechtel National, Inc., the management contractor for the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. |
BRA |
Baseline Risk Assessment, the study and estimation of risk from taking no activity. Involves estimates of probability and consequence. |
|
