|
Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC)
A system of procedures, checks and audits to judge and control the quality of measurements and reduce the uncertainty of data. Some quality control procedures include having more than one person review the findings and analyzing a sample at different times or laboratories to see if the findings are similar.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The CPSC, a federal commission, protects the public from injury caused by consumer products. The CPSC evaluates products, investigates the causes of product-related injuries and issues and enforces safety standards
Solubility
The largest amount of a substance that can be dissolved in a given amount of a liquid, usually water. For a highly water-soluble compound, such as table salt, a lot can dissolve in water. Motor oil is only slightly soluble in water.
National Toxicology Program (NTP)
NTP, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), coordinates the toxicology research being conducted within DHHS.
Action level
The exposure level (the material's concentration in air) at which OSHA regulations to protect employees take effect (29 CFR 1910.1001-1047); e.g., workplace air analysis employee training, medical monitoring, and record keeping.
Exposure
Contact with a chemical by swallowing, by breathing or by direct contact (such as through the skin or eyes). Exposure may be either short term (acute) or long term (chronic).
Ambient
Occurring over a short time, usually a few minutes or hours. An acute exposure can result in short term or long term health effects. An acute effect happens within a short time after exposure.
Concentration
Any substance that enters a system (the environment, human body, food, etc.) where it is not normally found. Contaminants are usually referred to in a "negative" sense and include substances that spoil food, pollute the environment or cause other adverse effects.
Health registry
A record of people exposed to a specific substance (such as a heavy metal), or having a specific health condition (such as cancer or a communicable disease). New York State maintains several health registries.
Route of exposure
The way in which a person may contact a chemical substance. For example, drinking (ingestion) and bathing (skin contact) are two different routes of exposure to contaminants that may be found in water. See "Exposure".
|
Did You Know?