Environmental Terms and Definitions

Acute
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.

OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Liquid trap
Means sumps, well cellars, and other traps used in association with oil and gas production, gathering, and extraction operations (including gas production plants), for the purpose of collecting oil, water, and other liquids. These liquid traps may temporarily collect liquids for subsequent disposition or reinjection into a production or pipeline stream, or may collect and separate liquids from a gas stream.

AHM
Acutely Hazardous Material

Incineration
(1) burning of certain types of solid, liquid or gaseous materials. (2) a treatment technology involving destruction of waste by controlled burning at high temperatures, e.g., burning sludge to remove the water and reduce the remaining residues to a safe, non-burnable ash which can be disposed of safely on land, in some waters or in underground locations.

Aquifer
An underground source of water. This water may be contained in a layer of rock, sand or gravel.

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".

Remediation
Correction or improvement of a problem, such as work that is done to clean up or stop the release of chemicals from a contaminated site. After investigation of a site, remedial work may include removing soil and/or drums, capping the site or collecting and treating the contaminated fluids.

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.

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).