| ACRONYM | Meaning |
|---|---|
Environmental Science Acronyms | |
| CO | Carbon monoxide (Criterion Pollutant. Health Effects: exposure to elevated levels causes impairment of visual perception, work capacity, manual dexterity, learning ability, and performance of complex tasks; individuals with existing cardiovascular disease at greater risk.) |
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide |
| mg/m3 | micrograms per cubic meter |
| mg/m3 | milligrams per cubic meter |
| MTBE | methyl tertiary butyl ether (a petroleum based methanol derivative), intended to increase the oxygen content of fuels ("oxygenated fuel") so as to enhance fuel efficiency and allow for more complete combustion. Intended to improve air quality, but a hazard to water supplies when underground fuel tanks leak. |
| NOx | nitrogen oxides |
| NO2 | nitrogen dioxide (Criterion Pollutant. Health Effects: Lung irritation; reduced resistance to respiratory infection; continued or frequent exposure in children may cause higher incidence of acute respiratory disease in children. Non-Health Effects: contributes to ozone formation and acidic precipitation, which affect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.) |
| O3 | ozone (Criterion Pollutant. Health Effects: reduced lung functioning, damage to lung tissue; increased sensitivity of the lung to other irritants. Non-health Effects: Reduction in crop yields, damage to trees, damage to ecosystems.) |
| Pb | lead (Criterion Pollutant. Health Effects: damage to kidneys, liver, nervous system, and blood-forming organs; changes in fundamental enzymatic, tenergy transfer, and homeostatic mechanisms in the body; particularly harmful for fetuses, infant and children who may suffer damage to the central nervous system (e.g. seizures, mental retardation, behavioral disorders). |
| PM | particulate matter (Criterion Pollutant. Health Effects: breathing symptoms, aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease; impairment of immune system; damage to lungs, carcinogenesis, premature mortality. Non-health Effects: damage to materials, soiling, visibility impairment. |
| PM-10 | Particulate matter less than 10 microns (micrometers) in diameter |
| PM-2.5 | Particulate matter less than 2.5 microns (micrometers) in diameter |
| ppm | parts per million |
| SO2 | sulfur dioxide (Criterion Pollutant. Health Effects: breathing symptoms, respiratory illness, alterations to lung defenses, aggravatio of existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Non-health Effects: damages foliage on trees and crops, acidification of surface water, accelerated corrosion of buildings and monuments, visibility impairment.) |
| SOx | sulfur oxides |
| TSP | Total suspended particulates |
| VOC | Volatile organic compound |
Environmental Policy Acronyms | |
| AQCR | Air Quality Control Region (Geographical area designated bythe federal government within which common air pollution problems are shared by several communities. |
| AQMD | Air Quality Management District |
| BACT | Best Available Control Technology (For "prevention of significant deterioration" (PSD) areas: any new source in such an area must meet a pollution control standard that aligns with the maximum degree of pollution reduction available. Set on a case-by-case basis, acounting for energy, environmental and other economic impacts and costs.) |
| BART | Best Available Retrofit Technology (In "prevention of significant deterioration" (PSD) areas: an exception to requirements for Best Available Control Technology (BACT) in the case of visibility-impairing pollutants. A "retrofit" is an adaptation made to an existing facility. Must consider factors such as compliance costs, existing control technologyies, and energy and environmental impacts.) |
| CAA | Clean Air Act |
| CAC | Command and Control (An approach to air pollution regulation that basically says what equipment a firm has to have in place, and running properly, in order to satisfy air quality rules.) |
| CBOT | Chicago Board of Trade (operates the EPA's auctions of tradeable SO2 allowances) |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
| ERC | Emission Reduction Credit (In an emission trading program, if a pollution source chooses to control an emission point to a greater degree than is required, it can apply for certification of this excess reduction as an emission reduction credit. These can be banked for later or used to loosen pollution control requirement elsewhere in the firm or sold to other firms.) |
| LAER | Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (A tighter technology-based standard for pollution control, applying to new ormodified sources in nonattainment areas. The most stringent emission limit achieved in practice by the same type of source.) |
| MACT | Maximum Achievable Control Technology (The pollution control technology that achieves the maximum degree of reduction to be achieved by the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).) |
| NAAQS | National Ambient Air Quality Standards (Maximum allowable concentrations of criteria air pollutants emitted from stationary or mobile sources into the outside air.) |
| NAPAP | National Acidic Precipitation Assessment Program |
| NESHAP | National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (Standards set to protect public health and the environment that are applicable to every major source of any identified hazardous air pollutant. NESHAPs are allowed to take into account the costs to attain the standards, any non-air-quality health and environmental impacts, and energy requirements.) |
| NSPS | New Source Performance Standards (Emissions limits applicable to new and modified stationary sources) |
| PSD | Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD areas are air quality control regions meeting or exceeding national ambient air quality standards.) |
| PSI | Pollution Standards Index (An index number that signifies the worst daily air quality in an urban area over some time period. A value of 100 would be exactly equal to the NAAQS standard. 0-50=Good, 51-100=Moderate, 101-199=Unhealthful, 200-299=Very Unhealthful, 300+ = Hazardous.) |
| RACT | Reasonable Available Control Technology (The least stringent of all of the technology-bases standards. Standard applies to existing sources in nonattainment areas. New or modified sources must comply with the lowest achievable emission rate (LAER). |
| RECLAIM | Regional Clean Air Incentives Market (California's program for tradeable permits for sulfur oxides and reactive organic gases) |
| RTC | RECLAIM Trading Credit (Represents one pound of emissions up to a company's emissions cap in the Los Angeles RECLAIM program for NOx and SOx.) |
| SCAQMD | South Coast Air Quality Management District |
| SIP | State Implementation Plan (A detailed procedure outlining how a state intends to implement, monitor, and enforce the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP).) |