Pollutant types, dose-response concepts, and human health impacts as tested on AP Environmental Science. Front: the term or concept. Back: a plain-language definition.
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- Toxicology
- The study of the harmful effects of substances on living organisms and ecosystems.
- Dose
- The amount of a substance that an organism is exposed to or receives.
- LD50 (lethal dose 50)
- The dose of a substance that is lethal to 50 percent of a test population under standardized conditions.
- Dose-response relationship
- The correlation between the amount of exposure to a substance and the magnitude of the biological response or effect.
- Acute toxicity
- Harmful effects that appear rapidly after a single or brief exposure to a substance.
- Chronic toxicity
- Harmful effects that develop slowly from long-term or repeated exposure to a substance.
- Threshold dose
- The minimum amount of a substance required to produce a detectable toxic effect in an organism.
- NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level)
- The highest dose of a substance at which no toxic effects are detected in a test population.
- Bioaccumulation
- The buildup of a toxic substance inside an organism over time as intake exceeds elimination.
- Biomagnification
- The increase in concentration of a substance at progressively higher trophic levels in a food chain.
- Persistent organic pollutant (POP)
- A toxic chemical that resists environmental breakdown and bioaccumulates in organisms and ecosystems.
- Heavy metal
- A dense toxic element, such as mercury, lead, or cadmium, that often bioaccumulates in organisms.
- PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl)
- A synthetic chemical formerly used in electrical equipment that persists in the environment and bioaccumulates in food chains.
- DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
- A persistent pesticide that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies, now restricted in many countries due to environmental harm.
- Lead
- A heavy metal that damages the nervous system, particularly in children, and was historically used in paint and gasoline.