Category: Environment Dictionary

Arizona Superfund Response Action Contract (ASRAC): Implements requirements of the WQARF program and the State’s Superfund long-term contracting strategy. Established working relationships between ADEQ and contractors aimed at minimizing administrative costs and maximize project work.

Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.§): State laws adopted by the Arizona State Legislature.

Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency (ARRA): Responsible for the conduct of a statewide radiological health and safety program and for the enforcement of state rules and regulations for the control of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

Arizona Pollution Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES): In Arizona, the point source discharge permitting program established less than 18 A.A.C. 9, Article 9.

Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA): Non-profit corporation — composed of mayors and council members representing Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe — which protects assured, safe and sustainable water supplies.

Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR): Mission is to safeguard the health, safety and economic welfare of the public by protecting, conserving and enhancing Arizona’s water supplies in a bold, thoughtful and innovative manner. ADWR oversees water quantity issues in the state and ADEQ oversees water quality issues.

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ): Executive agency of Arizona state government mandated to enforce and administer the state’s environmental laws and regulations. ADEQ has three divisions – air quality, water quality and waste programs.

Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.): Where the official rules of the state of Arizona are published. Rules are adopted by state agencies, boards or commissions, with specific rulemaking authority from the State Legislature. Rule sections are published in titles and chapters

Area A: In accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes §49-541 , the part of the greater Phoenix Metropolitan area where specific pollution control programs are in place for ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Includes parts of Yavapai and Pinal County.

Aquitard: A geologic formation (usually a layer of material such as clay) that creates an underground barrier to the flow of groundwater.

Aquifer Water Quality Standard (AWQS): State of Arizona maximum levels for contaminants which apply to groundwater in aquifers designated for drinking water use. For example, the AWQS for tetrachloroethene (PCE) is 5 micrograms per liter (g/L).

Aquifer Protection Permit (APP): The Arizona APP program was the first comprehensive groundwater protection program in the nation when it was adopted in 1987.Under the program, all groundwater is protected for drinking water use and discharges cannot cause an exceedance of a drinking water standard in groundwater.

Aquifer: An underground rock formation composed of such materials as sand, soil, or gravel, that can store groundwater and supply it to wells and springs. In aquifers, groundwater occurs in sufficient quantities to be used for drinking water, irrigation, and other purposes.

Anhydrous: Free from water.

Anaerobic: To function without air or oxygen.

Ambient Air: Outside air in the environment.

Ambient Temperature: Temperature of the surrounding air (or other medium).

Alluvial: Relating to mud and/or sand deposited by flowing water. Alluvial deposits may occur after a heavy rain storm.

Airshed: A geographical area where local topography and meteorology limit the dispersion of pollutants away from the area.

Air Stripping: A treatment system that removes or “strips” VOCs from contaminated groundwater or surface water as air is forced through the water, causing the compounds to evaporate. Often the compounds are then captured using air filters.

Air Sparging: An in-situ treatment technology that uses injected air to help remove harmful vapors from polluted soil and groundwater below the water table by injecting air directly into the saturated subsurface to encourage the solvents and gasoline to evaporate faster, which makes them easier to remove with a vacuum.

Air Quality Index (AQI): An index for reporting daily air quality. It determines how clean or polluted air is and what associated health effects might be of concern. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each pollutant, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country.

Air Quality Division (AQD) of ADEQ: Protects and enhances public health and the environment of Arizona by controlling present and future sources of air pollution. Core responsibilities include collecting and analyzing quality assured and precise ambient air monitoring data; preparing pollution forecasts to help people limit their exposure to air pollution and air pollution sources; conducting and collaborating on research and analyses to evaluate pollution sources and their impacts on public health and welfare; investigating complaints and violations of, and achieving compliance with, Arizona’s air pollution laws; issuing permits to industries and other facilities, and for open burning activities that protect public health and welfare; operating and maintaining accurate, convenient, and affordable vehicle emissions inspections programs; and developing air quality plans and rules through partnerships, collaboration and public involvement.

Air Gap: An open vertical drop, or vertical empty space, that separates a drinking (potable) water supply to be protected from another water system in a water treatment plant or other location. This open gap prevents the contamination of drinking water by backsiphonage or backflow because there is no way raw water or any other water can reach the drinking water.

Air Binding: A situation where air enters the filter media. Air is harmful to both the filtration and backwash processes. Air can prevent the passage of water during the filtration process and can cause the loss of filter media during the backwash process.

Aerobic: Requires air or oxygen to function.

Aeration: The process of adding air to water. Air can be added to water by either passing air through water or passing water through air.

Adverse Health Effect: Any effect resulting in a change in body function or cell structure that might lead to disease or health problems.

Advection: The horizontal transfer of heat or matter in the atmosphere.

Adsorption: The adhesion (or sticking) of molecules of gas, liquid, or dissolved solids to a surface.

Adsorbent: The material (activated carbon) that is responsible for removing the undesirable substance in the adsorption process.

Acute Toxicity: The ability of a substance to cause poisonous effects resulting in severe biological harm or death soon after a single exposure or dose. Also, any severe poisonous effect resulting from a single short-term exposure to a toxic substance.

Acute Exposure: A single exposure to a toxic substance which may result in severe biological harm or death.  Acute exposures are usually characterized as lasting no longer than a day, as compared to longer, continuing exposure over a period of time.

Acute: Occurring over a short period of time; used to describe brief exposures and effects which appear promptly after exposure.

Active Management Area (AMA): The five areas in the state – Prescott, Phoenix, Pinal, Tucson and Santa Cruz – where the 1980 Arizona Groundwater Code, administered by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, recognized the need to aggressively manage finite groundwater resources.

Activated Carbon: Adsorptive particles or granules of carbon usually obtained by heating carbon (such as wood). These particles or granules have a high capacity to selectively remove certain trace and soluble materials, including many contaminants, from water.

Acre-foot (AF): A quantity or volume of water covering one acre to a depth of one foot; equal to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons.

Acid: A substance that has a pH of less than 7 (7 = neutral) which can lower the pH value of water or soils to be harmful to growth of crops.

Absorption (of light): A process by which light is taken-up by another material. Examples include soot consisting of tiny black particles, which absorb all visible light; and nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant mostly from diesel and gasoline engines, that absorbs blue light resulting in air with a brown tint.

Absorption: The passage of one substance into or through another.