10 Wastewater Environmental Term Glossary

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10 Wastewater and Environmental Term

Glossary
Absorption: the movement of ions and water into an organism as a result of
metabolic processes, frequently against an electrochemical potential gradient
(active) or as a result of diffusion along an activity gradient (passive).

Acetogenic Bacterium: Prokaryotic organism that uses carbonate as a terminal


electron acceptor and produces acetic acid as a waste product.

Acidity: the strength (concentration of hydrogen [H+] ions) of an acidic


substance; measured as pH.

Acidophile: organism that grows best under acid conditions (down to a pH of 1).

Acid Soil: soil with a pH value less than 6.6.

Acre-foot: the amount of water required to cover one acre [4047m²] to a depth
of one foot [30.48cm]. An acre-foot equals 325,850 gallons, or 43,560 cubic feet
or 1,233.34m3. A flow of 1 cubic feet per second [1,699L/minute] produce 1.98
acre-feet [2,442m3] per day.

Actinomycete: nontaxonomic term applied to a group of high G + C base


composition, Gram-positive bacteria that have a superficial resemblance to fungi.
Includes many but not all organisms belonging to the order Actinomycetales.

Activated Carbon Absorption: the process of pollutants moving out of water


and attaching on to activated carbon.

Activated Sludge Process: a sewage treatment process by which bacteria


feeding on organic wastes are continuously circulated and put in contact with
organic waste in the presence of oxygen to increase the rate of decomposition.

Active Site: region of an enzyme where substrates bind.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP): common energy-donating molecule in


biochemical reactions. Also an important compound in transfer of phosphate
groups.

Aeration: the act of mixing air (oxygen) with a liquid solution.

Aerobic: with air or oxygen

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Agar: complex polysaccharide derived from certain marine algae that is a gelling
agent for solid or semisolid microbiological media. Agar consists of about 70%
agarose and 30% agaropectin. Agar can be melted at temperatures above
100°C [212°F]; gelling temperature is 40-50°C [104 - 122°F].

Algae: any of a large group of simple plants that contain chlorophyll; are not
divisible into roots, stems and leaves; do not produce seeds; and include the
seaweed and related freshwater and land plants.

Algal Bloom: a heavy growth of algae in and on a body of water; usually results
from high nitrate and phosphate concentrations entering water bodies from farm
fertilizers and detergents; phosphates also occur naturally under certain
conditions.

Aliphatic: organic compound in which the main carbon structure is a straight


chain.

Alkaline Soil: soil having a pH value > than 7.3.

Alkane: Straight chain or branched organic structure that lacks double bonds.

Alkene: Straight chain or branched organic structure that contains at least one
double bond.

Alum: as used in drinking water treatment, aluminum sulfate; added to water in


drinking water treatment facilities to cause dirt and other particles to clump
together and fall to the bottom of settling basins.

Amino Group: an NH2 group attached to a carbon skeleton as in the amines and
amino acids.

Ammonia-Nitrogen: Generally refers to a nitrogen content of a sample


measured as ammonia or ammonium salt. Not the total N in the sample. N can
also be measured as nitrate or as total N (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen - see TKN)

Ammonification: Liberation of ammonium (ammonia) from organic nitrogenous


compounds by the action of microorganisms.

Amoeba (plural, amoebae): protozoa that can alter their cell shape, usually by
the extrusion of one or more pseudopodia.

Anaerobic: without air or oxygen

Anoxic: without free oxygen but containing oxygen substitute such as nitrate
that can be utilized by certain aerobic microorganisms.

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Antiseptic: agent that kills or inhibits microbial growth but is not harmful to
human tissue.

Aquaculture: the science, art, and business of cultivating marine or freshwater


food fish or shellfish, such as oysters, clams, salmon, and trout, under controlled
or semi-controlled conditions.

Aquatic: A fresh-water inland habitat (as opposed to a marine or salt-water


environment).

Aquifier: an underground layer of unconsolidated rock or soil that is saturated


with usable amounts of water (a zone of saturation).

Aromatic: organic compounds which contain a benzene ring, or a ring with a


similar chemical characteristics.

Autotroph: organism which uses carbon dioxide as the sole carbon source.

Autotrophic nitrification: oxidation of ammonium to nitrate through the


combined action of two chemoautotrophic organisms, one forming nitrite from
ammonium and the other oxidizing nitrite to nitrate.

Bacteria: bacteria are single-cell microbes that grow in nearly every environment
on Earth. They are used to study diseases and produce antibiotics, to ferment
foods, to make chemical solvents, and in many other applications.

Bactericide: a pesticide used to control or destroy bacteria, typically in the


home, schools, or hospital equipment.

Bay: a large estuarine system (Example: Chesapeake Bay).

Benthic: The anaerobic layer of soil or substrate at the bottom of a pond or


other aquatic environment.

Benthic Zone: the lower region of a body of water including the bottom.

Biodegradable: capable of being decomposed (broken down) by natural


biological processes.

Biodegradation: Breakdown of pollutants and solid wastes through the action of


microbes.

Biomass: The total quantity of cellular material in a microbial population.

Binary Fission: division of one cell into two cells by the formation of a septum.
It is the most common form of cell division in bacteria.

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Binomial Nomenclature: system of having two names, genus and specific
epithet, for each organism.

Bioremediation: the use of living organisms (e.g., bacteria) to clean up oil spills
or remove other pollutants from soil, water and wastewater.

Biofilm: microbial cells encased in an adhesive, usually a polysaccharide


material, and attached to a surface.

Biosolids: solid materials resulting from wastewater treatment that meet


government criteria for beneficial use, such as for fertilizer.

Biotechnology: use of living organisms to carry out defined physiochemical


processes having industrial or other practical application.

Blackwater: wastewater that contains animal, human, or food wastes.

Blue Baby Syndrome: a pathological condition, called methemoglobinemia, in


which the blood’s capacity for oxygen transport is reduced, resulting in bluish
skin discoloration in infants; ingestion of water contaminated with nitrates or
certain other substances is a cause.

BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand): a measure of the organic content of water.


Determined by allowing natural or added seed bacteria to metabolize (oxidize)
the organic material using the oxygen dissolved in the sample. The laboratory
test is incubated for 5 days at 20°C [68°F]; hence the results are designated
BOD5. BOD values are expressed as milligrams of oxygen consumed per liter of
wastewater (mg/L). Domestic sewage has a BOD5 value of 250 - 300 mg/L.
"BOD" represents the most easily metabolized organic compounds in the
sample, the more difficult to metabolize compounds are not measured in this test.

BTEX: Major components found in hydrocarbon contaminated environments.


Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene.

Carbon Cycle: sequence where carbon dioxide is converted to organic forms by


photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, recycled through the biosphere, with partial
incorporation into sediments, and ultimately returned to its original state through
respiration or combustion.

Carcinogenic: describing a substance that tends to produce cancer.

Catalyst: substance that promotes a chemical reaction by lowering the


activation energy without itself being changed in the end. Enzymes are a form of
catalyst.

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CBOD (Carbonaceous BOD): (see NBOD) CBOD is used as substitute to BOD
test for discharge permits in situations where nitrification is known to occur.

Cell Wall: layer or structure that lies outside the cytoplasm membrane; it
supports and protects the membrane and gives the cell shape.

Cellulose: glucose polysaccharide (with beta-1, 4-linkage) that is the main


component of plant cell walls. Most abundant polysaccharide on earth.

CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and


Liability Act): also known as “SuperFund”; legislation passed in 1980 and
amended in 1986 by the SuperFund Amendments and Reauthorization Act
(SARA). It provides for short-term actions called removal actions in response to
accidents and improper handling of hazardous materials, which pose an
immediate threat to human health and safety. It also provides for long-term
actions called remedial actions for cleanups of other sites, which pose no
immediate threat to public safety.

Cesspool: a covered hole or pit for receiving untreated sewage.

CFU: Colony Forming Units

Chelate (Chelator): organic chemical that forms ring compound in which a metal
is held between two or more atoms strongly enough to diminish the rate at which
it becomes fixed by soil, thereby making it more available for plant and microbial
uptake.

Chemical: related to the science of chemistry; a substance characterized by a


definite chemical molecular composition.

Chlorination: water disinfection by chlorine gas or hypochlorite.

Chlorine: a chemical element, symbol Cl, atomic number 17, atomic weight
35.453; used as a disinfectant in drinking and wastewater treatment processes.

Chromatography: any technique used to separate different species of


molecules (or ions) by subjecting them to two different carrier phases: mobile
and stationary phases.

Chromosome: genetic element carrying information essential to cellular


metabolism. Prokaryotes have a single chromosome, consisting of a circular
DNA molecule. Eukaryotes contain more than one chromosome, each
containing a linear DNA molecule complexed with specific proteins.

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Clean Water Act: water pollution control laws based upon the Federal Water
Pollution Control Act of 1972 with amendments passed in 1977, 1981, and 1987;
main objective is to restore and maintain the “chemical, physical, and biological
integrity of the Nation’s waters.”

Closed system: a system that functions without any materials or processes


beyond those it contains and/or produces itself.

CMD: Cubic Meters per Day.

CNP ratio: Carbon to Nitrogen to Phosphorus ratio (C:N:P), the three most
important nutrients for bacterial, fungal, and algal growth. In wastewater a value
of 100:5:1 is adequate for bacterial growth. In situations where soil or water is
contaminated with petroleum or other non-polar chemicals, the limiting nutrients
are usually N and P. Often, common NPK fertilizers will overcome the nutrient
deficiency and will encourage microbial remediation.

Coagulation: in water treatment, the use of chemicals to make suspended solids


gather or group together into small flocs.

Coccus: spherical bacterial cells.

COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand): also a measure of the organic content of


water. Determined by chemically oxidizing the organic material with a strong
chemical-oxidizing agent. More organic material is measured in the COD test
than in the BOD test because bacteria are limited to what organic compounds
they can metabolize in 5 days. In other words, COD is a measure of all the
organic material, whereas BOD is a measure of only a portion of the organic
material. Domestic sewage has a COD value of 500 - 600 mg/L (1.5 - 2x the
BOD5 value).

Coliforms: bacteria found in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals; used


as indicators of fecal contamination in water.

Colonization: establishment of a community of microorganisms at a specific site


or ecosystem.

Colony: clone of bacterial cells on a solid medium that is visible to the naked
eye.

Cometabolism: transformation of a substrate by a microorganism without


deriving energy, carbon, or nutrients from the substrate. The organism can
transform the substrate into intermediate degradation products but fails to
multiply at its expense.

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Competition: rivalries between two or more species for a limiting factor in the
environment that usually results in reduced growth of participating organisms.

Compost: organic residues which have been mixed, piled, and moistened, with
or without addition of fertilizer and lime, and generally allowed to undergo
thermophilic decomposition until the original organic materials are substantially
altered or decomposed.

Consortium: two or more members of a natural assemblage in which each


organism benefits from the other. The group may collectively carryout some
process that no single member can accomplish on its own.

Contaminant: an impurity, which causes air, soil, or water to be harmful to


human health or the environment.
Contaminate: to make impure (not pure) by contact or mixture; to introduce a
substance into the air, water, or soil that reduces its usefulness to humans and
other organisms in nature.

Contamination: the state of being contaminated or impure (not pure) by contact


or mixture; the state of having a substance introduced into the air, water, or soil
that reduces its usefulness to humans and other organisms in nature.

Cooling Towers: a tower-like device in which atmospheric air circulates and


cools warm water, generally by direct contact (evaporation).

Cradle to Grave: phrase used to describe regulations that are part of the
Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which requires that
hazardous wastes be tracked from their points of origin to their proper disposal.
These regulations are designed to protect groundwater, as well as other
resources, from contamination by improper treatment, storage, and disposal of
solid wastes and are aimed at ending irresponsible "midnight dumping”.

Culture: population of microorganisms cultivated in an artificial growth medium.


A pure culture is grown from a single cell; a mixed culture consists of two or more
microbial species or strains growing together.

Cyanobacterium: prokaryotic, oxygenic phototrophic bacterium containing


chlorophyll a and phycobilins, formerly the "blue-green algae."

Decompose: to decay or rot; a result of microbial action.

Decomposer: heterotrophic organism that breaks down organic compounds.

Decomposition: the process of rotting and decay which causes the complex
organic materials in plants and animals to break down into simple inorganic
elements which can be returned to the atmosphere and soil.

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Degradable: capable of decomposition; chemical or biological.

Degradation: process whereby a compound is usually transformed into a


simpler compound.

Denitrification: reduction of nitrate or nitrite to molecular nitrogen or nitrogen


oxides by microbial activity (dissimilatory nitrate reduction) or by chemical
reactions involving nitrite (chemical denitrification).

Detection Limit: the lowest level that can be determined by a specific analytical
procedure or test method.

Diatom: alga with siliceous cell walls that persist as a skeleton after death. Any
of the microscopic unicellular or colonial alga constituting the class
Bacillariophycae.

Diatomaceous Earth: geologic deposit of fine, grayish siliceous material


composed chiefly or wholly of the remains of diatoms. It may occur as a powder
or as a porous, rigid material.

Digestion: decomposition of organic waste materials by the action of microbes;


the process of sewage treatment by the decomposition of organic matter.

Dilution Plate Count Method: method for estimating the viable numbers of
microorganisms in a sample. The sample is diluted serially and then transferred
to agar plates to permit growth and quantification of colony-forming units.

Dinitrogen Fixation: conversion of molecular dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia and


subsequently to organic combination or to forms useful in biological processes.

Direct Count: method of estimating the total number of microorganisms in a


given mass of soil by direct microscopic examination.

Disinfectant: agent that kills microorganisms.

Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA): use of nitrate by


organisms as an alternate electron acceptor in the absence of oxygen resulting in
the reduction of nitrate to ammonium.

Dissolved solids: materials that enter a water body in a solid phase and
dissolve in water.

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic Acid; the extremely complex double-helix molecule


containing the genetic information (genes) for an entire organism. Directs all
cellular functions and determines heredity.

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DO (Dissolved Oxygen): the oxygen content of water measured in mg/L. At sea
level O2 has solubility in clean water of 7.5 mg/L at 20°C [68°F]. Aerobic
microorganisms need 2 mg/L DO to grow but active growth in nutrient laden
water will quickly deplete the dissolved O2 and continued growth requires a
constant supply through aeration.

Doubling Time: time needed for a population to double in a number or biomass.

Dredge: The deepening of bodies of water, lagoons, lakes etc. using any of
various machines equipped with scooping or suction devices.

Ecology: a branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms


and their environments; the totality or pattern of relations between organisms and
their environment.

Ecosystem: community of organisms and the environment in which they live.

Effluent: waste material, such as water from sewage treatment or manufacturing


plants, discharged into the environment.

Electron Acceptor: substance that donates electrons in an oxidation-reduction


reaction. An electron acceptor is an oxidant.

Electron Donor: substance that donates electrons in an oxidation-reduction


reaction. An electron donor is a reductant.

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (SARA


Title III): law requiring federal, state and local governments and industry which
are involved in either emergency planning and/or reporting of hazardous
chemicals. This allows public access to information about the presence of
hazardous chemicals in the community and releases of such substances into the
environment.

Endospore: differentiated cell formed within the cells of certain Gram-positive


bacteria and extremely resistant to heat and other harmful agents.

Enrichment Culture: technique in which environmental (including nutritional)


conditions are controlled to favor the development of a specific organism or
group of organisms.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): the U.S. agency responsible for


efforts to control air and water pollution, radiation and pesticide hazards,
ecological research, and solid waste disposal.

Enzyme: Any of a vast number of protein biochemicals produced by living cells,


which can catalyze a chemical reaction, involved in biosynthesis.

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Estuary: the area where a river empties into an ocean; a bay, influenced by the
ocean tides, resulting in a mixture of salt water and fresh water.

Eutrophic: pertaining to a lake containing a high concentration of dissolved


nutrients; often shallow, with periods of oxygen deficiency.

Eutrophication: a naturally occurring change that take place after a water body
receives inputs of nutrients, mostly nitrates and phosphates, from erosion and
runoff of surrounding lands; this process can be accelerated by human activities.

Ex situ: Out of or removed from. Refers to treatments that require removal or


excavation of soils, etc.

Exponential Growth: period of sustained growth of a microorganism in which


the cell number constantly doubles within a fixed time period.

Exponential Phase: period during the growth cycle of a population in which


growth increases at an exponential rate. As referred to as logarithmic phase.

Facultative Organism: organism that can carry out both options of a mutually
exclusive process (e.g., aerobic and anaerobic metabolism).

Federal Water Pollution Control Act (Clean Water Act): the law to restore and
maintain the "chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters”.

Filamentous: in the form of very long rods, many times longer than wide (for
bacteria), in the form of long branching strands (for fungi).

Fish kill: the sudden death of fish due to the introduction of pollutants or the
reduction of the dissolved oxygen concentration in a water body.

Fishery: a place engaged in the occupation or industry of catching fish or taking


seafood from bodies of water; a place where such an industry is conducted.

Flocculation: the process of forming aggregated or compound masses of


particles, such as a cloud or a precipitate.

F/M (Food-to-microorganism ratio): the amount of organic loading into the


activated sludge system expressed as kilograms of BOD per kilogram of MLSS.
A low F/M means the microorganisms in the aeration basin are starved and are
more efficient at removing the organic material (food). (Optimum .2 - .5)

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FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease): the term "grease", as commonly used, includes
fats, oils, waxes, and related compounds extractable by using
trichlorotrifluoroethane (Freon). Generally, fats and oils are similar compounds
with fats being solid and oils being liquid at ordinary temperatures. FOG values
can also include lubricating oils, kerosene, and road oils. Bacteria easily
decompose FOG compounds. Sometimes the term Oil and Grease is used
instead of FOG but the same extraction methods are used and the terms are
synonymous.

Fresh Water: water containing less than 1,000 parts per million (ppm) of
dissolved solids at any time. Water containing an insignificant amount of salts,
such as in inland rivers and lakes.

Gallon: A unit of volume. A U.S. gallon contains 231 cubic inches, 0.133 cubic
feet, or 3.785 liters. One U.S. gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds.

Gas Chromatography (GC): chromatographic technique in which the stationary


phase is a solid or an immobile liquid and the mobile phase is gaseous. The
gaseous samples are separated based on their differential absorption to the
stationary phase.

GC/MS: A highly sophisticated analytical instrument or procedure that combines


a gas chromatograph with a mass spectrometer for precise identification of
chemical compounds.

Generation Time: time needed for a population to double in number or biomass.

Genus (plural, genera): the first name of the scientific name (binomial); the
taxon between family and species.

Gram Stain: differential stain that divides bacteria into two groups, Gram-positive
and Gram-negative, based on the ability to retain crystal violet when decolorized
with an organic solvent such as ethanol. The cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria
consists chiefly of peptidoglycan and lacks the outer membrane of Gram-
negative cells.

Gray Water: domestic wastewater composed of wash water from sinks, kitchen
sinks, bathroom sinks and tubs, and laundry tubs.

Groundwater: water that infiltrates into the earth and is stored in usable
amounts in the soil and rock below the earth's surface; water within the zone of
saturation.

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H2S: Hydrogen sulfide, a common odor compound in wastewater and high
organic content, anaerobic soils. Toxic in high concentrations. Readily soluble in
water. Low concentrations readily detected by human nose; smells like rotten
eggs. Formed under anaerobic conditions, that already produced generally
reduced by aeration.

Halophile: organism requiring or tolerating a saline environment.

Hazardous chemicals: chemical compounds that are dangerous to human


health and/or the environment.

Hazardous waste: waste containing chemical compounds that are dangerous to


human health and/or the environment.

Hectare: A metric unit of area equal to 10,000m2 (2.471 acres)

Heterotroph: an organism that is not capable of making its own food.

Heterotrophic Nitrification: biochemical oxidation of ammonium to nitrite and


nitrate by heterotrophic microorganisms.

HRT (Hydraulic Retention Time): the average time the influent wastewater
spends in the aeration tank.

Humus: total of the organic compounds in soil exclusive of undecayed plant and
animal tissues, their "partial decomposition" products, and the soil biomass. The
term is often used synonymously with soil organic matter.

Hydrogen sulfide gas: a flammable, toxic, colorless gas with an offensive odor
(similar to rotten eggs).

Incineration: The destruction of solid, liquid, or gaseous wastes by controlled


burning at high temperatures. Hazardous organic compounds are converted to
ash, carbon dioxide, and water. Burning destroys organics, reduces the volume
of waste, and vaporizes water and other liquids the wastes may contain. The
residue ash produced may contain some hazardous material, such as non-
combustible heavy metals, concentrated from the original waste.

Indigenous: Living naturally in an environment; naturally occurring.

Injection wells: a well in which fluids (such as wastewater, saltwater, natural


gas, or used chemicals) are injected deep in the ground for the purpose of
disposal or to force adjacent fluids like oil into the vicinity of oil producing wells.

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Inoculate: to treat with microorganisms for the purpose of creating a favorable
response. For example, treatment of legume seeds with rhizobia to stimulate N2
fixation.

Inoculum: material used to introduce a microorganism into a suitable situation


for growth.

Inorganic material: material derived from non-organic, or nonliving, sources.

In situ: In place; refers to treatment of soils and groundwater where they are
found without movement or excavation.

Isolation: any procedure in which an organism present in a particular sample or


environment, is obtained in pure culture.

Lagoon: as a wastewater treatment method, an animal waste treatment method


which uses a deep pond to treat manure and other runoff from a livestock
operation, may be aerobic or anaerobic (both use bacteria to break down
wastes).

Lag Phase: period after inoculation of fresh growth medium during which
population numbers do not increase.

Leaking underground storage tank (LUST): an underground container used to


store gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, or other chemicals that is damaged
in some way and is leaking its contents into the ground; may contaminate
groundwater.

Lichen: fungus and an alga or a cyanobacterium living in symbiotic association.

Limiting factor: a factor whose absence exerts influence upon a population and
may be responsible for no growth, limited growth (decline), or rapid growth.

Lysis: Breaking up of the microbial cell and release of the cytoplasm; bursting of
the cell membrane causing death.

Macronutrient: a substance required in large amounts for growth, usually


attaining a concentration of less than 500 mg/kg in mature plants. Usually refers
to N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S.

Marine: A saltwater ocean habitat (as opposed to an aquatic or freshwater


environment).

Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (Ocean Dumping


Act): legislation regulating the dumping of any material in the ocean that may

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adversely affect human health, marine environments, or the economic potential
of the ocean.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS): Printed material concerning a hazardous


chemical, or Extremely Hazardous Substance, including its physical properties,
hazards to personnel, fire and explosion potential, safe handling
recommendations, health effects, fire fighting techniques, reactivity, and proper
disposal. Originally established for employee safety by OSHA.

Mercaptans: A series of organic sulfur containing compounds such as allyl,


amyl, benzyl, crotyl, ethyl, methyl, propylmercaptan that all have unpleasant
odors. All contain a -SH group coupled to a carbon chain. Formed by the
decomposition (usually anaerobic) of sulfur containing organic carbon
compounds. Oxidizing chemicals (chlorine, ozone, H2O2, permanganate) and
aerobic conditions help prevent their formation or help reduce their concentration
and odor.

Mesophilic: The preference of a microbe for medium temperatures of 68° to


113°F [20° to 45°C].

Metabolism: Internal cellular biochemical reactions necessary for the


maintenance of life.

Methanogen: bacteria capable of the complete reduction of carbon to methane


(CH4). They are strict anaerobes requiring a reducing environment.

MGD: Million Gallons Per Day.

Microbe: Microscopic unicellular life form; microorganism. Generally the


vegetative form of bacteria and fungi.

Microbial biomass: total mass of microorganism alive in a given volume or


mass of soil.

Microbial digestion: breakdown and use of a substance by microorganisms.

Microbial Population: total number of living microorganisms in a given volume


or mass of soil.

Microbiology: the science and study of microorganisms, including protozoans,


algae, fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

Micrograms Per Liter (ug/L): micrograms per liter of water. One thousand
micrograms per liter is equivalent to one milligram per liter. This measure is
equivalent to parts per billion (ppb).

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Micrometer: one millionth of a meter, the unit usually used for measuring
microorganisms.
Micronutrient: A trace element essential in nutrition.

Microorganisms (Microbe): organisms too small to be seen with the unaided


eye, including bacteria, protozoans, yeasts, viruses, and algae.

MLSS (Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids): the contents of the aeration tank in
an activated sludge system are called the mixed liquor. The MLSS is the total
amount of organic and mineral suspended solids including the microorganisms.

MLSS is determined by filtering the mixed liquor, drying the filter at 105°C
[221°F] and determining the weight of the solids.

MLVSS (Mixed Liquor Volatile Suspended Solids): the organic portion of the
MLSS that consists of non-microbial organic as well as dead and live
microorganisms. Determined by heating sample to 600-650°C [1112-1202°F].
MLVSS values are usually about 65-75% of MLSS.

Mutant: organism, population, gene or chromosome that differs from the


corresponding wild type by one or more base pairs.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): part of the Clean


Water Act requiring municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities to
obtain permits which specify the types and amounts of pollutants that may be
discharged into water bodies.

NBOD (Nitrogenous BOD): BOD value of a wastewater that includes the


oxygen demand of the biological oxidation of ammonia to NO3- (nitrate) and
NO2- (nitrite) by nitrifying bacteria. The contribution to the BOD value by the
noncarbonaceous components can be eliminated by using nitrifying bacteria
inhibitors during the BOD test. The resulting test is called the CBOD
(Carbonaceous BOD).

Nitrates: used generically for materials containing this ion group made of
nitrogen and oxygen; sources include animal wastes and some fertilizers; can
seep into groundwater; linked to human health problems, including "blue baby"
syndrome (methemoglobinemia).

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS): pollution that cannot be traced to a single


point (Example: outlet or pipe) because it comes from many individual places or
a widespread area (typically urban, rural, and agricultural runoff).

NPDES: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System under the Clean


Water Act. Applies to permits for discharge of water effluents into surface
waters.

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Nutrient: an element or compound, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and
potassium, which is necessary for plant growth.

Obligate: (i) Adjective referring to an environmental factor (for example, oxygen)


that is always required for growth. (ii) Organism that can grow and reproduce
only by obtaining carbon and other nutrients from a living host, such as obligate
symbiont.

Oil Pollution Act: legislation that imposes substantial penalties and liability for
oil spills in the ocean; violators are responsible for the cost of the cleanup and
restoration of natural resources.

Oil slick: a smooth area on the surface of water caused by the presence of oil.

Organic material: material derived from organic, or living, things; also, relating
to or containing carbon compounds.

Oxidation-Reduction (redox) Reaction: coupled pair of reactions, in which one


compound becomes oxidized, while another becomes reduced and takes up the
electrons released in the oxidation reaction.

Oxygen Depletion: the reduction of the dissolved oxygen level in a water body.

PAHs (Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons): Complex organic compounds that


are found in a variety of organic materials. Especially in crude oil and related
compounds. Can be remediated slowly by aerobic and/or anaerobic
microorganisms.

Pathogen: A disease-causing microbe.

Petroleum products: products derived from petroleum or natural gas.

Phosphate: used generically for materials containing a phosphate group;


sources include some fertilizers and detergents; when wastewater containing
phosphates is discharged into surface waters, these chemicals act as nutrient
pollutants (causing overgrowth of aquatic plants).

Photic Zone: Uppermost layer of a body of water or soil that receives enough
sunlight to permit the occurrence of photosynthesis.

pH: the measure of acidity or alkalinity. pH 7 is considered "neutral" with values


below 7 being acidic and over 7 being alkaline. pH 5 is 10 times as acid as pH 6.
pH 4 is 100 times pH 6. Bacteria can thrive in otherwise favorable environments
if the pH is between 5 and 9.

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Plate Count: number of colonies formed on a solid culture medium when
uniformly inoculated with a known amount of soil, generally as a dilute soil
suspension. The technique estimates the number of certain organisms present
in the soil sample.

Plume: the area taken up by contaminant(s) in an aquifer.

Point source pollution: pollution that can be traced to a single point source,
such as a pipe or culvert (Example: industrial and wastewater treatment plant,
and certain storm water discharges).

Polymer: large molecule formed by polymerization of monomeric units.

Polysaccharide: long chain of monosaccharides (sugars) linked by glycosidic


bonds.

Porosity: volume of pores in a soil sample (nonsolid volume) divided by the bulk
volume of the sample.

POTW: Publicly Owned Treatment Works; refers to a wastewater treatment


plant owned by a government entity.

ppb (parts per billion): number of parts of a chemical found in one billion parts of
a solid, liquid or gaseous mixture. Equivalent to micrograms per liter (ug/L).
(Comparable to one kernel of corn in a filled, 45-foot [13.72m] silo, 16 feet [4.9m]
in diameter.)

ppm (parts per million): number of parts of a chemical found in one million parts
of a solid, liquid, or gaseous mixture. Equivalent to milligrams per liter (mg/L).
(Comparable to one drop of gasoline in a tankful of gas.)

Primary Treatment: the first process in wastewater treatment, which removes


settled or floating solids.

Protocol: A highly specific sampling or analytic procedure.

Pure Culture: population of microorganisms composed of a single strain. Such


cultures are obtained through selective laboratory procedures and are rarely
found in a natural environment.

RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Sets rules for all aspects of
hazardous waste.

Redox: Oxidation-reduction potential of a system or environment; the key


condition that determines whether reactions will follow aerobic or anaerobic
pathways.

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Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA): legislation passed in 1976
aimed at protecting the environment, including waterways, from solid waste
contamination either directly, through spills, or indirectly, through groundwater
contamination.

Saline Water: water containing more than 1,000 parts per million of dissolved
solids of any type.

Salinity: an indication of the amount of salt dissolved in water.

Saturated zone: underground layer in which every available space is filled with
water.

Secondary treatment: the wastewater process where bacteria are used to


digest organic matter in the wastewater.

Septic system: a domestic wastewater treatment system (consisting of a septic


tank and a soil absorption system) into which wastes are piped directly from the
home; bacteria decompose the waste, sludge settles to the bottom of the tank,
and the treated effluent flows out into the ground through drainage pipes.

Settling tank: a vessel in which solids settle out of water by gravity during
drinking and wastewater treatment processes.

Slime Layer: diffuse layer of polysaccharide exterior to the cell wall in some
bacteria.

Sludge: solids generated during wastewater treatment. Consists of grit (coarse


and dense material such as sand, bone chips, glass), primary (material that
settles in primary clarifier), secondary (generated by biological treatment
process), and tertiary (from chemical [tertiary] treatment of wastewater.)

Species: in microbiology, a collection of closely related strains sufficiently


different from all other strains to be recognized as a distinct unit.

Spirillum (plural, spirilli): (i) Bacterium with a spiral shape, which is relatively
rigid. (ii) Bacterium in the genus Spirillum.

Spores: specialized reproductive cell. Asexual spores germinate without uniting


with other cells, whereas sexual spores of opposite mating types unite to form a
zygote before germination occurs.

Sporulation: The protective mechanism of endospore formation by microbes


when exposed to extreme environments or starvation.

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Stationary Phase: period during the growth cycle of a population in which
growth rate equals the death rate.

Stormwater runoff: surface water runoff that flows into storm sewers or surface
waters.

Substrate: the substance acted upon by an enzyme or a fermenter, such as


yeast, mold, or bacteria.

Succession: gradual process brought about by the change in the number of


individuals of each species of a community and by the establishment of new
species that gradually replace the original inhabitants.

SVE: Soil Vapor Extraction system for in situ removal of volatile chemical
contamination in unsaturated soils.

SVI (Sludge Volume Index): a function of the settleability of the sludge in an


activated sludge system. The SVI is the volume occupied by 1 gram of sludge
after being allowed to settle for 30 minutes. The normal SVI range for activated
sludge systems is 50-150 ml/g.

Tbl.: Tablespoon (15ml)

TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure): Analytical lab method to


determine toxic contaminant levels. Used to ban wastes from land disposal
unless treated.

TDS (Total Dissolved Solids): see TSS

Thermophilic: The preference of a microbe for higher temperatures above


131°F [55°C].

TKN (Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen): analytical chemistry test used to determine both
ammonia and organic nitrogen content of the wastewater.

TOC (Total Organic Carbon): direct (and rapid) measure of organic carbon
content using high temperature furnace or chemical oxidation to convert organic
carbon to CO2, which is then measured by infrared analyzer. TOC values in
domestic wastewater run about 70-75% of BOD values.

Toxic: having the characteristic of causing death or damage to humans, animals,


or plants; poisonous.

TPH (Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons): measurement of all organic compounds


due to petroleum contamination.

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Treatment plant: facility for cleaning and treating fresh water for drinking, or
cleaning and treating wastewater before discharging into a water body.

TS (Total Solids): all the matter in wastewater that is left as a residue upon
evaporation of the water at 104° - 107°C [220°-225°F]. [See TSS, TDS, TVS].

TSS (Total Suspended Solids): a component (portion) of the Total Solids.


Total Suspended Solids content is all the particulate matter that does not pass
through a filter with a pore size of 1.2 um (micrometers). The "filterable" material
that passes through consists of colloidal solids (particles in the 0.001 - 1.0 um
range), and dissolved solids (TDS) - organic and inorganic molecules in true
solution in the water (salts, sugars, proteins, some complex carbohydrates, e. g.
starch, minerals) and volatile solids (TVS) that can be stripped with aeration.

Turbidity: Cloudiness of liquid due to small particles, e. g. bacteria or


suspended sediment.

TVS (Total Volatile Solids): see TSS

Vadose zone. The unsaturated soil zone above the water table.

Vegetative Cell: growing or feeding form of a microbial cell, as opposed to a


resting form such as a spore.

Viable: alive; able to reproduce.

Viable Count: measurement of the concentration of live cells in a microbial


population.

Vibrato: (i) Curved, rod shaped bacterial cell. (ii) Bacterium of the genus Vibrio.

Wastewater Treatment: physical, chemical, and biological processes used to


remove pollutants from wastewater before discharging it into a water body.

Xenobiotic: Compound foreign to biological systems. Often refers to human-


made compounds that are resistant or recalcitrant to biodegradation and
decomposition.

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