Glossary of Environmental Health Terms

7/31/2019 Glossary of Environmental Health Terms

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Glossary of Environmental Health Terms

This glossary is intended to help people become familiar with the terms they are likely to see ingovernment reports, engineering studies and health literature. It is divided into four sections:

TermsAgenciesUnits of MeasureConversion Tables

If you would like to see other entries added to the list, or a definition is not clear, we wouldappreciate your taking the time to send us a note at [email protected]. We hope youfind the glossary useful and thank you for your comments.

Terms

AbsorptionThe process of taking in, as when a sponge takes up water. Chemicals can be absorbedinto the bloodstream after breathing or swallowing. Chemicals can also be absorbedthrough the skin into the bloodstream and then transported to other organs. Not all of thechemical breathed, swallowed, or touched is always absorbed.

AcuteOccurring over a short time, usually a few minutes or hours. An acute exposure can resultin short term or long term health effects. An acute effect happens within a short time afterexposure.

Ambient

Surrounding. Ambient air usually means outdoor air (as opposed to indoor air).Analyte

A chemical for which a sample (such as water, air, blood, urine or other substance) istested. For example, if the analyte is mercury, the laboratory test will determine theamount of mercury in the sample.

AquiferAn underground source of water. This water may be contained in a layer of rock, sand orgravel.

Background levelA typical level of a chemical in the environment. Background often refers to naturallyoccurring or uncontaminated levels. Background levels in one region of the state may be

different than those in other areas.Bedrock

The solid rock underneath surface soils.Biological monitoring

Analyzing chemicals, hormone levels or other substances in biological materials (blood,urine, breath, etc.) as a measure of chemical exposure, health status, etc. in humans oranimals. A blood test for lead is an example of biological monitoring.

Body burden
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The total amount of a chemical in the body. Some chemicals build up in the body becausethey are stored in body organs like fat or bone or are eliminated very slowly.

Case control studyA study in which people with a disease (cases) are compared to people without thedisease (controls) to see if their past exposures to chemicals or other risk factors were

different.Central nervous system (CNS)The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and the spinal cord.

CERCLAComprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. See"Superfund."

ChronicOccurring over a long period of time, several weeks, months or years.

Cohort studyA study in which a group of people with a past exposure to chemicals or other risk factorsare followed over time and their disease experience compared to that of a group of people

without the exposure.Composite sampleA sample which is made by combining samples from two or more locations. The samplecan be of water, soil or another medium.

ConcentrationThe amount of one substance dissolved or contained in a given amount of anothersubstance or medium. For example, sea water has a higher concentration of salt than freshwater does.

ContaminantAny substance that enters a system (the environment, human body, food, etc.) where it isnot normally found. Contaminants are usually referred to in a "negative" sense andinclude substances that spoil food, pollute the environment or cause other adverse effects.

DermalReferring to the skin. For example, dermal absorption means absorption through the skin.

Detection limitThe smallest amount of substance that a laboratory test can reliably measure in a sampleof air, water, soil or other medium.

DoseThe amount of substance to which a person is exposed.

EpidemiologyThe study of the occurrence and causes of health effects in human populations. Anepidemiological study often compares two groups of people who are alike except for onefactor such as exposure to a chemical or the presence of a health effect. The investigatorstry to determine if the factor is associated with the health effect.

ExposureContact with a chemical by swallowing, by breathing or by direct contact (such asthrough the skin or eyes). Exposure may be either short term (acute) or long term(chronic).

Exposure assessment


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A process that estimates the amount of a chemical that enters or comes into contact withpeople or animals. An exposure assessment also describes how often and for how long anexposure occurred, and the nature and size of a population exposed to a chemical.

Feasibility Study (FS)A study that compares different ways to clean up a contaminated site. The feasibility

study recommends one or more actions to remediate the site. See "Remedialinvestigation".Gradient

The change in a property over a certain distance. For example, lead can accumulate insurface soil near a road due to automobile exhaust. As you move away from the road, theamount of lead in the surface soil decreases. This change in the lead concentration withdistance from the road is called a gradient.

Health assessment for contaminated sitesDetermination of actual or possible health effects due to environmental contamination orexposure. It includes a health-based interpretation of all the information known about thesituation. The information may come from site investigations (environmental sampling

and studies), exposure assessments, risk assessments, biological monitoring or healtheffects studies. The health assessment is used to advise people how to prevent or reducetheir exposures, to determine remedial actions or the need for additional studies.

Health effects studies related to contaminantsStudies of the health of people who may have been exposed to contaminants. Theyinclude, but are not limited to, epidemiological studies, reviews of health status of peoplein exposure or disease registries, and doing medical tests.

Health registryA record of people exposed to a specific substance (such as a heavy metal), or having aspecific health condition (such as cancer or a communicable disease). New York Statemaintains several health registries.

IngestionSwallowing (such as eating or drinking). Chemicals in or on food, drink, utensils,cigarettes, hands, etc. can be ingested. After ingestion, chemicals may be absorbed intothe blood and distributed throughout the body.

InhalationBreathing. People can take in chemicals by breathing contaminated air.

Interim Remedial Measure (IRM)An action taken at a contaminated site to reduce the chances of human or environmentalexposure to site contaminants. Interim remedial measures are planned and carried outbefore comprehensive remedial studies. They can prevent additional damage during thestudy phase, but dont interfere in any way with the need to develop a complete remedial

program. An example of an interim remedial measure is removing drums of chemicals toa storage facility from a site that has drums sitting in an empty field.

Latency periodThe period of time between exposure to something that causes a disease and the onset ofthe health effect. Cancer caused by chemical exposure may have a latency period of 5 to40 years.

Leaching


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As water moves through soils or landfills, chemicals in the soil may dissolve in the waterthereby contaminating the groundwater. This is called leaching.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)The highest (maximum) level of a contaminant allowed to go uncorrected by a publicwater system under federal or state regulations. Depending on the contaminant, allowable

levels might be calculated as an average over time, or might be based on individual testresults. Corrective steps are implemented if the MCL is exceeded.Media

Elements of a surrounding environment that can be sampled for contamination; usuallysoil, water, or air. Plants, as well as humans (when sampling blood, urine, etc) andanimals (such as sampling fish to update fish consumption advisories) can also beconsidered media. The singular of "media" is "medium".

MetabolismAll the chemical reactions that enable the body to work. For example, food ismetabolized (chemically changed) to supply the body with energy. Chemicals can bemetabolized by the body and made either more or less harmful.

MorbidityIllness or disease. A morbidity rate for a certain illness is the number of people with thatillness divided by the number of people in the population from which the illnesses werecounted.

National Priority List (NPL)A list maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of certain inactivehazardous waste sites. The list is produced and updated periodically by the EPA. See"Superfund".

Odor thresholdThe lowest concentration of a chemical that can be smelled. Different chemicals havedifferent odor thresholds. Also, some people can smell a chemical at lower concentrationsthan others can.

OrganicGenerally considered as originating from plants or animals, and made primarily of carbonand hydrogen. Scientists use the term organic to mean those chemical compounds whichare based on carbon.

PermeabilityThe property of permitting liquids or gases to pass through. A highly permeable soil, suchas sand, allows a liquid to pass through quickly. Clay has a low permeability.

PersistenceThe quality of remaining for a long period of time (such as in the environment or thebody). Persistent chemicals (such as DDT and PCBs) are not easily broken down.

Preliminary Site Assessment (PSA)A process followed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) todetermine if a site contains hazardous waste and its potential for harming the publichealth or environment. This process includes inspecting the site, sampling if needed, andtaking physical or hydrological measurements as appropriate.

Plume


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An area of chemicals moving away from its source in a long band or column. A plume,for example, can be a column of smoke from a chimney or chemicals moving withgroundwater.

ProtocolThe detailed plan for conducting a scientific procedure. A protocol for measuring a

chemical in soil, water or air describes the way in which samples should be collected andanalyzed.Quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC)

A system of procedures, checks and audits to judge and control the quality ofmeasurements and reduce the uncertainty of data. Some quality control proceduresinclude having more than one person review the findings and analyzing a sample atdifferent times or laboratories to see if the findings are similar.

Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal SitesThe New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) maintains a listof inactive hazardous waste disposal sites in New York State. When DEC finds that a sitemay contain hazardous waste, the site is listed in the registry and a preliminary site

assessment is planned. The status of the site is updated in the registry as investigationsand remediation occur.Remedial Investigation (RI)

An in-depth study (including sampling of air, soil, water and waste) of a contaminatedsite needing remediation to determine the nature and extent of contamination. Theremedial investigation (RI) is usually combined with a feasibility study (FS).

RemediationCorrection or improvement of a problem, such as work that is done to clean up or stop therelease of chemicals from a contaminated site. After investigation of a site, remedialwork may include removing soil and/or drums, capping the site or collecting and treatingthe contaminated fluids.

RiskRisk is the possibility of injury, disease or death. For example, for a person who hasmeasles, the risk of death is one in one million.

Risk assessmentA process which estimates the likelihood that exposed people may have health effects.The four steps of a risk assessment are: hazard identification (Can this substance damagehealth?); dose-response assessment (What dose causes what effect?); exposureassessment (How and how much do people contact it?); and risk characterization(combining the other three steps to characterize risk and describe the limitations anduncertainties).

Risk managementThe process of deciding how and to what extent to reduce or eliminate risk factors byconsidering the risk assessment, engineering factors (Can procedures or equipment do thejob, for how long and how well?), social, economic and political concerns.

Route of exposureThe way in which a person may contact a chemical substance. For example, drinking(ingestion) and bathing (skin contact) are two different routes of exposure tocontaminants that may be found in water. See "Exposure".

Safe


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Strictly, free from harm or risk. Exposure to a chemical usually has some risk associatedwith it, although the risk may be very small. However, many people use the word safe tomean something that has a very low risk or one that is acceptable to them.

Site inspectionA Department of Health visit to a site to evaluate the likelihood of human exposure to

toxic chemicals, and to do an exposure assessment. See "Exposure assessment."SolubilityThe largest amount of a substance that can be dissolved in a given amount of a liquid,usually water. For a highly water-soluble compound, such as table salt, a lot can dissolvein water. Motor oil is only slightly soluble in water.

Superfund (federal and state)The federal and state programs to investigate and clean up inactive hazardous waste sites.

Target organAn organ (such as the liver or kidney) that is specifically affected by a toxic chemical.

VolatileEvaporating readily at normal temperatures and pressures. The air concentration of a

highly volatile chemical can increase quickly in a closed room.Volatile organic compound (VOC)An organic chemical that evaporates readily. Petroleum products such as kerosene,gasoline and mineral spirits contain VOCs. Chlorinated solvents such as those used bydry cleaners or contained in paint strippers are also VOCs. See "organic" and "volatile".

Agencies

ACGIHSee "American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists"

Ag & Mkts

See "New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets"AG's Office

Attorney General's Office.See "New York State Department of Law"American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)

ACGIH is a professional society of government workers and educators who work topromote occupational safety and health. The organization publishes recommendations onventilation, air sampling and air concentration guidelines (threshold limit values orTLVS) designed to control exposure of workers to chemicals, noise and radiation in theworkplace.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)ATSDR is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As mandated by

the federal superfund law, the agency assesses health risks from hazardous waste sites onthe National Priority List. ATSDR determines if additional health studies are needed atthese sites, provides health advisories and publishes toxicological profiles on chemicalsfound at hazardous waste sites. ATSDR also maintains exposure registries of peopleexposed to certain substances.

Attorney General's OfficeSee "New York State Department of Law."

ATSDR
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See "Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry."CDC

See "Centers for Disease Control."Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC or CDCP)

The CDC, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides federal

leadership in the prevention and control of diseases. The CDC includes many programsthat conduct research and provide information on public health issues such asoccupational health, AIDS, cancer, infectious diseases and other diseases.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)The CPSC, a federal commission, protects the public from injury caused by consumerproducts. The CPSC evaluates products, investigates the causes of product-relatedinjuries and issues and enforces safety standards. For example, the CPSC has bannedcertain products containing asbestos. The CPSC also regulates the lead content of paints.

CPSCSee "Consumer Product Safety Commission."

DEC

See "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation."DHHSSee "U.S. Department of Health and Human Services."

DOESee "U.S. Department of Energy."

DOHSee "New York State Department of Health."

DOLSee "New York State Department of Labor"or"New York State Department of Law"

ENCONSee "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation."

EPASee "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency".

FDASee "U.S. Food and Drug Administration".

IARCSee "International Agency for Research on Cancer."

IRISShort for "Integrated Risk Information System";see "U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency".

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)IARC, part of the World Health Organization, is an international organization thatevaluates the human cancer risk from chemical exposure. IARC evaluates scientificstudies on chemicals and publishes critical reviews on the cancer risks of thesesubstances. IARC also identifies further research that is needed to evaluate the cancer-causing ability of some chemicals.

NASSee "National Academy of Sciences."

National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
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NAS is a private, nonprofit corporation established by Congress to investigate and reporton science and technology at the request of the federal government. The NationalResearch Council (NRC) is a part of the NAS and has reported on public health problemssuch as chemical contamination of drinking water.

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

The NIEHS tries to reduce human illness from environmental causes by understandingenvironmental factors, individual susceptibility and age. The NIEHS conducts biomedicalresearch programs, prevention and intervention efforts, and education.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)NIOSH, part of the Centers for Disease Control, conducts research on worker safety andhealth and recommends standards for worker protection to OSHA. For example, NIOSHrecommends guidelines for workplace exposure to hazardous substances and haspublished criteria documents on many chemicals.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)NIH, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducts scientificresearch into the causes, prevention and cure of diseases. For example, the National

Cancer Institute (part of NIH) studies how some environmental chemicals cause cancer.Many other diseases, some related to chemical exposure, are also under study at NIH.National Research Council

See "National Academy of Sciences."National Toxicology Program (NTP)

NTP, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), coordinatesthe toxicology research being conducted within DHHS. The NTP selects prioritychemicals for study, develops necessary testing procedures and coordinates the researchdone by programs in three DHHS agencies: NIH, FDA and CDC.

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYS Ag & Mkts or A&M)The Department of Agriculture and Markets is the state agency that carries out programson food supplies for consumers. For example, the department licenses and inspectsgrocery and other food stores, regulates the state's dairy industry and monitors andenforces standards for pesticide residues in agricultural produce.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC, DEC or ENCON)DEC is the state agency that carries out and enforces laws to protect the environment inNew York State. DEC administers programs that regulate discharges into air and water,the disposal of solid and hazardous waste, protection of natural resources and wildlifemanagement.

New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH or DOH)DOH is the state agency responsible for protecting public health in New York State.DOH records the occurrence of birth defects, cancer, AIDS and other diseases, andconducts research into the causes and prevention of these diseases. DOH also carries outprograms to prevent or reduce disease or harmful health effects. Some of these programsprovide services such as nutritional programs for mothers and infants; other programsregulate hospitals, home health care and public water supplies. Many programs provideinformation on topics such as chemical exposures and radiation.

New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL or DOL)DOL is the state agency that carries out and enforces laws to protect the safety and healthof workers in New York State. DOL enforces public employee safety and health
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regulations, carries out inspections and provides consultation to employers to help themcomply with health and safety laws. For example, DOL licenses asbestos contractors andinspects and enforces asbestos abatement projects.

New York State Department of Law (DOL or AG's Office)The Department of Law, headed by the Attorney General (AG), takes legal action on

behalf of New York State citizens and state agencies. The AG's office investigates andprosecutes those who violate consumer protection, public health or environmental laws. Italso conducts environmental crime investigations, sues for clean up of toxic sites andworks to improve state and federal environmental laws.

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority coordinates energymatters and monitors low-level radioactive waste generation and management for theState. It also finances energy-related projects, makes energy more affordable forresidential and low-income households, and conducts energy and environmental research.

NIEHSNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

NIH See "National Institutes of Health."NIOSH

See "National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health."NRC

See "National Academy of Sciences."NYS Ag & Mkts

See "New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets."NYS A&M

See "New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets."NYS DEC

See "New York State Department of Environmental Conservation."NYS DOH

See "New York State Department of Health."NYS DOL

See "New York State Department of Labor"or"New York State Department of Law"Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, enforces federal laws that protect workersafety and health, such as maintaining standards for occupational exposure to chemicals,training employees and keeping records of chemical exposures.

OSHASee "Occupational Safety and Health Administration."

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)The DOE administers federal energy research, development, regulation and policy. DOEis in charge of federal research on the storage and disposal of radioactive waste and canprovide information to the public on radioactive waste disposal and management.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)DHHS carries out federal health and social programs such as social security, humandevelopment, family support, health care financing and public health. The Public HealthService, a part of DHHS, includes agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, the
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the Food and Drug Administrationand the National Institutes of Health.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)The EPA enforces federal environmental protection laws. It registers and regulatespesticides, enforces laws covering outdoor air and drinking water quality and regulates

the disposal of hazardous and solid wastes. EPAs Integrated Risk Information System(IRIS) is an electronic database containing information on health effects that may resultfrom exposure to chemicals. IRIS is intended for those without extensive training intoxicology, but with some knowledge of health sciences.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)The FDA, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, carries out andenforces laws that protect the quality and safety of foods, food additives, cosmetics andmedical drugs and devices. For example, the FDA monitors the quality of foods anddrugs through product testing, and reviews food and drug ingredients, including pesticideresidues, to determine if they pose health hazards.

USGS

See "US Geological Survey"U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)The USGS, part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, identifies the nation's land, water,mineral and energy resources. USGS conducts research, prepares topographic maps andcollects and interprets data on mineral and water resources.

WHOSee "World Health Organization."

World Health Organization (WHO)WHO, an agency of the United Nations, carries out public and environmental healthprograms throughout the world. For example, WHO trains health personnel and assistscountries to provide primary health care, prevent communicable diseases and combatmalnutrition. WHO has developed international guidelines for pesticide residues in foodsand chemicals in drinking water.

Units of Measure

LengthUnits of length in the metric system are based on the meter. For measuring things

much smaller or larger than a meter, scientists use units that convert easily units that are 100,

1000, or 1,000,000 times smaller or larger than the meter. Commonly used ones are included

below.

meter (m)

A softball bat is about a meter long. One meter is about 39 inches -- slightly longer than ayard.

centimeter (cm)A centimeter is one one-hundredth (1/100) of a meter. One inch is about 2.5 cm; a pennyis about 2 cm wide.

kilometer (km)A kilometer is equal to 1,000 meters. There are about one and a half kilometers in a mile.

millimeter (mm)
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One millimeter is equal to one one-thousandth (1/1,000) of a meter. A dime is slightlythicker than one mm. About 25 mm equal one inch.

WeightUnits of weight in the metric system are based on the gram. For measuring things

much smaller or larger than a gram, scientists use units that convert easily from grams units

that are 100, 1000, or 1,000,000 times smaller or larger than the gram. Commonly used ones areincluded below.

gram (g or gm)A paper clip weighs about 1 gram. An eighth of a teaspoon of sugar weighs about a gram.A penny is about 3 grams. There are about 28 grams in one ounce; 454 grams is aboutone pound.

kilogram (k or kg)A unit of mass (weight) in the metric system equal to 1,000 grams. A kilogram is about2.2 pounds, which is about the same weight as 9 sticks of butter.

microgram (ug or mcg)

A microgram is one one-millionth (1/1,000,000) of a gram, or about one half billionth(1/500,000,000) of a pound.milligram (mg)

A milligram is one one-thousandth (1/1,000) of a gram, or about one half million timessmaller than a pound. A regular aspirin tablet weighs about 400 milligrams.

nanogram (ng)A nanogram is one one-billionth (1/1,000,000,000) of a gram. It is 1,000 times smallerthan a microgram.

picogram (pg)A picogram is one one-trillionth of a gram. One picogram is 1,000 times smaller than ananogram.

VolumeUnits of volume in the metric system are primarily based on the liter for liquids, and

the cubic meter for gases and solids.

liter (l or L)This term is generally used when measuring a volume of liquid. A liter is slightly largerthan a quart; about 3.8 liters are in a gallon.

milliliter (ml)A milliliter is one one-thousandth (1/1,000) of a liter. One teaspoon holds about 5 ml ofwater.

cubic meter (m3 or cu. m.)This term is commonly used when measuring a volume of air. A cubic meter is the spaceinside of a box that is one meter wide, one meter high, and one meter deep. A softball batis about a meter long (39 inches, or just over a yard). The cabinet under a kitchen sink hasabout one cubic meter of volume.

Concentration is measured using two units, because it is a measure of how much of one

substance is contained in another. Typical units of concentration are described below.


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micrograms per cubic meter (ug/m3 or mcg/cu.m.)A unit that expresses the concentration of a substance in air. A microgram per cubicmeter is one one-millionth of a gram of substance per cubic meter of air.

micrograms per liter (ug/L or mcg/L)A unit that expresses the concentration of a substance in a solution. A microgram per liter

is one one-millionth of a gram of substance per liter of solution. A ug/L of sugar in wateris about the same as a teaspoon of sugar in 2,100,000 gallons of water. For lowconcentrations in water, a microgram per liter is about the same as a part per billion(ppb).

milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m3 or mg/cu.m.)A unit that expresses the concentration of a substance in air. A milligram per cubic meteris one one-thousandth of a gram per cubic meter of air. The milligram (1,000micrograms) is used with higher concentrations.

milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg)This unit expresses concentration by measuring the weight of a substance by the weightof the substance with the medium containing it. A milligram per kilogram is the same as

one part per million. Mg/kg is also used when measuring a person or animals exposureto a substance. For example, a 70 kg person (about 154 lbs) given one aspirin which has325 mg of active ingredient would get a dose of 325 mg/70 kg, or 4.6 mg/kg.

milligrams per liter (mg/L)A unit that expresses the concentration of a substance in a solution. A millligram per literis one one-thousandth of a gram of substance per liter of solution. One mg/L of sugar inwater is about the same as a teaspoon of sugar in 2,100 gallons of water. For lowconcentrations in water, milligrams per liter (mg/L) is about the same as parts per million(ppm).

parts per billion (ppb)A way of expressing the concentration of a substance in air, water, soil or food. Amicrogram per kilogram is the same as one part per billion. One ppb means that there isone part of a substance for every billion parts of substance and the medium containing it.One ppb is about one drop of dye in 18,000 gallons of water or about 1 second in 32years. One ppb is 1,000 times less than one ppm.

parts per million (ppm)The concentration of a substance in air, water or soil. A milligram per kilogram is thesame as one part per million. One ppm means that there is one part of a substance forevery million parts of substance and water or soil containing it. One ppm is about onedrop of dye in 18 gallons of water, about one inch in 16 miles, or one penny in $10,000.

parts per trillion (ppt)The concentration of a substance in air, water or soil. A nanogram per kilogram is thesame as one part per trillion. One ppt means that there is one part of a substance for everytrillion parts of substance and air, water or soil containing it. One ppt is about one drop ofdye in 18 million gallons of water or about 1 second in 32,000 years. One ppt is 1,000times less than 1 ppb.

picocuries per liter (PCi/l)Unit of measure used to express the results of radioactivity tests in air and water. Forradon gas, one picocurie per liter is the amount of radon in the air so that 2.2 atoms ofradon decay during one minute in one liter of air.


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Conversion Tables

Length

English Metric

1 mile = 1.61 kilometers

1 foot = 30.5 centimeters

1 inch = 2.54 centimeters

0.621 mile = 1 kilometer

39.4 inches = 1 meter

Metric Conversions (length)

Unit Number of meters

Kilometers = 1,000

Meter = 1

Centimeter = 0.01

Millimeter = 0.001

Micrometer (also micron) = 0.000001

Mass and Weight

English Metric

1 pound = 0.454 kilograms1 ounce = 28.3 grams

2.20 pounds = 1 kilogram

0.0353 ounce = 1 gram

Metric Conversions (mass)

Unit Number of grams

Kilogram (kg) also called metric tonne = 1,000

Hectogram = 100

Dekagram = 10

Gram (g) = 1

Milligram (mg) = 0.001

Microgram (mcg) = 0.000001

Nanogram = 0.000000001

Picogram (pg) = 0.000000000001


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Expressing Concentrations (weight/weight)

1 part per million = 1 milligram per kilogram

= 1 microgram per gram

1 part per billion = 1 microgram per kilogram

1 part per trillion = 1 nanogram per kilogram

Volume (Liquids)

English Metric

1 gallon = 3.79 liters

1 quart = 0.946 liters

1.06 quarts = 1 liter

0.264 gallons = 1 liter

Metric Conversions (volume)

Unit Number of liters

Kiloliter = 1,000

Hectoliter = 100

Dekaliter = 10

Liter = 1

Deciliter = 0.1

Centiliter = 0.01Milliliter = 0.001

Cubic Centimeter = 0.001

Microliter = 0.000001

Expressing concentrations (weight/volume)*

1 part per million = 1 milligram per liter*

= 1 microgram per milliliter*

1 part per billion = 1 microgram per liter*

1 part per trillion = 1 nanogram per liter*

*indicates approximate values

Volume (Gases)

English Metric


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1 cubic foot = 0.0283 cubic meter

35.3 cubic feet = 1 cubic meter

Metric Conversions (volume)

Unit Number of cubic meter

1 cubic meter = 1

1 liter = 0.001

1 cubic centimeter = 0.000001

Glossary of Environmental Health Terms

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