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Gradient
The change in a property over a certain distance. For example, lead can accumulate in surface soil near a road due to automobile exhaust. As you move away from the road, the amount of lead in the surface soil decreases. This change in the lead concentration with distance from the road is called a gradient.
HMTUSA
Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act (1999); amendments to HMTA including requirements for performance-oriented packaging.
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
The CPSC, a federal commission, protects the public from injury caused by consumer products. The CPSC evaluates products, investigates the causes of product-related injuries and issues and enforces safety standards
Incineration
(1) burning of certain types of solid, liquid or gaseous materials. (2) a treatment technology involving destruction of waste by controlled burning at high temperatures, e.g., burning sludge to remove the water and reduce the remaining residues to a safe, non-burnable ash which can be disposed of safely on land, in some waters or in underground locations.
Odor threshold
The lowest concentration of a chemical that can be smelled. Different chemicals have different odor thresholds. Also, some people can smell a chemical at lower concentrations than others can.
Liquid trap
Means sumps, well cellars, and other traps used in association with oil and gas production, gathering, and extraction operations (including gas production plants), for the purpose of collecting oil, water, and other liquids. These liquid traps may temporarily collect liquids for subsequent disposition or reinjection into a production or pipeline stream, or may collect and separate liquids from a gas stream.
Route of exposure
The way in which a person may contact a chemical substance. For example, drinking (ingestion) and bathing (skin contact) are two different routes of exposure to contaminants that may be found in water. See "Exposure".
Solubility
The 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 dissolve in water. Motor oil is only slightly soluble in water.
Interim Remedial Measure (IRM)
An action taken at a contaminated site to reduce the chances of human or environmental exposure to site contaminants. Interim remedial measures are planned and carried out before comprehensive remedial studies.
Aquifer
An underground source of water. This water may be contained in a layer of rock, sand or gravel.
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