| A | B |
|---|
| air pollution | the contamination of the earth's atmosphere by substances that pose a health threat to living things |
| smog | a yellow-brown haze that forms when sunlight reacts with air pollution |
| Air Quality Index (AQI) | an index for reporting daily air quality |
| asbestos | a fibrous mineral that has fireproof properties, once widely used as an insulator |
| radon | an odorless, radioactive gas |
| noise pollution | harmful and unwanted sound of sufficient intensity to damage hearing |
| decibel | a unit used to express the relative intensity of loudness of sound |
| biodegradable | able to be broken down by microorganisms in the environment |
| landfill | an area that has been safeguarded to prevent disposed wastes from contaminating groundwater |
| hazardous waste | a substance that is explosive, corrosive, highly reactive, or toxic to humans or other life forms |
| deforestation | destruction of forests |
| urban sprawl | the spreading of city development (houses, shopping centers, businesses, and schools) onto undeveloped land |
| wastewater | used water that comes from homes, communities, farms, and businesses |
| conservation | the protection and preservation of the environment by managing natural resources to prevent abuse, destruction, and neglect |
| precycling | reducing waste before it is generated |
| recycling | the processing of waste materials so that they can be used again in some form |
