Green Chemistry Institute Glossary
List of Terms
The following terms are commonly used in green chemistry and green engineering publications and resources. If you have a comment, addition or update to this list, please send an e-mail to gci@acs.org
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- Acute toxin
- Related terms: Chronic toxin, Toxic material
- A toxic substance that has an immediate deleterious effect, usually after a single low-dose exposure. For example: hydrogen cyanide or snake venom.
- Air pollutants
- Related term: Hazardous air pollutants
- Primary air pollutants are substances directly produced by a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption or carbon monoxide gas from motor vehicle exhaust. Secondary pollutants are not emitted. Rather, they form by chemical processes that occur in the atmosphere. An important example of a secondary pollutant is ozone, one of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog.
- Web reference: EPA: Principal air pollutants
- Anthropogenic
- Refers to something originating from humans and the impact of human activities on the environment.
- Atom economy
- Related terms: Stoichiometric transformation, Catalyst, Atom Efficiency
- A measure of the efficiency with which atoms are incorporated into the desired product; a desirable reaction would be one with a high yield of product and little or no production of waste.
- Web references: Atom Economy: A Green Chemistry Module
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- Benign
- Harmless, having no effect.
- Bioaccumulation
- The uptake and concentration of environmental chemicals by living systems.
- Web reference: Extension Toxicology Network: Toxicology Information Briefs
- Biodegradable
- Capable of being broken down by the action of living things, such as microorganisms. In soil, 90 percent of the organic carbon in a polymer must degrade into carbon dioxide within 180 days to be considered biodegradable by international standards for biodegradable plastics.
- Web reference: Environmental Inquiry: Biodegradation
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- Cancer-suspect agents
- Related terms: Carcinogen, Endocrine disruptor, Mutagen, Structure-Activity Relationship, Teratogen, Toxic material
- Substances that share structure-activity relationships, or are structurally analogous, with known carcinogens.
- Carbon dioxide
- A heat trapping gas that plays a role in global warming. As more carbon dioxide permeates the atmosphere, inescapable heat is trapped in the shield surrounding the earth. Carbon dioxide also has applications as a solvent in green chemistry because it is non-toxic, non-flammable, recycleable, and inexpensive. It can be used as a reaction medium or alternative solvent.
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Related term: Hazardous air pollutants
- A poisonous, local air pollutant produced when fuel such as petroleum does not burn completely (road vehicles account for 90% of emissions).
- Web Reference: EPA:Protect Your Family and Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Carcinogen
- Related terms: Cancer-suspect agent, Endocrine disruptor, Mutagen, Structure-Activity Relationship, Teratogen, Toxic Material
- A substance that has been proven, by direct correlation in epidemiological studies, to cause cancer in humans. For example: benzene or carbon tetrachloride.
- Web References: National Cancer Institute
- Catalyst
- Related terms: Atom Economy, Stoichiometric Transformation
- A substance that increases the rate at which a chemical system approaches equilibrium without being consumed in the process; advantages include reduced energy and material requirements, greater selectivity, easier product separation, and fewer waste products.
- WebReferences: NCBI : The Central Role of Enzymes as Biological Catalysts
- Chlorofluorocarbons
- Related terms: Ozone
- (CFCs) Compounds used in refrigeration and aerosols; use is now regulated due to their destructive impact on the stratospheric ozone layer.
- Web References: CMDL: Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- Chronic toxin
- Related terms: Acute toxin, Bioaccumulation, Carcinogen, Lead, Toxic material
- A toxic substance that has little immediate effect; adverse effects accumulate over repeated exposures, after a long duration single exposure, or long after an initial exposure. For example: benzene or lead.
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- Endocrine disruptor
- Related terms: Teratogen, Toxic material
- A synthetic chemical that blocks, mimics, or otherwise interferes with naturally produced hormones.
- Web References: World Wildlife Fund: Global Toxics
- Feedstock
- The source of starting material for a chemical reaction, ideally from a renewable resource rather than a rapidly depleting one, or from the “waste” of another process.
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- Greenhouse gases
- Related terms: Anthropogenic
- Gases that raise the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere by absorbing part of the long-wave radiation reflected back from the earth's surface; include carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, etc., from natural and man-made sources.
- Web References: EIA: What Are Greenhouse Gases?
- Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs)
- Related terms: Hydrocarbons, Organic solvents, Oxides of nitrogen, Sulfur dioxide, Volatile organic compounds
- Chemicals which, when released into the atmosphere, can cause adverse effects to human health or the environment. Almost 200 of these chemicals have been identified, including chemicals that can cause cancer or birth defects.
- WebReference: DEP: Hazardous Air Pollutants
- Hazards
- Related terms: Precautionary principle, Risk
- The full range of threats to human health and the environment.
- Hydrocarbons
- Related terms: Hazardous air pollutants
- A general term for organic compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon, e.g. petroleum; contribute to air pollution when released into the atmosphere.
- Web References: EPA: Mobile Source Emissions - Past, Present, and Future – Hydrocarbons
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- Industrial ecology
- The study of the physical, chemical, and biological interactions and interrelationships both within and between industrial and ecological systems.
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- Lead
- Related terms: Chronic toxin, Toxic material
- A heavy metal element formerly added to gasoline and paint for improved performance characteristics; ingestion and accumulation in humans result in damage to the central nervous system and the mental development of children.
- Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- An objective process to evaluate the environmental burdens associated with a product, process, or activity by identifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment; used to evaluate and implement opportunities for environmental improvements.
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