Navy Human Health Risk Assessment Web Site

Navy Risk Communication Web Site

Glossary

Select a letter from the list below to view other definitions.

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W

Acceptable Risk
Contaminant concentrations are below threshold levels.

Acute
Having a sudden onset or lasting a short time. An acute stimulus is severe enough to induce a response rapidly. The word acute can be used to define either the exposure or the response to an exposure (effect). For example, the duration of an acute aquatic toxicity test is generally 4 days or less, and mortality is the response usually measured (EPA 1997).

Airborne Particulates
Total suspended particulate matter found in the atmosphere as solid particles or liquid droplets. Airborne particulates include windblown dust, emissions from industrial processes, smoke, and engine or motor exhaust (ORNL 1998a).

Ambient Water Quality Criteria (AWQC)
Chronic and acute water contaminant concentrations considered being protective of aquatic biota. These values may be used directly as screening ecotoxicity values for calculating hazard quotients.

Anadromous
Ascending freshwater systems from saltwater systems for spawning.

Assessment
See site assessment.

Assessment Endpoint
Explicit expression of the actual environmental values (e.g., ecological resources) that are to be protected (EPA 1997).

Assessment Plan
Ensures that the assessment is performed in a planned and systematic manner, and that the methodologies chosen demonstrate reasonable cost. It identifies and documents the use of all Type A and/or Type B procedures that will be performed.

Last Modified: 02/27/2003

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