Glossary
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Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), or secondhand smoke, is a complex mixture of thousands of gases and fine particles emitted by the burning of tobacco products from the smoke exhaled by the smoker. Other minor contributors to ETS are from the smoke that is emitted from the smoldering end of the tobacco product and the vapor-phase related compounds that diffuse from the wrapper of the tobacco product.
An emission control system that reduces NOx emissions through the catalytic reduction of NOx in diesel exhaust to N2 and H2O by injecting nitrogen-containing compounds into the exhaust stream, such as ammonia or urea.
SB 1731 amended the Air Toxics "Hot Spots" Information and Assessment Act (AB 2588, "Hot Spots" or Program; 1987, Connelly) by adding two major elements. The first element required the OEHHA to adopt risk assessment guidelines for the program using a full public review process. These new risk assessment guidelines superseded the previous guidelines and include "supplemental" exposure information. Second, facilities determined to have a significant risk by the district, must conduct an airborne toxic risk reduction audit and develop a plan to implement airborne toxic risk reduction measures. The ARB is required to provide assistance to smaller businesses for developing and applying risk reduction techniques. As part of that assistance, the ARB developed guideline documents on how to conduct an audit, including a self-conducted checklist for certain industries.
Identifiable subsets of the general population that are at greater risk than the general population to the toxic effects of a specific air pollutant (e.g., infants, asthmatics, elderly).
see Carbon Sequestration.
"Shore power", also known as Cold Ironing, refers to providing electrical power to a vessel that is docked. The purpose of shore power is to allow the vessel operator to turn off the vessel's auxiliary engines, which would normally be providing the necessary electricity. Although there are emissions associated with the generation of electricity used for shore power, those emissions are much less than those from the auxiliary engines, which burn diesel fuel.
A combination of smoke and other particulates, ozone, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and other chemically reactive compounds which, under certain conditions of weather and sunlight, may result in a murky brown haze that causes adverse health effects. The primary source of smog in California is motor vehicles.
(See Inspection and Maintenance Program).
A score that ranks each vehicle's smog emissions on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the cleanest) relative to all other vehicles. All vehicles manufactured after January 1, 2009, must display this score on the Environmental Performance Label. For more information, visit our Drive Clean website.
A form of air pollution consisting primarily of particulate matter (i.e., particles released by combustion). Other components of smoke include gaseous air pollutants such as hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide. Sources of smoke may include fossil fuel combustion, agricultural burning and other combustion processes.
Hydrocarbon-containing compounds such as paint thinner used for the purpose of thinning various types of coatings such as paint.
Very fine carbon particles that have a black appearance when emitted into the air.
Any place or object from which air pollutants are released. Sources that are fixed in space are stationary sources and sources that move are mobile sources.
Speciation is the analytical activity of identifying and/or measuring the quantities of one or more individual chemical species in a sample.
A power ventilated structure enclosing a coating operation, to confine and limit the escape of spray, vapor and residue and to safely conduct or direct them to an exhaust system. The spray booth contains and captures particulate emissions and vents them to a control device.
Residents, environmentalists, businesses and government representatives that have a stake or concern about how air quality is managed.
A plan prepared by states and submitted to U.S. EPA describing how each area will attain and maintain national ambient air quality standards. SIPs include the technical foundation for understanding the air quality (e.g., emission inventories and air quality monitoring), control measures and strategies and enforcement mechanisms. (See also AQMP.) For more information, visit our SIP website.
Non-mobile sources such as power plants, refineries and manufacturing facilities which emit air pollutants.