Glossary
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A California state law (Health and Safety Code section 39650 et seq.) that became effective in January of 1984 and established the framework for California's toxic air contaminant identification and control program. For more information, please see our toxics summary.
A California program (Health and Safety Code Section 44300 et seq.) that requires certain stationary sources to report the type and quantity of specific toxic substances they routinely release into the air. The program identifies high priority facilities and requires facilities posing significant risks to notify all exposed individuals. For more information, visit our AB 2588 website.
A program that permits air districts and local governments to allocate vehicle registration surcharge fees to projects that reduce motor vehicle emissions such as zero-emission vehicles, bike lanes and trip reduction programs.
The Legislature passed and Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 32, which set the 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal into law. It directed ARB to develop discrete early actions to reduce greenhouse gases while also preparing a scoping plan to identify how best to reach the 2020 limit on greenhouse gas emissions.
Assembly Bill 998 established the Non-Toxic Dry Cleaning Incentive Program to provide the dry cleaning industry with $10,000 grant funds to switch from systems using perchloroethylene (Perc), an identified toxic air contaminant and potential human carcinogen, to non-toxic and non-smog forming alternatives. The legislation also requires ARB to establish a demonstration program to showcase these non-toxic and non-smog forming technologies.
The reduction or elimination of pollution.
The highest daily amount of a substance that may be consumed over a lifetime without adverse effects.
A comprehensive term for the various ways acidic compounds precipitate from the atmosphere and deposit onto surfaces. It can include: 1) wet deposition by means of acid rain, fog and snow; and, 2) dry deposition of acidic particles (aerosols).
Rain that is especially acidic (pH is less than 5.2). Principal components of acid rain typically include nitric and sulfuric acid. These may be formed by the combination of nitrogen and sulfur oxides with water vapor in the atmosphere.
CARB uses many acronyms and we hope this list of acronyms will be of assistance.
One or a series of short-term exposures generally lasting less than 24 hours.
A health effect that occurs over a relatively short period of time (e.g., minutes or hours). The term is used to describe brief exposures and effects which appear promptly after exposure.
An air pollution control device such as carbon adsorber or incinerator that reduces the pollution in exhaust gas. The control device usually does not affect the process being controlled and thus is "add-on" technology, as opposed to a scheme to control pollution through altering the basic process itself. See also pollution prevention.
An emissions control device that removes VOCs from a gas stream as a result of the gas attaching (adsorbing) onto a solid matrix such as activated carbon.
A vehicle that meets the Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) standard and includes zero emission vehicle enabling technologies.
A health effect from exposure to air contaminants that may range from relatively mild temporary conditions, such as eye or throat irritation, shortness of breath, or headaches, to permanent and serious conditions, such as birth defects, cancer or damage to lungs, nerves, liver, heart, or other organs.
Particles of solid or liquid matter that can remain suspended in air from a few minutes to many months depending on the particle size and weight.