| advanced sewage treatment |
Any process designed to remove nutrients, organic chemicals, or other substances not removed from sewage by primary or secondary treatment |
| algae |
Aquatic plants without true stems, roots, or leaves, ranging from tiny free-floating single cells to huge seaweeds that become fastened to rocks |
| algal bloom |
A lush growth of algae, fueled by warm temperatures and abundant nutrients |
| anadromous fish |
Fish that are born in freshwater, live in saltwater, and return to freshwater to spawn |
| benthos |
All plants and animals that live on or in the sea floor |
| biodegradable |
Can be broken down by microorganisms |
| biological nutrient removal |
Process that combines the action of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria to remove nitrogen from sewage |
| combined sewer |
A sewer that carries both sewage and street runoff |
| combined sewer overflow (CSO) |
Release to natural waters of partially treated mixture of sewage and street runoff, usually necessary after heavy rain |
| crustaceans |
Shell-encased aquatic invertebrates having heads with antennae and segmented bodies with various appendages, for example, lobsters, crabs, and shrimp |
| erosion |
The wearing away of soil by water, wind, and other forces |
| estuary |
A partly enclosed coastal body of water where seawater and freshwater meet and mix |
| floatables |
Waterborne debris |
| food web |
Interconnected food chains, each consisting of a sequence of organisms eaten by organisms higher in the chain |
| habitat |
An area where conditions allow specific kinds of plants and animals to live |
| hypoxia |
Low concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water |
| intertidal zone |
The area between the normal low and high tide levels |
| invertebrate |
Animal without a spinal column |
| leachfield |
Area where wastewater from a septic system drains into the soil |
| mollusks |
Invertebrates with soft bodies usually inside a shell, for example, clams, oysters, and mussels |
| moraine |
An accumulation of rocky material transported and desposited by glacial ice |
| nonpoint source of pollution |
An nonlocalized source of wastewater flow, such as stormwater runoff or groundwater seepage |
| nutrients |
Substances essential to living things |
| organic matter |
Matter composed of living things or produced by them |
| organic substance |
A pure chemical or mixture produced by a plant or animal, or a synthetic substance of related composition; a substance containing carbon, hydrogen, and often certain other elements
|
| pathogens |
Microorganisms that cause illness |
| pesticide |
A natural or synthetic chemical used to kill a bothersome plant or animal |
| photosynthesis |
Synthesis of carbohydrates by plants, using carbon dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and with simultaneous production of oxygen |
| plankton |
Microscopic plants (phytoplankton, which are single-celled algae) or animals (zooplankton) that mainly drift with the tides |
| point source of pollution |
A pipe, ditch, or other outlet discharging wastewater into a natural body of water |
| pollutant |
Anything in the air, water, or earth that is harmful or interferes with a desired activity (For information on specific pollutants, see section on Pollutants in Long Island Sound) |
| primary sewage treatment |
Process that removes solids from sewage |
| pycnocline |
Boundary between colder, saltier, denser water at the bottom and warmer, less salty, less dense water on the surface |
| salinity |
The concentration of salt dissolved in water |
| salt marsh |
A productive, grassy habitat covered part of the time by estuarine or coastal waters Sewers carrying human waste |
| sanitary sewers |
Sewers carrying human waste |
| secondary sewage treatment |
Process that uses biological action to remove organic matter from sewage |
| sediment |
Solid fragments produced by natural processes such as the weathering of rock and carried along in water or ice; also, the layers produced when these fragments are deposited |
| septic tank |
Tank that receives wastewater from a building served by a septic system |
| sewage |
Water carrying waste from homes, business, industries, and other institutions; wastewater |
| sewer system |
Complex of pipes and pumps that carries sewage to a sewage treatment plant and sometimes also carries water from storm drains |
| shellfish |
Aquatic invertebrates with shells; mollusks and crustaceans |
| shorebirds |
Birds that live along the shore, such as egrets and blue herons |
| sludge |
Semi-solid material that settles out of wastewater in septic systems and sewage treatment plants |
| storm sewers |
Sewers carrying road and parking lot runoff |
| tidal flats |
Flat marshy, sandy, or muddy areas that have little plant life and are exposed at low tide; often between salt marshes and the low tide line |
| tidal wetland |
A region that lies beneath or borders on an area where tides rise and fall; also defined by the growth of certain types of plants. Distinct from inland, or freshwater, wetlands |
| toxic |
Related to a poisonous effect; "toxics" often refers to heavy metals, pesticides, and other organic substances as pollutants |
| transpiration |
Passage of water vapor from plants |
| water column |
All the water between the bottom of a body of water and the surface |
| waterfowl |
Birds that swim, such as ducks and swans |
| watershed |
The entire land and water area that drains into a river, lake, estuary, or ocean |
