Water Glossary of Terms
Here is a list of water-related terms that will help you understand this site better. It is compiled from a number of sources and should be adequate for most home owners.
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 ZAquifer underground geological formation that contains water.
Bacteria microorganisms of the kingdom Prokaryotae. They are single-celled, round, rod like, or spiral and are characterized by having a cell wall or outer membrane.
Bioaccumulation the process by which a chemical substance becomes increasingly concentrated in the bodies of animals the further the animals are up the food chain. Low levels are found at the bottom of the food chain; higher levels are found high up on the food chain.
Bottled Water that is sealed in a sanitary container and sold for human consumption, which meets all state, federal, and industry standards. It cannot contain any sweeteners or chemicals other than flavors or extracts that can comprise no more of the final product than 1 percent by weight.
Cation Exchange is a process in which ions are exchanged between a solution and an ion exchanger, an insoluble solid or gel. Typical ion exchangers are ion exchange resins, zeolite, montmorillonite, clay, and humus. Ion exchangers are either cation exchangers for positively charged cations or anion exchangers for negatively charged anions. Ion exchange is a reversible process and the ion exchanger can be regenerated or loaded by washing with an excess of the ions to be exchanged.
Carcinogen a cancer-producing substance.
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government agency that oversees many aspects of public health in the United States. It also does international work in public health.
Coliform count the number of bacteria derived from human waste per cubic centimeter of water. It is a measure of the degree of water contamination.
Dementia a general deterioration of mental capacities.
DES diethylstilbestrol, a synthetic chemical with estrogen like effects that has been shown to have deleterious effects on a fetus exposed to it during gestation.
Distillation the process of boiling or vaporizing water and then recondensing it. This is one method for ridding water of contaminants.
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid, the substance that makes up the chemical building blocks inside the nucleus of a cell that direct cell function and how the cell divides.
EAC Extruded Activated Carbon Water filter media.
EPA Environmental Protection Agency, the federal government agency that oversees the protection of the environment, including air and water quality and the disposal of toxic materials.
Estrogen a hormone produced in the ovaries of women that is released into the blood and exerts its effects on various organs of the body. Estrogen is needed for the normal maturation of a female, stimulating growth of the uterus and vagina as well as secondary sex characteristics, such as breast development.
Estrogen like molecule a molecule that does not bear a chemical likeness to the estrogen molecule, but can nonetheless interact with the receptor for estrogen inside the cell and bring about an estrogen effect.
FDA Food and Drug Administration, the federal government agency that, among its many functions, oversees the bottled water industry.
Fluoridation the process whereby fluoride is intentionally added to drinking water. This is done to protect against tooth decay.
Groundwater water derived from underground sources, such as aquifers, into which wells have been drilled or springs from which water naturally comes to the surface from underground.
Hardness a term used to denote the concentration of dissolved solids in water. Most often, the term refers to the concentration of calcium, magnesium, and trace metals in water.
Hormone a molecule synthesized and excreted by specialized cells in the body that are released into the bloodstream and exert their biochemical effects on target cells at a distance from the site of their production and excretion.
IARC International Association of Research on Cancer. Among its functions, it assesses the cancer-promoting effect of various chemicals.
IBWA International Bottled Water Association, the umbrella group for the bottled water industry.
Inorganic molecules molecules not containing carbon atoms. In the context of this book, it refers to minerals, metals, and non—carbon-containing chemicals.
Ion Exchange is a method widely used in household and industrial water purifications to produce soft water. This is accomplished by exchanging calcium Ca2+ and magnesium Mg2+ cations against sodium Na+ or hydrogen H+ cations.
Liter the equivalent of 1.0567 quarts. A measure of volume used in the metric system.
Micrograms per Liter (mcg/L) - one-millionth of a gram of a substance per liter of water, or parts per billion.
Milligrams per Liter (mg/L) - one-thousandth of a gram of a substance per liter of water, or parts per million.
Microfiltration (MF) is a low-pressure cross-flow membrane process for separating colloidal and suspended particles in the range of 0.05-10 microns. MF is used for fermentation broth clarification and biomass clarification and recovery.
Micron one millionth of a meter. A meter is 39 .37 inches.
Milligram one thousandth of a gram. There are 454 grams in a pound.
Milliliter one thousandth of a liter.
Mineral water: water that contains, at a minimum, 250 parts per million of dissolved solids. Most of these solids are minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) and trace metals.
Nanofiltration (NF) is a special process selected when RO and UF are not the ideal choice for separation. NF can perform separation applications that are not otherwise economically feasible, such as demineralization, color removal, and desalination. In concentration of organic solutes, suspended solids, and polyvalent ions, the permeate contains monovalent ions and low-molecular-weight organic solutions like alcohol.
Nitrate: an oxidized form of nitrogen, plant nutrient and inorganic fertilizer, found in septic systems, animal feedlots, agricultural fertilizers, manured fields, industrial wastewaters, sanitary landfills, and garbage dumps.
Nitrite: a form of nitrogen less oxidized than nitrate. An unstable transitional form between nitrate and ammonium.
NSF the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) a nongovernmental, not-for-profit corporation that establishes standards for water filters.
NPS - National Pesticide Survey.
Office of Drinking Water (ODW) - the EPA office, under the management of the Office of Water, primarily responsible for implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act.
ODW - Office of Drinking Water.
Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) - the EPA office, under the management of the
Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, primarily responsible for implementing the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act.
Organic Compound - natural or synthetic chemical containing carbon.
Organic molecules that contain carbon atoms. Often they are derived from decomposed vegetation and from pollution of human origin.
Organochlorine a carbon-containing compound to which chlorine molecules are attached. Such compounds occur when chlorine used to disinfect water attaches to carbon atoms from organic compounds found in water.
Ozonation a process for purifying water whereby the gas ozone is passed through the water.
Parts per Billion (PPB) - one part chemical in one billion parts of water.
Parts per Million (PPM) - one part chemical in one million parts of water.
PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls, compounds found in hydraulic fluids, adhesives, and flame-retardants. These chemicals have been implicated in cancer promotion and decreased fertility.
Parasites one-celled members of the kingdom Protista. They are larger than bacteria, but a microscope is still needed
PAC Powdered Activated Carbon filter media
Pathogens disease-producing microbes. Generally, this term is used as another name for bacteria, viruses, or parasites that cause illness.
Pesticide - chemical substance used to destroy,
Quality Control - monitoring activities performed by EPA and its contractors to ensure that sampling, data collection, and laboratory procedures are properly conducted and meet specified performance standards.
Raw Water Sample - a water sample gathered prior to treatment of any kind.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) a process of water purification whereby water is forced through a semipermeable membrane with extremely small pores. It has the capability of removing a broad range of infectious agents, inorganic and organic chemicals, and metals. It has a limited capacity, since the movement of water through the membrane is slow.
Rural Domestic Well - a drinking water well that supplies an occupied private household located in rural areas of the United States, except for wells located on government reservations.
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) - a law passed in 1974 and administered by EPA that establishes national standards for drinking water to provide a safe a wholesome water supply from both surface and ground-water sources.
Safe Drinking Water Hotline - a toll-free hotline established by EPA in July 1987 to handle requests for information on drinking water issues: 1-800-426-4791 (in Washington, D.C. at (202)-382-5533).
Sanitary Sewer is a type of underground carriage system for transporting sewage from houses or industry to treatment or disposal. In some areas, sanitary sewers are separate sewer systems specifically for the carrying of domestic and industrial wastewater, and are operated separately and independently of storm drains, which carry the runoff of rain and other water that wash into city streets.
Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) - a panel of scientists under the authority of
FIFRA to advise the EPA on scientific issues related to the assessment of risks posed by pesticides.
Septic System a sewage system composed of both a septic tank and a septic field. The septic tank is an underground container through which sewage flows very slowly and in which solids separate from the liquid to be decomposed or broken down by bacterial action.
Spring Water is derived from underground formations from which the water flows naturally to the surface. This type of water may be collected at the spring or from a borehole that taps the underground formation near where the spring derives.
Surface Water is derived from lakes, reservoirs, and rivers.
TI-IM trihalomethane, an organic compound to which inorganic atoms, such as chlorine, are attached. They are formed in water when organic compounds come in contact with chlorine that is used to disinfect water.
Turbidity is a measure of the degree to which the water looses its transparency due to the presence of suspended particulates.
Ultrafiltration (UF) is a selective fractionation process utilizing pressures up to 145 psi (10 bar). It concentrates suspended solids and solutes of molecular weight greater than 1,000. The permeate contains low-molecular-weight organic solutes and salts.
