|
Glossary
Ambient Air: Outside air
Attainment: A term used to describe an area considered to have air quality as good as or better than the national ambient air quality standards as defined in the Clean Air Act. An area may be an attainment area for one pollutant and a non-attainment area for others.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The federal agency established in 1970 that is responsible for regulating pollution in the environment.
Fine Particles (Soot): Fine particles are released into the air when fuels like coal, natural gas, gasoline and diesel motor vehicle fuel, oil and word are burned. They are very tiny – each particle is about 30 times smaller than the diameter of the human hair. Collectively, fine particles often form smoke or haze.
Ground-level Ozone (Smog): A form of oxygen that is near the Earth's surface. It is very chemically reactive and can be an irritant to eyes and respiratory tissues. As a pollutant, it can be harmful to people and plants and is involved in the formation of smog. Ground-level ozone is often called man-made ozone or smog.
Knozone: Central Indiana's air quality awareness and public education campaign.
Knozone Action Day: An alert that is declared when air pollution levels are predicted to climb to levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups, represented by the color orange on the Air Quality Index. The voluntary activities promoted by the Knozone campaign should be followed in order to reduce air pollution and lessen the chance that Indianapolis and surrounding counties exceed the federally-mandated air quality standard.
Micrometers Per Cubic Meter (ugm3): Measurement for fine particle (PM 2.5) readings.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): Health-based standards established by EPA that apply for ambient air throughout the country.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx): A group of nitrogen and oxygen-based compounds react with the heat of the sun to form ground-level ozone.
Non-attainment: A term that describes an area that does not meet one or more of the national ambient air quality standards for the criteria pollutants designated in the Clean Air Act.
Office of Environmental Services (OES): The Office of Environmental Services is a division within the Indianapolis Department of Public Works and is the city's environmental agency. OES has been charged with maintaining and improving the environmental quality of life in Indianapolis, ensuring city compliance with environmental regulations and enforcing environmental regulations within Marion County.
Ozone Layer (Good Ozone): The ozone layer resides in the upper atmosphere and shields the Earth from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation.
Part Per Billion (ppb): Measurement for ground-level ozone readings. Just how small is 1 ppb? It equals one inch in 15,780 miles, or 3/5 of the way around the Earth; I cent in $10 million; 1 second in 32 years; and 1 ounce of salt in more than 31,250 tons of potato chips
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs): A group of organic compounds that react with the heat of the sun to form ground-level ozone.
|
