ADHD - Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.
A disorder in which a child cannot maintain attention and has poor
impulse control. They may be restless and overactive. (Sometimes
called A.D.D.)
Alcohol - The family name of a group of organic
chemical compounds composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (C2H6O)
which occurs widely in nature and is used in solvents, antifreezes,
chemical manufacture, and as a fuel. Alcohol commonly is obtained
by fermentation.
Behavioral Disability - Behavioral disabilities
are defined by social and emotional behaviors that depart far enough
from age appropriate cultural norms that they interfere with the
child's academic and social development.
Benzene - Benzene is a highly toxic substance
and long exposure to it may cause leukemia. The presence of benzene
in the atmosphere, such as from the combustion of unleaded fuel
without a catalytic converter is a hazard to human health.
Bioaccumulate - The net accumulation of a contaminant
in an organism from all sources, including air, water and food.
Toxic chemicals tend to bioaccumulate in the fatty tissues of fish,
and these toxins increase in concentration as they are passed from
the prey to the predator (called biomagnification).
Dioxin - a man-made chemical by-product formed
during the manufacturing of other chemicals and during incineration.
Studies show that dioxin is the most potent animal carcinogen ever
tested, as well as the cause of severe weight loss, liver problems,
kidney problems, birth defects, and death.
EPA - The Environmental Protection Agency. A
federal agency charged with protecting the environment.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Fetal alcohol syndrome
refers to a group of symptoms exhibited by a child resulting from
the mother's consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. The symptoms
may include differing levels of mental retardation, low birth weight,
small size, and under development of the upper lip.
Heavy Metals - Metallic elements with high atomic
weights, e.g., mercury, chromium, cadmium, arsenic, and lead; can
damage living things at low concentrations and tend to accumulate
in the food chain.
Lead - A heavy metal that is hazardous to health
if breathed or swallowed. Its use in gasoline, paints and plumbing
compounds has been sharply restricted or eliminated by federal laws
and regulations.
Learning Disability - A disorder in basic psychological
processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or
written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen,
think, speak, read, write, spell or use mathematical calculations.
The term includes conditions such as perceptual disability, brain
injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.
Mercury - A heavy, toxic and volatile silvery
conducting metal, which is liquid at room temperature. Associated
by most people with thermometers and barometers, but also used as
an industrial chemical in a range of processes (e.g. chlorine production).
Much of the mercury in the environment stems from natural sources
(e.g. volcanoes, glaciers, oceans and seas).
Mold - a fungus; molds are plants that make spores
instead of seeds which float in the air like pollen. They are a
common trigger for allergies. Molds are found in damp areas, such
as the basement or bathroom, as well as in the outdoor environment
in grass, leaf piles, hay, and mulch.
Organic Foods - The production of organic foods
does not use pesticides or synthetic (or sewage-based) fertilizers
for plant materials and hormones and antibiotics for animals, does
not allow genetic engineering or the use of radiation, and emphasizes
the utilization of renewable resources as well as conservation of
land and water.
PCB - Polychlorinated Biphenyl, a synthetic,
organic chemical once widely used in electrical equipment, specialized
hydraulic systems, heat transfer systems, and other industrial products.
Highly toxic and a potent carcinogen. Any hazardous wastes that
contain more than 50 parts per million of PCBs are subject to regulation
under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
PBDE – Poly brominated diphenyl ether is
a chemical widely used as a flame retardant in clothes, cushions,
and some plastic items. PBDE levels in human beings have been growing
in past decades. PBDEs are potentially toxic to humans.
Pesticides - A general term used to refer to
chemicals used to destroy, prevent, or control plant or animal pests.
There are several classes of pesticides, defined by the type of
pest they will influence, (e.g., herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides,
molluskicides, and fungicides.) Pesticides can be highly toxic to
humans.
Precautionary Principal - An approach to decision-making
that needs to be widely adopted on a global basis. In essence, it
says that a lack of scientific certainty shall not be used as a
reason for not acting in a way that prevents degradation to the
environment or to human health.
Solvent - A substance, usually a liquid, in which
other substances are dissolved.
Toulene - A solvent used in manufacturing perfumes,
detergents, gasoline, other chemicals, and medicines. Acute exposure
can irritate the nose, throat, and eyes, and cause headaches, loss
of consciousness, and death. Chronic exposure can cause mutations,
damage developing fetuses, and damage the liver, kidneys, brain,
and bone marrow.
Toxic chemical – Any chemical that can
harm or poison a living organism including human beings.
Toxin – Any poisonous substance which can
cause disease.
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