Absorbance (Abs) - Light absorption is a way to measure elemental carbon in samples. It is calculated by measuring the amount of light reflected by the particulates on the sample filters. The elemental carbon results on the NYC Tracking Portal are displayed
Absorbance (Abs) - Light absorption is a way to measure elemental carbon in samples. It is calculated by measuring the amount of light reflected by the particulates on the sample filters. The elemental carbon results on the NYC Tracking Portal are displayed as units of absorbance (abs).
Acute health effect - An adverse effect occurring within hours or days that may result from exposure to certain contaminants, for example, dizziness and headache resulting from carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms often subside after the exposure stops.
Aflatoxins - A group of chemicals that are produced by a mold. Aflatoxins sometimes contaminate certain foods.
Age-adjusted rates - Most health outcomes - cancers or heart disease, for example - occur at different rates in different age groups. A neighborhood with a high proportion of older people would be expected to have a higher rate of heart disease based on its age makeup alone. Age-adjustment minimizes the impact of age differences when comparing two rates. It allows for the conclusion that differences in rates between two places are probably due to factors other than age. Within the Tracking Portal, all age-adjusted rates have been standardized to the Year 2000 U.S. Census Population.
Air Quality Index (AQI) - An index for reporting daily air quality based on multiple pollutants. It provides information on how clean or polluted air is, and the degree to which associated health effects might be a concern. The AQI focuses on acute health effects that may be experienced within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. The higher the AQI value, the more likely people are to experience related health effects, especially sensitive populations.
Air Quality System (AQS) - A national database that contains ambient air pollution data collected by EPA, state, local, and tribal air pollution control agencies from thousands of monitoring stations.
Air Pollutant - Any substance in air that could, in high enough concentration, harm people, other animals, vegetation, or material. Pollutants include almost any type of natural or artificial matter capable of being airborne, taking the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, gases, or a mixture of all three forms.
Ambient - Surrounding. Ambient air is usually outdoor air (as opposed to indoor air).
Anencephaly - A birth defect where there is an absence of the skull, with cerebral hemispheres completely missing or reduced to small masses attached to the base of the skull; this condition is not compatible with life. Anencephaly is one type of neural tube defect.
Arsenic - Arsenic is a toxic element that occurs naturally in the environment and is also a byproduct of some industrial activities.
Biomonitoring - The measurement of chemicals (or their metabolites) in a person’s body fluids or tissues, such as blood or urine. It tells us the amount of the chemical that actually gets into people from all sources (for example, from air, soil, water, dust, and food) combined.
Birth weight - The first weight of a newborn after birth.
Blood Lead Level (BLL) - A measure of lead in the body. It is measured in micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood (μg/dL).
Carbon monoxide - A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas produced by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels.
Carcinogen - Any substance that can cause or aggravate cancer.
Chronic health effect - A health condition that develops and persists over a long period of time.
Cholinesterase Inhibitors - Some pesticides act as cholinesterase inhibitors. Cholinesterase is an enzyme that helps regulate the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine helps transfer nerve impulses from a nerve cell to a muscle cell or another nerve cell. If acetylcholine is not properly controlled by cholinesterase, the nerve impulses or neurons remain active longer than they should, over-stimulating the nerves and muscles. This can cause symptoms such as weakness or paralysis of the muscles.
Clean Air Act - The federal law that defines EPA's responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation's air quality and the stratospheric ozone layer. The Act empowers EPA to set limits on the amount of different pollutants allowed in the air anywhere in the United States, known as National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Cleft Lip (with or without Cleft Palate) - Refers to a birth defect where there is failure of the fetal components of the lip to fuse or join, forming a groove or fissure in the lip.
Cleft Palate - A birth defect where there is failure of the palate to fuse properly, forming a grooved depression or fissure in the roof of the mouth. This defect varies in degree of severity. The fissure can extend into the hard and soft palate and into the nasal cavities.
Chlorpyrifos - Chlorpyrifos is a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide. Since 2000, chlorpyrifos is no longer permitted to be used for structural (household and building) pest control.
Cockroach chalk - An illegal pesticide product often used for controlling cockroaches. Also