Exposure Guidelines for Residential Indoor Air Quality

Glossary

Adenocarcinoma

malignant tumour of glandular origin

Aerosol

particles dispersed in a gas

Allergy

unusual sensitivity to particular food, particles, irritants, etc.

ALTER

acceptable long-term exposure range

Alveolus

small cavity or socket (usually in lung where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged)

Anaemia

deficiency of red blood cells or their haemoglobin

Angina pectoris

thoracic (chest) pain with a feeling of suffocation

Aromatic

compound having physical and chemical properties resembling those of benzene

Asbestosis

chronic lung inflammation caused by inhalation of asbestos fibres

ASTER

acceptable short-term exposure range

Asthma

disease (especially allergic) of respiration, especially with paroxysms of difficult breathing

Becquerel

a unit of radioactivity, equivalent to one atomic disintegration per second

Bronchiole

minute branch of bronchus

Bronchus

either of the two main divisions of the trachea (windpipe)

Carcinogen

cancer-producing substance

Carcinogenesis

production of a carcinoma

Cardiovascular

pertaining to the heart and blood vessels

Confounding factor

a variable that distorts the apparent magnitude of the effect of a study factor on risk

Dermal

of the skin

Dermatitis

inflammation of the skin

Encephalopathy

any degenerative disease of the brain

Endogenous

developing or originating within the organism

Epidemic

prevalent among a community at a particular time

Epidemiology

science of epidemics

Exogenous

developing or originating outside the organism

Genotoxic

toxic to the genome (i.e., DNA)

Haemoglobin

the oxygen-carrying pigment of the red blood cell

Hydrocarbons

compounds composed of hydrogen and carbon

Ischaemia

reduction of blood supply to part of the body

Larynx (adj. laryngeal)

the voice box at the entrance to the windpipe in front of the neck

Mesothelioma

malignant tumour derived from mesothelial tissue

Morbidity

incidence of sickness in a given period

Morphology

comparative anatomy

Mortality

death rate in a given period

Mucociliary

pertaining to the ciliated mucus-coated epithelium of the conducting airways

Mucosa

mucous membrane

Mutagen

agent causing mutation

Mutation

genetic change which when transmitted to offspring gives rise to heritable variation

Pathogen

agent causing disease

Pesticide

substance for destroying pests

Photochemical oxidant

any chemical that enters into oxidation reactions in the presence of light or other radiant energy

Pulmonary

pertaining to the lungs

Renal

pertaining to the kidneys

Rhinitis

inflammation of the lining of the nose

Squamous

covered with, or composed of, scales

Surfactant

surface active agent that decreases surface tension

Surrogate

something that acts for, or takes the place of, another

Synergism

combined effect of drugs, pollutants, etc., that exceeds the sum of their individual effects

Teratogen

an agent causing defects in a developing foetus

Toxicological

pertaining to toxicology, the study of the nature and effects of hazardous substances

Trachea

windpipe