vocabulary 573
Compost natural plant food made from
decomposed food scraps, crop and
plant wastes, manure, and other
organic matter.
Conservation saving natural resources
from being wasted or destroyed.
Constructed wetland a pit or basin filled
with wetland plants which filter
and clean waste water. Also called a
reedbed.
Consumer a person who buys or uses
things.
Consumption buying and using products
and resources.
Containment pond a pond built to hold
waste from mining or oil drilling.
Contour, contour line the places on a
hillside or slope which are level across
the slope.
Contour barrier a barrier, such as a wall
or ditch, built on a contour line to slow,
spread, and sink water into the ground
and prevent erosion.
Crop residue stalks, leaves, roots and
other plant matter left after crops are
harvested. Often used in compost or as
a biomass fuel.
Crop rotation changing where crops
are grown each year to improve soil
fertility.
Cutting a piece of a plant or tree branch
that can be used to grow a new plant
or tree.
Cyanide a very toxic chemical used in gold
mining.
D
DDT a pesticide used to kill malaria
mosquitoes. DDT is a Persistent
Organic Pollutant (POP). Overuse of
DDT has caused it to be less effective in
fighting malaria.
Decay to slowly break down and rot. See
also decompose.
Decompose when living things are broken
down by heat, insects, and bacteria.
When plant matter decomposes, it
turns to compost or rich soil.
Deforestation when forests are cut down
and cleared.
Degradation making something less
useful, less valuable, or less beautiful.
When land or forests are abused but
not destroyed they are degraded.
Dehydration when the body loses more
water than it takes in. Dehydration
is one sign of diarrhea diseases, often
related to poor sanitation. Dehydration
can be very dangerous, especially for
children.
Delirious when a person is not in her or
his right mind. Usually caused by a
fever or other illness.
Dengue fever a serious illness spread by
mosquitoes.
Detoxify to cleanse and remove poisons.
Diabetes a disease caused when the body
cannot process sugars. Also called
sugar disease.
Diarrhea frequent, runny stools. Diarrhea
diseases are often caused by unsafe
water and poor sanitation.
Dilute to make weaker by mixing with
water.
Dioxins a group of very harmful chemicals
released by burning plastic. Dioxins are
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
Disinfect, disinfection cleaning something
(water, wounds, tools, equipment, and
so on) in a way that gets rid of most
germs so it will not spread infection.
Disposable an item meant to be used once
and then thrown away.
Diversity having many different kinds of
people, animals, plants or other things
in one place. See also biodiversity.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012