Your Green Glossary

A

Antimicrobial agents: A term for substances that either kill or slow the growth of microbes.

Alcohol Ethoxylate: A certain group of nonionic surfactant commonly used. Alcohol Ethoxylates are considered a good candidate for replacing alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) in many applications.

Anionic – Means “negatively charged”.  In respect to chemistry it applies to forming negatively charged ions in solution. Anionic surfactants include alkylbenzene sulfonates and alcohol sulfates.

APE:  Stands for Alkyl Phenol Ethoxylate.  A commonly used detergent surfactant that is NOT readily biodegradable and is a suspected endocrine disruptor.

Asthmagen:  A chemical or contaminant that can trigger an asthma attack.

B

Bacteria:  Bacteria are one-celled organisms that lack a cell nucleus, reproduce by fission or by forming spores, and in some cases cause disease, but most are harmless and essential to the ecosystem. Bacteria are the most abundant lifeforms on Earth, and are found in all living things and in all of the Earth's environments. Bacteria usually live off other organisms.

Bio-Based:  Product or raw materials that are derived from sustainable, primarily plant sources.

Biodegradability:  A substance capable of being decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria; as in a biodegradable detergent.

Bleach:  A chemical agent used to remove color from substances and materials. Chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, and hydrogen peroxide are bleaches.

Butyl:  Slang term for the chemical 2-Butyoxyethanol, also known as ethylene glycol mono butyl ether or “Butyl Cellosolve”.  Common ingredient used in cleaning products that has significant chronic health effects.

C

Carcinogen:  A substance or agent that can cause cells to become cancerous by altering their genetic structure so that they multiply continuously and become malignant. (1)

Corrosive:  The gradual destruction of a substance by chemical action.

Cross-contamination (by bacteria): The contamination of bacteria among people, food, surfaces, and/or equipment and the process of spreading it to other non-contaminated surfaces. A proper cleaning procedure can prevent this.

D

Daylighting: Daylighting uses natural light to illuminate buildings.

D-Limonene:  d-Limonene is the major component of the oil extracted from citrus rind, sometimes called “orange oil”.  D-Limonene is an organic solvent that is considered to be “green”.

DfE:  Stands for Design for the Environment.  DfE is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Seal of approval for “green” products and processes.

Disinfectant:  Disinfectants are products designed to kill bacteria, viral agents, and fungi.  A disinfectant that makes “public health claims” must be registered with the EPA as an anti-microbial pesticide and have an EPA registration number.  Disinfectants are not considered ‘green’ yet are an essential part of a green cleaning program because of their critical role in preventing the spread of disease and sickness.  Green Cleaning requires a policy on the appropriate use of disinfectants.

E

Endocrine Disruptor:  A substance that interferes with the normal functioning of the endocrine system. It can do this by acting like a hormone itself, by counteracting the effects of natural hormones, by altering the creation and destruction of natural hormones, or by interfering with hormone receptors.

EPA: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA’s main goal is to protect human health and the environment.

Eutrophication: means an increase of nutrition by chemicals, typically by compounds containing nitrogen or phosphorus.  In other words, excessive growth of plants that leads to lack of oxygen and reduced water quality to fish and other animal populations.  However, it is not clear if the blame should be taken solely by the detergent industry, because with the increase in the use of detergent phosphates there was also an increase in the use of phosphate fertilizers, which also find their way into natural water systems.

F

G

Green Cleaning:  Defined as a process of “Cleaning to Protect Health without harming the Environment”.

Greenhouse gas emissions: Greenhouse gasses are primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which are naturally occurring. However, through population growth, fossil fuel burning, and deforestation, people and businesses are affecting the mixture of gases in the atmosphere. Plus, a variety of industrial processes now emit very powerful greenhouse gases that are not naturally occurring -- these include hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). According to the EPA, the heat-trapping property of greenhouse gases is undisputed although uncertainties exist about exactly how the earth's climate responds to them. There is new and stronger evidence that most of the global warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities.

Source:    http://yosemite.epa.gov/OAR/globalwarming.nsf/content/index.html

Green Label: The Carpet and Rug Institute's certification program for vacuum cleaners.
To qualify for the Green Label, vacuums must go through a stringent testing process that measures three key performance factors:

• Soil Removal - The vacuum must remove a set quantity of soil from carpet in four passes.
• Dust Containment - The vacuum must not release more than 100 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter of air. This protocol evaluates the total amount of dust particles released by the brush rolls, through the filtration bag and via any air leaks from the system, and is more stringent than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• Carpet Appearance Retention - The vacuum should not affect the appearance of the carpet more than a one-step change based on one year of normal vacuum use.

High performance vacuum cleaners have a significant impact on improved indoor air quality (IAQ). At the same time, vacuums that effectively remove and contain soil while keeping the carpet looking good will help carpets last longer. Ultimately, better performing vacuums provide a greater return on investment and ensure a healthier indoor environment.

Source: The Carpet and Rug Institute, http://www.carpet-rug.com/

Green Seal:  A non-profit third party organization that develops standards for products and processes and certifies products/services to the various standards.

Green Seal: A widely recognized green product certification. The Green Seal organization is "an independent, non-profit organization that strives to achieve a healthier and cleaner environment by identifying and promoting products and services that cause a less toxic pollution and waste, conserve resources and habitats, and minimize global warming and ozone depletion. Green Seal has no financial interest in the products that it certifies or recommends nor in any manufacturer or company."

Green Seal Certified Products - The Green Seal is awarded to products that have less impact on the environment and work well. To earn the Green Seal a product must meet the Green Seal environmental standard for the category as demonstrated by rigorous evaluation, testing and a plant visit.

Green Seal Recommended Products - Green Seal publishes reports of product recommendations to provide guidance for institutional purchasers. The recommendations are based on a careful environmental screening of available information on products currently on the market. The recommended products appear to meet the prerequisites for being environmentally responsible based on data provided by their manufacturers. Recommended products have not gone through Green Seal's formal certification process.

Source:   http://www.greenseal.org

Green Washing:  A term used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service.

H

HEPA: High Efficiency Particulate Air filters used in HVAC systems, vacuum cleaners, etc. A HEPA filter removes a minimum of 99.97% of contaminants at 0.3 microns in size. In comparison, a human hair is about 60-75 microns in diameter. Particles less than 35 microns can't be seen with the naked eye. Pollen is in the 10-100 micron range, with dust in the .5-5 micron range. Particles under 5 microns can to penetrate deep into the lungs.

HVAC:  Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Using efficient systems and keeping them maintained are important to a green program.

Hydrogen Peroxide: 

Hazard:  The potential health or physical effect attributable to a specific chemical, mixture or physical agent.

Hydrophilic: Literally meaning is “water loving.” The term refers to water solubility. Surfactants such as nonylphenol ethoxylate have molecules with both a water soluble and water insoluble end.

Hydrophobic: Literally meaning is “water fearing.” The term indicates insolubility in water.

I

IAQ: Indoor Air Quality. An important environmental consideration, because people spend approximately 90 percent of our time indoors. Common factors that affect IAQ are:

• People (exhalation, body odors, diseases)
• Activities (work such as cleaning, using correction fluids, carbonless paper, pest control products, and personal activities such as wearing fragrances and smoking)
• Technology (photocopiers and laser printers)
• Furnishings (furniture, draperies, floor coverings)
• Finishes (paint, varnish, vinyl wall coverings)
• Building materials (caulking compounds, adhesives, wood laminates)
• Outdoor air quality
• Inadequate or contaminated air handling units
• Inadequate cleaning practices

Source: The Carpet and Rug Institute, http://www.carpet-rug.com/

J

K

L

LEED:  Stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

LEED-EB:  In 2004, the USGBC introduced LEED certification for Existing Build­ings. LEED-EB spells out a set of performance standards covering building operations and systems upgrades in existing buildings where the majority of the interior or exterior surfaces remain unchanged.  LEED-EB requires green cleaning products and process be implemented as a pre-requisite for certification.

LEED-NC:  Piloted in 1998 and launched in 2002, LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations is designed for rating new and existing commercial and institutional buildings.

Life-Cycle Cost: The analysis of the costs of a system or a component over its entire life span. Typical costs for a system may include:

• Acquisition costs (or design and development costs)
• Operating costs:
  • Cost of failures
  • Cost of repairs
  • Cost for spares
  • Downtime costs
  • Loss of production
• Disposal costs

Source: http://www.weibull.com/

Example: Life-cycle cost analysis of two light bulbs
assuming each light operates 1,400 hours per year (about four hours per day):

M

MRSA:  Methicillin Resistant Staphyococcus Aureus:  A type of staph bacteria that can produce an infection that is resistant to standard  antibiotic treatement.  Learn more at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca.html 

MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet. Written information on a product that reflects the hazards of working with the material in an occupational fashion. An MSDS is designed to provide both workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance. The sheet includes information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment and spill/leak procedures.

N

NPE:  Stands for Nonyl Phenol Ethoxylate (same as APE, see above)

O

OSHA: The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration and its regulations requiring employers to protect the health and safety of their employees through training, use of certain procedures (including personal protection), development of emergency plans, and more.

Ozone depletion: The destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer, which shields the earth from harmful amounts of ultraviolet radiation. Ozone depletion is caused by the breakdown of certain chlorine- and/or bromine-containing compounds (chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, and halons) when they reach the stratosphere and quickly destroy ozone molecules.

Post-consumer materials: Materials that have served their intended use as a consumer item and have been diverted or recovered from waste destined for disposal. Used in recycling and part of the broader category of "recovered materials."

P

Phosphate:  A compound commonly used in detergents and fertilizers.  Phosphates can be harmful when discharged into the environment because they can promote unwanted plant and algae growth in lakes and rivers.

Q

R

Recovered materials: Materials that have been recovered or diverted from solid waste to be recycled for other use.

Recycled content: The amount or percent of recovered materials that a finished product contains.

S

SDSI:  Stands for Soap and Detergent Stewardship Initiative.

Sustainable:

T

Third Party Certified:  A product that has been certified by an independent entity to meet a certain standard.  Green Seal and the EPA Dfe are examples of third party certifiers of green products.

Teratogen:  Compound suspected of causing birth defects or deformations in developing embryos.

U

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC): The United States Green Building Council is "a coalition of leaders from across the building industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work." To do this, the USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System®.

V

Virus:  A microscopic infectious agent that requires a host cell to grow and reproduce.

VOC: Volatile Organic Compounds contained in some cleaning products. VOCs can escape during product use and have been linked to smog formation. Green cleaning process help minimize VOCs in the environment.

W

X

Y

Z

(1)"Carcinogen." The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. 10 Mar. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Carcinogen>.