Appendix A Glossary (Cont.)

Conservative Tending to over-estimate the potential for effects, or err on the

side of environmental protection.

Contaminant A chemical or biological substance in a form that can be

incorporated into, onto, or be ingested by organisms, consumers of organisms, or

users of the environment.

Contaminants of concern (COC) Contaminants present in dredged material

that have the potential to affect receptors of concern (ROC) under the project-

specific conditions.

Control sediment or soil Material used in plant or animal bioaccumulation

evaluations to ensure that extraneous factors do not affect the results.

Criteria Laboratory derived values from which standards are developed.

Diffusion The transport of contaminants by random molecular motion and

turbulence.

Dispersion The transport and dilution of contaminants and/or suspended

particles in air or water by the combined effects of shear and diffusion.

Dispersion is specifically used in this document to describe dilution of volatile

emissions in air.

Discharge See Dredged material discharge

Disposal See Confined disposal.

Disposal site or area A precise geographical area within which disposal of

dredged material occurs.

Dredged material Material excavated from waters of the United States or

ocean waters. The term dredged material refers to material which has been

dredged from a water body, while the term sediment refers to material in a water

body prior to the dredging process.

Dredged material discharge In the context of this document, any addition of

dredged material into waters of the United States or ocean waters. The term

includes discharges from confined disposal facilities that enter waters of the

United States.

Effect In the context of this document, a measurable response of an organism

to a contaminant.

Effluent Water that is discharged from a confined disposal facility during and

as a result of the filling or placement of dredged material.

Appendix A Glossary