adsorption: (verb adsorb) The process by which a substance sticks or adheres to the outer surface of another substance. Adsorption is what causes sunscreen to stick to your skin.
Aquatic: An adjective referring to water.
chemicals: A substance formed by two or more atoms combining in a certain ratio and structure. For example, water is a chemical formed by two hydrogen atoms combining with one oxygen atom. Its chemical formula is H2O. Chemical can also be used as an adjective to describe the properties of substances that result from various reactions between different compounds.
Contaminants: An unwanted or unnatural chemical, biological, or other substance in the environment (water, soil, air, the human body, food, etc.). Some contaminants can be harmful depending on the amount they occur, and some can accumulate in the human body and the environment over time.
cork: The tough and resilient bark of evergreen cork oak (Quercus serrata). Cork is a tree that can grow up to 20 metres (65 feet) tall and live for up to two centuries. The bark can be cut and peeled off every 10 years (for trees over 25 years old), making cork a renewable resource. It is often used to stopper bottles (especially wine bottles), as well as for flooring, bulletin boards and shoe soles.
ecosystem: A group of interacting organisms, such as microorganisms, plants, and animals, and their physical environment in a particular climate. Examples include tropical coral reefs, rainforests, alpine grasslands, and polar tundra. The term can also be applied to the elements that make up man-made environments, such as a business, a classroom, or the Internet.
environment: The sum of everything that exists around some organism or process and the conditions that those things create. Environment can refer to the weather or ecosystem that some animal lives in, or the temperature and humidity (or the arrangement of things near the item of interest).
Hydrophobicity: Repels (or does not absorb) water.
laser: A device that produces an intense, coherent beam of light of a single color. Lasers are used for drilling and cutting, aligning and guiding, storing data, and performing surgery.
Materials Scientist: A researcher who studies how a material’s atomic and molecular structure relates to the material’s overall properties. Materials scientists may design new materials or analyze existing materials. Analyzing a material’s overall properties (such as density, strength, melting point) helps engineers and other researchers select the best materials for new applications.
Life: All living things, from elephants and plants to bacteria and other single-celled organisms.
particle: A trace of something.
Light and Heat: A term used to describe the production of heat in something as a result of exposure to light.
pore: Tiny holes on the surface of the skin through which substances such as oil, water, and sweat pass.
Porous: Description of a material that has tiny holes called stomata through which gases or liquids can pass. In biology, microscopic openings in the skin or outer layer of a plant.
Pure: An adjective referring to something in original or near-original condition, meaning somewhat old but seemingly “untouched” or unaltered.
renewable resource: An adjective used to describe a resource that can be infinitely replenished (such as water, green vegetation, sunlight, wind, etc.). This contrasts with non-renewable resources, which have a finite supply and can essentially be used up. This includes oil (and other fossil fuels) and relatively rare elements and minerals.
danger: The chance or mathematical probability of something bad happening. For example, the risk of getting cancer from exposure to radiation. Or the danger, or harm itself. (For example: Among the cancer risks people faced were radiation and arsenic-contaminated drinking water.).
Ocean: A sea (or an area that is part of a sea). Unlike lakes and rivers, sea water (or ocean water) is salty.
Black mark: To contaminate something with an unexpected, unnatural, or illegal substance.
Toxic: Poisonous, or capable of harming or killing cells, tissues, or whole organisms. A measure of the risk posed by such a toxin is its toxicity.
Characteristic: A characteristic of something. (in genetics) An inherited quality or trait.
Veterinarian: Pertaining to animal medicine or health care.
Viscous: An adjective describing something that is thick, viscous, and difficult to pour. Molasses and maple syrup are examples of viscous liquids.
Source: www.snexplores.org
