Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288:reg:14:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2013C00288
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 14 (pt 1/4)
Character Range: 1996985–2000013

14             Glossary
ACL (EC50) is the added contaminant limit calculated using 50% effect concentration (EC50) toxicity data.
ACL (LOEC & EC30) is the added contaminant limit calculated using lowest observed effect concentration (LOEC) and 30% effect concentration (EC30) toxicity data.
ACL (NOEC & EC10) is the added contaminant limit calculated using no observed effect concentration (NOEC) and 10% effect concentration (EC10) toxicity data.
Adaptation is (1) change in an organism, in response to changing conditions of the environment (specifically chemical), which occurs without any irreversible disruption of the given biological system and without exceeding the normal (homeostatic) capacities of its response, and (2)  a process by which an organism stabilises its physiological condition after an environmental change.
Added contaminant limit (ACL) is the added concentration of a contaminant above which further appropriate investigation and evaluation of the impact on ecological values will be required. ACL values are generated in the process of deriving the three sets of SQGs (calculated using NOEC and EC10, LOEC and EC30, and EC50 toxicity data). ACL values denote which toxicity data was used in their derivation by using subscripts. Thus, ACL(NOEC &EC10), ACL(LOEC & EC30) and ACL(EC50) are calculated using NOEC & EC10, LOEC & EC30, and EC50 data respectively.
Adsorption is the adhesion of molecules to surfaces of solids.
Ambient background concentration (ABC) of a contaminant is the soil concentration in a specified locality that is the sum of the naturally occurring background and the contaminant levels that have been introduced from diffuse or non-point sources by general anthropogenic activity not attributed to industrial, commercial, or agricultural activities.
An area of ecological significance is one where the planning provisions or land-use designation is for the primary intention of conserving and protecting the natural environment. This would include national parks, state parks, and wilderness areas and designated conservation areas.
Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) is a partition coefficient for the distribution of a chemical between an organism exposed through all possible routes and an environmental compartment or food.
Bioaccumulation is the net result of the uptake, distribution and elimination of a substance due to all routes of exposure; that is, exposure to air, water, soil/sediment and food.
Bioavailability is the ability of substances to interact with the biological system of an organism. Systemic bioavailability will depend on the chemical or physical reactivity of the substance and its ability to be absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract or skin. It may be locally bioavailable at all these sites.
Bioconcentration factor (BCF)  is a quantitative measure of a chemical's tendency to be taken up from the ambient environment (for example, water for aquatic organisms and soil or soil pore water for soil organisms). The BCF is the ratio