Glossary - A to Z
Refer to CEPA criteria and definitions document
| Adsorption: the surface retention of solid, liquid, or gas molecules or of ions by a solid or liquid, as opposed to absorption, the penetration of substances into the bulk of the solid or liquid. |
| ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable): making every very reasonable effort to maintain far below the dose limits as practical. |
| Alkylation: the transfer of an alkyl group (which unbonded, is a radical molecule consisting of carbon and hydrogen molecules) from one molecule to another by substitution or addition. |
| ComHAZ (Complex Hazard Tool): complex mechanism of determining health hazard by comparing information on a series of toxicological endpoints (e.g., carcinogenicity, repeated dose toxicity) |
| CME (Clathrin-mediated endocytosis): major process by which cells regulate the surface level of proteins such as signaling receptors, transporters, ion channels, and neurotransmitter receptors. Defects in the endocytic process have profound repercussions on cellular function. |
| GPE: greatest potential for exposure |
| HPV chemicals: chemicals reported to be produced or imported at levels greater than 1,000 tonnes per year in at least one OECD Member country or in the European Union region. |
| IPE: intermediate potential for exposure |
| LOAEL: lowest-observed-adverse-effect level |
| Log Kow: Octanol-water partition coefficient |
| Mass Flow Tool: a tool used to estimate the quantities and proportions of a substance released to the environment during its life-cycle |
| Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (The MIREC Study): national 5-year research study the extent to which pregnant women and their babies are exposed to environmental chemicals, pregnancy health risks associated with exposure to heavy metals, and to measure the levels of environmental chemicals and some of the beneficial components (nutritional and immune constituents) of breast milk. |
| Methylation: the replacement of a hydrogen atom with a methyl group (the radical alkyl group -CH3) |
| Modified Gobas model: model to determine the bioaccumulation factor of a chemical |
| NOAEL: no-observed-adverse-effect levelConcentration |
| PEC: Predicted Environmental Concentration |
| Peroxysome: microbodies present in vertebrate animal cells, especially liver and kidney cells, which are rich in the enzymes peroxidase, catalase, d-amino acid oxidase, and urate oxidase. |
| Pharmacokinetics: the study of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, etc., of drugs |
| PNEC (predicted no-effect concentration): the concentration below which exposure to a substance is not expected to cause adverse effects |
| PEC: predicted environmental concentration |
| QSAR model: model used to predict determine the quantitative relation between a chemical structure and a process |
| REACH: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances (European Union) |
| Stratium: part of the brain and is particularly known for its role in the planning and modulation of movement |
| Sulfonation: the replacement of a hydrogen atom with a sulfonic acid functional group |
| Toxicokinetics: the generation of pharmacokinetic data, either as an integral component in the conduct of non-clinical toxicity studies or in specially designed supportive studies, in order to assess systemic exposure. These data may be used in the interpretation of toxicology findings and their relevance to clinical safety issues |
| Track 1 substance: substance that is found to be persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, and primarily the result of human activity that will be targeted for virtual elimination from the environment |
| Vapour pressure (VP): the pressure of a vapor in equilibrium with its liquid or solid forms |
View the Government of Canada's Chemical Substances Glossary.
