Chemistry & Environmental Dictionary

BACT - Boiling Point

BACT (Best Available Control Technology)

Guidelines for municipal waste combustors developed by EPA in 1986 that were intended to add consistency and reduce delay and confusion in the permitting process.

Barns

A measurement of area equal to E -24 cm2.

Base

Compounds that when dissolved in water increase the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH). Bases are proton acceptors. Substances with a pH greater than 7 are considered to basic.

Beta Particle

a charged particle emitted from the nucleus of some atoms as part of those atoms' radioactive decay. Positively charged beta particles are positrons and negatively charged beta particles are electrons. Beta particles can cause burns and are harmful to living tissues, however, protection is afforded by a thin sheet of metal.

Boiling Point

The temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid is equal to or slightly greater than the atmospheric pressure of the environment. For water at sea level, its boiling point is 100C (212F).

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