Glossary beginning with N
terms for which definitions are available
- NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- non-point source pollution
pollution that comes from a diffuse source such as atmospheric deposition, stormwater runoff from pasture and cro pland, or individual on-lot domestic sewage systems discharging through shallow groundwater
- NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
- nutrient
an element or molecule needed for biological growth; when nutrients such as phosphorus are present in great concentrations, biological growth (algae in particular) can become overabundant, causing problems for aquatic ecosystems