Substance and pollutant

Strip of land between cultivated areas and a natural habitat, arranged to limit the effects of agriculture on this habitat (e.g. an area developed on the banks of a river to protect the riverine habitat and limit inputs of soil, nutrients and pesticides into the waterways).

Set of operations (rehabilitation, pollution abatement, containment, elimination of waste, institutional controls, etc) carried out to make a site suitable for a given use.

Deterioration of the environment by chemical, physical or organic substances that cannot (or cannot anymore) be eliminated naturally by the ecosystem. Pollution is mainly caused by human activity. It is the result of the introduction into the environment of an artificial substance which is non-degradable or which exceeds the limit amount tolerated by the environment. Pollution may contribute to or cause: a threat to human health, deterioration of biological resources, ecosystems or property, a hindrance to a legitimate use of the environment. An adjective is often associated with the term "pollution", so we speak about: historical pollution, new pollution, residual pollution, chronic pollution,

Metals with a density greater than 4.5 g/cm3 (Protocol on heavy metals of the Geneva Convention). Heavy metals are toxic elements and pollutants mainly in the form of organic compounds found in the food chain. These are lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, zinc, copper, chromium and nickel. They come from the combustion of coal, petroleum, household refuse ... and specific industrial processes.

Amount of chemicals that a man or an animal can swallow per day, during his/its life, without any appreciable risk to his/its health. Values are especially established for food additives and pesticide residues whose presence in food meets technical requirements or that are necessary for the protection of plants.

Reducing an environmental impact at one stage of the life cycle to create or worsen another problem at another stage of the life cycle and/or another impact. This finally leads to transferring the problems or creating new ones.