Environmental Health Vocabulary

noun waste matter carried away in sewers or drains

• The sewage treatment plant is responsible for processing and treating wastewater before it is released back into the environment.
• I can smell sewage coming from the drains near my house, it's really unpleasant.
• The sewage system in this area is totally messed up, it's causing a lot of issues for the residents.
• The hatred between the two families ran deep, like sewage flowing through the streets.

verb to make or become sick or disgusted

• The sight of blood can sicken some people.
• I don't know about you, but that movie really sickened me.
• The smell of rotten food really sickens me.
• The corruption in politics can sicken even the most optimistic of individuals.

noun the act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco or a drug

adjective related to the act of smoking

• The act of smoking is prohibited in this area.
• Hey, do you mind not smoking here?
• I can't believe he's still smoking, it's so bad for him.
• Her love for him was like a smoking addiction, impossible to quit.

verb to experience or undergo pain, distress, or hardship

• Many people around the world suffer from chronic illnesses.
• I heard that Sarah has been suffering from a bad cold all week.
• I can't believe I have to suffer through another boring lecture.
• The team's performance suffered greatly after their star player got injured.

noun the quality or state of being toxic, harmful, or poisonous

• The toxicity of the chemicals in the laboratory must be carefully monitored.
• The toxicity of that gossip is spreading like wildfire.
• The toxicity of that situation is off the charts.
• The toxicity of his words left a lasting impact on her emotions.

noun a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silicate or quartz dust

• Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine silicate or quartz dust.
• I heard that pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest word in the English dictionary.
• I can't even pronounce pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, let alone spell it!
• Dealing with this project feels like having a case of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis - overwhelming and suffocating.

noun a unit of dose equivalent radiation

• The radiation dose is measured in sieverts, with one sievert equivalent to one joule of energy per kilogram of tissue.
• They said the radiation level was off the charts, like in sieverts or something.
• I heard the radiation in that area was like a million sieverts, man.
• The emotional impact of the tragedy was like a sievert of sorrow, overwhelming and all-encompassing.