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Contaminants
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Contact INL Oversight
Boise
Office
1410 N. Hilton
Boise, ID 83706
ph: (208) 373-0498
fx: (208) 373-0429
Idaho
Falls Office
900 N. Skyline Dr.
Idaho Falls, ID
83402
ph: (208) 528-2600
fx: (208) 528-2605
INL
Oversight Staff List |
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INL Oversight Monitoring:
Science Basics
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atom:
The tiny building blocks that make up everything in the
world. All are made of the same parts-protons, neutrons, and electrons-but
each has its own mixture of these parts.
element: A substance
made of only one kind of atom. Chemical properties of an element are
dictated by the number of protons or electrons in its atoms. All elements
have isotopes. An isotope has the same number of electrons and protons,
but a different number of neutrons.
compound: A substance
made of two or more elements.
chemical: A substance
made of either a single element or a mixture of elements (a compound.)
The chemical sodium chloride (table salt) is made of two elements,
sodium and chlorine.
substance: A kind of
matter that can not be separated into other kinds of matter by any
physical process. Everything on earth is a substance, and is either
an element (made of one type of atom) or a compound (made of a mixture
of elements.)
properties: Attributes
of a substance which identify it and distinguish it from other substances.
Properties can be physical or chemical. Physical properties include
color, shape, texture, and smell.Chemical properties include solubility,
viscosity, and acidity.
contaminant: Any element,
compound, chemical, or substance that is where you don't want it.
The properties of a contaminant determine how it will behave in the
environment as well as how it can be cleaned up. |
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