die before their first birthday.

Life Expectancy: Average number of years a new-born

baby is expected to survive.
Lithosphere: Outer shell of the earths crust, made of the
mantle of rocks. It includes the soil which covers the rocks
crust in many places.
Magma: Molten rock below the earths surface.
Monoculture: Cultivation of a single crop of tree.
Glossary 179
Natural Gas: Underground deposits of gases containing
mainly methane and small amounts of propane and
butane. It is a cleaner fuel than fossil fuel as it produces
less carbon dioxide on burning.
Natural Hazards: Hazards from natural sources
(earthquake, volcanic eruption etc.) which destroy or
damage human lives, houses etc.
Neutron: Nuclear particle with zero charge and mass,
(relative to it).
Nitrogen Cycle: Continuous exchange of nitrogen within
the ecosystem: air-soil-water.
Nitrogen Fixation: Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen
gas into ammonia by nitrogen-fixing bacteria/cyanobacteria.
Nuclear Fission: Splitting of nucleus (uranium/
plutonium) into two or more fragments with release of
tremendous amount of energy. This is the source of nuclear
power (electricity generation).
PAN (Peroxyacyl Nitrate): A toxic product of photochemical
smog reactions.
Particulate Matter: Solid particles or ligand droplets
suspended in air. Examples are smog particles from
combustion of fossil fuels.
Photosynthesis: Synthesis of food (carbohydrates) by
green plants in the presence of sunlight using carbon
dioxide from air and water from soil.
Phytoplankton: Small plants like algae, bacteria found
floating on the surface of water.
Photovoltaic Cell: Solar cell that converts, solar energy
into electricity.
Population Explosion: Excessive growth of population
as in developing countries, to a size that exceeds the
carrying capacity.
Primary Pollutants: Gaseous and particulate pollutants
discharged directly into the atmosphere by automobile exhaust
180 Environment and Ecology
emissions. The gases thus discharged are carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and hydrocarbons.
Residence Time: Length of time for which a chemical or
molecule stays in the environment. For example, the
residence time of CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) molecule in
the stratosphere is 100 years.
Sanitary Landfill: Waste disposal site on land in which
solid waste is spread with fresh layer of clay.
Secondary Pollutant: Harmful pollutants generated from
primary pollutants air, for example, sulphonic acid is a
secondary pollutant, produced by the primary pollutant
sulphur dioxide by reaction with water vapour in air.
Sustainable Development: Improvement in quality of