Assimilative Capacity

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-002271",
  "term": "Assimilative Capacity",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. The ability of a natural body of water to receive wastewaters or toxic materials without harmful effects and without damage to aquatic life.\n\n2. The amount of contaminant load that can be discharged to a specific waterbody without exceeding water quality standards or criteria. Assimilative capacity is used to define the ability of a waterbody to naturally absorb and use a discharged substance without impairing water quality or harming aquatic life.\n\n3. The capacity of a natural body of water to receive wastewaters or toxic materials without deleterious effects and without damage to aquatic life or humans who consume the water.",
  "subject": "Water",
  "references": [
    "Environmental Issues Terms & Acronyms",
    "Sediment Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Glossary",
    "Urban Watershed Management Research Terminology; Terms of Environment; Chesapeake Bay TMDL Glossary; Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/assimilative-capacity/"
}