Plume

{
  "id": "MLC-T-ENV-021294",
  "term": "Plume",
  "field": "Environment",
  "definition": "1. A concentration of contaminants in air, soil, or water usually extending from a distinct source.\n\n2. A plume is a visible or measurable emission or discharge of a contaminant from a given point of origin into any medium. The term also is used to refer to measurable and potentially harmful radiation leaking from a damaged reactor.\n\n3. A visible or measurable discharge of a contaminant from a given point of origin. Can be visible or thermal in water, or visible in the air as, for example, a plume of smoke.\n\n4. An area of groundwater contamination.\n\n5. The area of radiation leaking from a damaged reactor.\n\n6. Area downwind within which a release could be dangerous for those exposed to leaking fumes.\n\n7. A volume or area of contamination as it spreads into the environment from its source.\n\n8. A visible or measurable discharge of a contaminant body from a given point of origin. Can be a visible body of pollution such as smoke coming from a stack or a measured amount such as heat in water coming from a power plant boiler.\n\n9. A visible or measurable discharge of a contaminant from a given point of origin. It can be visible or thermal in water or visible in the air, such as a plume of smoke.\n\n10. A volume of a substance that moves from its source to places farther away from the source. Plumes can be described by the volume of air or water they occupy and the direction they move. For example, a plume can be a column of smoke from a chimney or a substance moving with groundwater.\n\n11. A definable, three-dimensional region of effluent created by the movement of groundwater beneath its source.",
  "subject": "Health and safety",
  "references": [
    "Environmental Issues Terms & Acronyms; Environmental Issues Glossary",
    "Waste and Cleanup Risk Assessment Glossary",
    "RCRA Glossary of Terms; Terms of Environment",
    "Superfund for Students and Teachers Glossary; Superfund",
    "Terms of Environment",
    "RadNet Glossary; Radiation Protection Radiation Glossary",
    "I-BEAM Glossary of Terms",
    "Remediation Glossary - TX",
    "CDC Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Glossary of Terms",
    "EPA Guidance for Federal Land Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Glossary at http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/NPS/chesbay502/pdf/chesbay_glossary.pdf; Federal Land Management in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Glossary"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/environment/plume/"
}