Glossary S

The Environmental Glossary. Letter S +++ Popular Articles: 'Soil', 'Substance', 'Surface'

Sludge in the environmental context refers to a thick, semi-solid, often viscous material that accumulates as a byproduct of various industrial, municipal, and agricultural processes. It is typically a mixture of water, solid particles, organic matter, and sometimes toxic substances. Proper management and disposal of sludge are essential to prevent environmental pollution and health hazards.

Deutsch: Schmelzen im Umweltkontext / Español: Fundición en el contexto ambiental / Português: Fundição no contexto ambiental / Français: Fusion dans le contexte environnemental / Italiano: Fonderia nel contesto ambientale

Smelting in the environmental context refers to the process of extracting a base metal from its ore by heating and melting, often using a reducing agent to decompose the ore and remove other elements as gases or slag. While smelting is a critical step in the production of metals such as iron, copper, and aluminum, it poses significant environmental challenges, including air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy consumption.

Deutsch: Smog / Español: Smog / Português: Smog / Français: Smog / Italiano: Smog /

The smog is a dense, discolored radiation fog containing large quantities of soot, ash, and gaseous pollutants such as sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide, responsible for human respiratory ailments.

Deutsch: Schornstein / Español: Chimenea industrial / Português: Chaminé industrial / Français: Cheminée industrielle / Italiano: Ciminiera

Smokestack in the environmental context refers to tall chimneys used by industrial plants, power stations, and factories to release combustion gases and pollutants into the atmosphere. These structures are designed to disperse emissions at higher altitudes, reducing the immediate impact on local air quality but potentially contributing to wider environmental issues such as air pollution and climate change.

Deutsch: Schnecke / Español: Caracol / Português: Caracol / Français: Escargot / Italiano: Lumaca

Snail in the environmental context refers to a slow-moving, shelled gastropod mollusc found in diverse habitats, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. Snails play significant roles in ecosystems as decomposers, herbivores, and prey for other animals. They contribute to nutrient cycling and help maintain the ecological balance in their respective environments.

Deutsch: Schlange / Español: Serpiente / Português: Cobra / Français: Serpent / Italiano: Serpente

Snake refers to a legless reptile belonging to the suborder Serpentes. In the environmental context, snakes play a crucial role in ecosystems as both predators and prey, contributing to biodiversity and the balance of natural habitats.

Deutsch: Schnee / Español: Nieve / Português: Neve / Français: Neige / Italiano: Neve
Snow is precipitation in the form of flakes of crystalline water ice that falls from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material.

SOC in the environmental context stands for "Soil Organic Carbon." It refers to the organic carbon present in soil, including decomposed plant and animal materials. Soil organic carbon is a crucial component of the soil ecosystem and plays a significant role in soil health, fertility, and carbon cycling.

Deutsch: Soziale Rechenschaftspflicht 8000 / Español: Responsabilidad Social 8000 / Português: Responsabilidade Social 8000 / Français: Responsabilité Sociale 8000 / Italiano: Responsabilità Sociale 8000 /

A Social Accountability 8000 (SA8000) is an international standard for social accountability developed by Social Accountability International (SAI) through multi-stakeholder consultations.

A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is a study whose aim is to foresee and measure the effects of a public or private policy, program or project on surrounding populations (social organization, lifestyle, community relations, economic organization, health, culture, beliefs, etc.).