New Brunswick's Clean Air Act - Glossary

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Major Offence. Refers to a violation of the Clean Air Act that is serious in nature. An offence in which there is likely to be a designated penalty, pursuant to the Administrative Penalties Regulation.

Mass Loadings. The mass of a contaminant collected per unit of time. Generally, reported in grams per second or kilograms per hour. See Emission Rate.

Mass per Time Emission Rate. See Emission Rate, and Mass Loadings.

Maximum Design Outlet Emission Rate. Refers to the maximum mass per unit time of contaminant that the device has been designed not to exceed in an outlet air waste stream.

Maximum Permissible Ground Level Concentration. The highest concentration allowed to be permitted at any stationary location at ground level for specific air contaminants in New Brunswick. There are maximum permissible ground level concentrations established for carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and total suspended particulate matter. The concentrations are expressed in micrograms per cubic metre at standard conditions.

Maximum Rated Heat Input. Is the maximum rate at which heat is required for the combustion of fuel in a steam-generating unit. It does not include the heat input from preheated combustion air, recirculated flue gas, or exhaust gases from other sources such as gas turbines, internal combustion engines, kilns, etc.

Mechanical Energy. Energy produced through the use of machines such as pumps, turbines and turbine drive generators.

Mechanical Roller Presses. Presses that consist of operating a roller press whose slide is operated by mechanical means.

Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF). A dry formed panel wood product manufactured from wood fibres such as sawdust and shavings combined with a synthetic resin. The panels are compressed to a density of 500 - 800 kg/m³. HDF is > 800 kg/m³.

Melamine Press. The machine by which melamine is applied under heat and pressure onto particle board. Is considered a finishing process for the particle board manufacturing industry.

Melting Furnace. A furnace in which the frit for glass is melted. Also, referred to as a Glass Melting Furnace.

Mercaptans. Organic compounds that have sulphur compounds bonded to the organic chains. The mercaptans are generally produced in oil refining of crude oil to feedstock fuels, and the natural degradation of fish. Mercaptans are the predominant odorous components from the oil refining process. The mercaptans that arise in cracking units are usually removed by scrubbing with caustic soda, removed from the caustic soda by steam stripping and then burnt.

Mercury Cells. A primary cell that delivers a constant output voltage throughout its useful life by means of a chemical reaction between zinc and mercury oxide. Mercury cells are one of the cell types used in the electrolysis of brine for producing chlorine and caustic in the Chlor-Alkali process.

Metallurgical Coke. Manufactured by the heating of high grade bituminous coal (low sulphur and low ash) to around 1050^oC in an enclosed oven chamber without oxygen. The resulting solid material consists of elemental carbon and any minerals (ash) that were present in the coal blend that did not volatilize during the process. There are two major categories of metallurgical coke: furnace coke and foundry coke. Furnace coke is used as a fuel in steel mill blast furnaces and foundry coke is used as a fuel in foundry cupola.

Metallurgical Grade Sulphuric Acid. The sulphuric acid that is manufactured from the sulphur dioxide generated from the metallurgical process associated with burning and smelting of sulphide based ores. In such facilities varying feed rates and concentrations of sulphur dioxide result, therefore achieving a high conversion of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide which is then used to react with water to form sulphuric acid.

Meteorological Towers. A tower equipped with various instruments used to collect data on the atmosphere including wind speed, wind direction, and barometric pressure.

Methanol (CH₃OH). A colourless, toxic flammable liquid. It is an alcohol produced by the oxidation of methane. It is used as a solvent, a fuel and as a raw material in the manufacture of formaldehyde, and an additive in the synthesis and antifreeze for automobiles.

Method of Environment Canada Report EPS 1-AP-74-1. This is an Environment Canada publication developed by the Environmental Protection Services section that is a reference method which outlines the protocols to complete isokinetic particulate matter source sampling. This method has since been update and replaced by EPS/RM/1/8.

Methyl Chloroform. Is a colourless, volatile liquid with a sweetish odour. It has industrial applications as a solvent, an extracting agent and in the manufacture of other chemicals such as CFCs. It is a potential ozone depleting substance.

Methylene Chloride (CH₂Cl₂). Is a colourless liquid, practically nonflammable and nonexplosive. It is used as a solvent for organic materials and a component in nonflammable paint-remover mixtures.

Methyl Ethyl Ketone (CH₃COC₂H₅). A water-soluble, flammable, colourless liquid that is miscible in oil. It is used as a solvent in vinyl films and nitrocellulose coatings and as a reagent in organic synthesis. It is only slightly soluble in water but quite soluble in most organic solvents.

Methyl Mercaptan (CH₃SH). Colourless toxic, flammable gas with an unpleasant odour. It is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents and is used as a chemical intermediate.

Methyl Sulphide ((CH₃)₂S). A flammable, colourless liquid with a disagreeable aroma that is insoluble in water. It is used as a chemical intermediate.

Microbial Life. The anticipated life span of a microorganism that is used to oxidise an organic laden waste stream.

Microbial Substance. A living organism used to oxidise an organic waste stream. Typically the microorganism is bacteria and used largely in the bioremediation of contaminated soil and biofiltration of an organic laden air or water waste stream. The microorganisms are contained within moisture film of a porous filter media in biofiltration.

Micrograms per Cubic Metre. A metric unit used to measure the concentration of a contaminant in the air. It is equal to one-millionth of a gram within a cubic metre of air.

Minisonde. A weather balloon that collects data on temperatures at various heights in the atmosphere. The data is typically used to determine the temperature profile to determine mixing heights.

Minisonde Data. The data transmitted to a data receiver by a weather balloon. The data consists of temperatures at various heights. The data is typically used to determine the temperature profile of the atmosphere to determine the mixing height and to determine atmospheric stability.

Minor Offence. An offence where the maximum penalty for which is generally a fine as per the Administrative Penalties Regulation.

Mitigate. A measure taken or an activity aimed at reducing the severity of, avoiding, or controlling any operational upsets to minimize impacts to the environment. This may include design alternatives, scheduling, repairing, or restoring the affected environment, and compensating for the impact by replacing or providing substitute resources or environments.

Mixing Heights. Generally mixing heights refer to the elevation above ground level where layers of the atmosphere at different temperatures will mix together as a result of convection processes.

Mobile Air Conditioner. A mechanical vapour compression air conditioning unit or system that contains an ozone depleting substance, that is installed in, normally operates in, on or in conjunction with or is attached to a means of transportation and that provides cooling for the operator or passengers of the means of transportation.

Mobile Refrigeration System. A mechanical vapour compression refrigeration or freezer unit or system that contains an ozone depleting substance that is installed in, normally operates in, on or in conjunction with or is attached to a means of transportation, and does not include a mobile air conditioner.

Mobile Sources of Contaminants. Sources of contaminants to the atmosphere that are not a fixed point in space. Examples include cars, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes, ships and locomotives. (also "non-point sources")

Modelling. See Air Quality Dispersion Modelling.

Moderate Offence. An offence (violation of the Clean Air Act) where the penalty for which is generally of moderate severity as per the Administrative Penalties Regulation.

Modify. When used with reference to a source,

1. to do anything that would increase
   1. the amount of a contaminant released into the air by the source,
   2. the rate of release of a contaminant into the air by the source,
   3. the concentration of a contaminant in the air by the source
2. to release into the air a contaminant that was not previously released into the air by the source, or
3. to do any other thing in relation to the source that, in the opinion of the Minister, would result in an increase in the concentration of a contaminant in the air or the release into the air of a contaminant that was not previously released into the air by the source;

Molten. When applied to metals, means the liquid state of a metal after it has been melted from the solid form.

Monitoring. See Ambient Air Quality Monitoring, and Continuous Emission Monitors.

Multi-Cyclone. A cyclone set up in multiple configurations whereby the particulate emission from the first may be the feed to the second, and so on, with the size of the cyclones successively smaller downstream, in order to improve collection efficiency of the finer particles. These units may also be oriented in parallel to achieve good removal for larger flow rates. (also called multi-clones)

MW(e) of Electricity. Megawatt of electricity, a unit of electric power. Represents one million watts of power. Is typically the language used to express the capacity of large power plants.