EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us back here every week for a new word!

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The EarthWord: Fugitive

Definition:

• Although it’s unlikely to call the Law down upon it, fugitive in the scientific sense is pretty close to the legal sense--it means something that has escaped or migrated outside of where it was meant to be.

• It’s most often applied to chemicals that escape a container of some kind.

Etymology:

• Fugitive comes from the Latin fugitivus, which meant “runaway” or “missing.”

Use/Significance in the Earth Science Community:

• Fugitive contaminants are a serious issue in the world of toxicology and environmental health science. Chemical spills from pipelines or other transportation methods, catchment ponds, wells, or other types of infrastructure are a major pathway for contaminants to enter the environment.

USGS Use:

• USGS studies many different types of fugitive contaminants as part of its Environmental Health science.

• Studies have included using remote sensing to detect fugitive contaminants at a Superfund site; evaluating potential risks and hazards from fugitive dust from an Alaskan mine; and studying stray gas migrating into groundwater.

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