Plural of 'effluent'; liquids, gases, or other matter flowing out from a source, especially industrial waste or sewage.
From Latin 'effluens,' present participle of 'effluere' (to flow out). The word became especially common in environmental and industrial contexts in the 20th century.
The EPA measures 'effluents' in parts per million because factories discharge them into rivers—it's a word that moved from medieval philosophy into modern pollution science.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.