all about waste
DESCRIPTION
A great supplement to your AP Environmental Science studiesTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Unit 9: Waste & Hazardous Materials
Chapter 18: Solid Waste Management & Disposal
Chapter 19: Regulating Hazardous Materials
![Page 2: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
I. Composition of Solid Waste
A. Industrial ⇨ 10%B. Municipal ⇨ 1.5%, 1.24 tons/person/yearC. Mining ⇨ 75%D. Agriculture ⇨ 13% (compost/manure) E. Sewage ⇨ 1%
II. Solid Waste ManagementA. Primitive dumps ⇨ unlined and uncovered, resulted in ground
water and air pollutionB. Modern landfills ⇨ 80% of garbage
1. Solid waste is layered into a plastic-lined pit, then covered with clay
2. Leachate is treated3. CH4 is captured and used for energy
C. Seattle sends waste to Oregon on trains ⇨ expensive and fossil fuel intensive
The Story of Stuffhttp://storyofstuff.org
![Page 3: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA):Definitions
Solid Waste• Any garbage or refuse• Sludge from a wastewater
treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility
• Discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, household, and agricultural operations
• Solid wastes include both hazardous and nonhazardous waste
Hazardous Waste• Ignitable (i.e., burns
readily), corrosive, or reactive (e.g., explosive)
• Contains specified amounts of toxic chemicals
• EPA has developed a list of over 500 specific hazardous wastes
• Hazardous waste takes many physical forms and may be solid, semisolid, liquid or contained gas
![Page 4: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Total municipal
solid waste generated
![Page 5: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Total municipal
solid waste recovered
![Page 6: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Total municipal
solid waste discarded
![Page 7: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
What other countries are throwing away
![Page 8: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
U.S. MSW: Generation, recovery and discards
![Page 9: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Modern landfill design
![Page 10: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Modern landfill design
![Page 11: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Modern landfill design
![Page 12: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Landfills of the future:Bioreactor
![Page 13: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Landfills of the future:Closed loop resource recovery
![Page 14: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Waste management
Re-thinking the Future: Ellen MacArthur meets Jon Snow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xj-h1BfmW0
![Page 15: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
D. Incineration
1. Could generate electricity, as in Tokyo, Japan ⇨ cogeneration to heat buildings
2. Toxic ash problem3. Causes air pollution ⇨ dioxins from plastic burning
E. Recycling1. Reduces air and water pollution2. Reduces fossil fuel consumption3. Saves money for disposal4. Makes industry more efficient and profitable3. Decreases electrical use (Columbia River Dam)
a. Aluminum ⇨ saves 95% of electricityb. Steel ⇨ saves 75%c. Glass ⇨ saves 50%
4. Decreases demand for raw materials ⇨ NYT would use 62,000 trees every Sunday if not made from recycled paper
![Page 16: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Incineration: Waste to energy
![Page 17: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
4. Reduces greenhouse gas production ⇨ 3.5 pounds of CO2
saved per pound of material recycled6. Paper is most commonly recycled material
a. Pre-consumer waste ⇨ sawdustb. Post-consumer waste ⇨ paper which has actually
been used, buy this to create demand for recyclingc. Even better, use cloth diapers instead of disposable
7. Metals ⇨ recycling save…a. 47-74% of electricityb. 85% of air pollutionc. 76% of water pollutiond. 92% of mining wastese. 40% of water use
8. Glass ⇨ recycling saves…a. 50% of energyb. 20% of air pollutionc. 80% of mining wasted. 50% of water
![Page 18: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
How we get rid of waste
![Page 19: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
9. Tires to asphalt filler10. Plastics ⇨ need to be able to recycle all seven categories
a. Represent 2% of oil used in U.S.b. #1 PET⇨ coke containers are made into fiberfill ski
jacketsc. #2 HDPE ⇨ milk jugs are made into outdoor furniture
11. Vote with your pocketbook ⇨ to create demand for recycling, we must buy recycled materials
F. Source reduction ⇨ better than reusing or recycling1. Buy with less packaging ⇨ use cloth bags2. National bottle bill ⇨ saves 125,000 barrels oil, creates
jobs
![Page 20: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
The waste stream
![Page 21: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
What we recycle most
![Page 22: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
How waste is handled around the globe
![Page 23: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Time for a national bottle bill!
![Page 24: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
III. Hazardous Waste
A. Waste that can hurt humans and the environment ⇨ produced mainly by industry1. Hazardous ⇨ ruins your day2. Toxic ⇨ kills you
B. Skin irritants ⇨ acids and basesC. Respiratory irritants
1. Black lung ⇨ coal dust 2. Silicosis ⇨ silica from mining3. Asbestosis ⇨ from insulation, leads to decreased
breathing capacity4. Particulates
D. Asphyxiants1. Chemicals which react with oxygen or chemicals that
replace oxygen2. Examples: CO, CN, H2S
![Page 25: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA):Definitions
Solid Waste• Any garbage or refuse• Sludge from a wastewater
treatment plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility
• Discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations
• Solid wastes include both hazardous and nonhazardous waste
Hazardous Waste• Ignitable (i.e., burns
readily), corrosive, or reactive (e.g., explosive)
• Contains specified amounts of toxic chemicals
• EPA has developed a list of over 500 specific hazardous wastes
• Hazardous waste takes many physical forms and may be solid, semisolid, liquid or contained gas
![Page 26: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
Life cycle of toxic substances
![Page 27: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
E. Allergens1. Activate or suppress the immune system 2. Antibodies and histamines are produced3. Ex: pollen
F. Especially nasty chemicals that have been widely used:1. Formaldehyde ⇨ glue, carpets, “sick house syndrome”2. PCBs polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorides used in ⇨
electrical equipment and banned in U.S. in 19793. Dioxin c⇨ auses 12 % of all cancers, comes from burning
plastics, making pesticides, agent orange defoliantG. Toxins ⇨ potentially deadly chemicals
1. Neurotoxinsa. Attack nerve cellsb. Ex: pesticides like DDT
2. Heavy metals:a. Leadb. Mercury
3. Carcinogens cause cancer⇨a. Largest cause of death of all toxinsb. Four types: radiation, chemical, virus, genes
![Page 28: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/28.jpg)
4. Immune or endocrine system toxins
a. Immune ⇨ antibodiesb. Endocrine ⇨ hormones
1) Work by blocking receptor sites2) Mimic hormones like estrogen3) Examples: PCBs, dioxins
5. Mutagens ⇨ cause mutations6. Teratogens ⇨ cause birth defects
V. Risk Analysis and AssessmentA. A means of evaluating the risk of one activity compared to
another based on ⇨ broad assumptionsB. Risk management a ⇨ policy that guides the expenditure of
funds to reduce risk1. Prioritizes risks2. Helps determine how much to spend to bring the risk down
to an acceptable level3. Based on scientific data ⇨ politicians can manipulate4. Local vs. global ⇨ risk is not spread equally, more industry
where poor and minorities live
![Page 29: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/29.jpg)
C. Perceived vs. true risk Ex: ⇨ Indoor air is a big problem, but the public doesn't think so
D. Factors used to determine toxic risk:1. Solubility
a. Water soluble ⇨ eliminated by urineb. Fat soluble ⇨ non-polar molecules are not eliminated by
urine; stored in fat cells and build up2. Exposure
a. Acute ⇨ single exposureb. Chronic ⇨ long-term exposure, important with fat-
soluble toxins, they build up in system3. Carcinogen or mutagen4. Reactivity how fast it reacts with other chemicals⇨5. Synergistic effect combination with other toxins increases ⇨
negative effect, Ex: alcohol and sleeping pills6. Environmental risk
a. Bioaccumulation cells store chemicals⇨b. Biomagnification concentration increases as you go ⇨
up the food chain
![Page 30: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/30.jpg)
7. Persistence how long it stays in the environment⇨8. Problem everybody has different sensitivity to chemicals, ⇨
how can you set a standard for everyoneC. Tests
1. LD50 ⇨ Lethal Dose 50%, the dose in mg/kg which gives an organism a 50% chance of livingEx: botulism ⇨ .0014 mg/kgEx: caffeine ⇨ 5 grams/kg
2. LC50 ⇨ Lethal Concentration 50%, the concentration in mg/kg stored in a body to give a 50% chance of living; Ex: DDT ⇨ .1 mg/kg (5mg/50kg person)
3. Threshold dose ⇨ the amount of a chemical which gives the first response
![Page 31: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/31.jpg)
LD 50 and Dose-Response Graphs
![Page 32: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/32.jpg)
Paracelsus:“The dose makes the
poison”
Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von
Hohenheim(1493–1541)
Founded the discipline of toxicology
The Habitable Planet: Risk, Exposure, and Health
http://learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=6&secNum=1
![Page 33: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/33.jpg)
Risk analysis
![Page 34: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/34.jpg)
Per
cept
ion
of ri
sk
![Page 35: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/35.jpg)
IV. Superfund Act
A. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) ⇨ commonly known as Superfund, enacted by Congress on December 11, 1980
B. Requires EPA to make a national priority list of the most toxic sites in the U.S.1. 41,000 sites2. 1226 sites on priority list
C. Taxes chemical and petroleum industries to pay for site clean up ⇨ tax is no longer collected and the fund is broke
D. Examples1. Love Canal, NY
a. Built as canal in 1890’sb. Filled by Hooker Chemical Co. in 1940’sc. Sold to city, which built housesd. 492 families were evacuatede. Miscarriages up 300%f. 56% of children born 1974-78 had birth defects
The Green Chemistry Movementhttp://www2.epa.gov/green-chemistry#video
![Page 36: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/36.jpg)
2. Times Beach, MOa. Dioxin spread on roads with waste oilb. Town was bought by government and destroyed
3. Hudson Falls, NY ⇨ GE polluted Hudson River with PCB’s
4. Local smelter sites ⇨ Everett, Tacoma, HanfordE. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
1. Three goals:a. To protect human health and the environment from
the potential hazards of waste disposalb. To conserve energy and natural resourcesc. To reduce the amount of waste generated
2. Regulates the management of solid waste, hazardous waste, and underground storage tanks holding petroleum products and other chemicals
![Page 37: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/37.jpg)
Sources of toxic releases
![Page 38: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/38.jpg)
EPA Superfund sites
![Page 39: All About Waste](https://reader034.vdocument.in/reader034/viewer/2022052605/577cc77f1a28aba711a12308/html5/thumbnails/39.jpg)
Tacoma, WA : Asarco smelter site