chapter 24 solid and hazardous waste municipal 1.5% sewage sludge 1% mining and oil and gas...
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 24
Solid and Hazardous Waste
Municipal1.5%
Sewage sludge1%
Mining and oiland gas
production75% Industry
9.5%
Agriculture13%
Where’s the waste from?
You are included in this
What we throw away:• Enough aluminum to rebuild all commercial
airline fleets every 3 months• Enough tires each year to encircle the Earth
almost 3 times• Enough disposable diapers in a year to lay end
to end to the moon and back 7 times• 130 million cell phones, 50 million computers, 8
million TV’s per year• Enough discarded carpet each year to cover the
entire state of Delaware.• Enough office paper each year to build a wall 11
feet high from San Francisco to NYC.
Average Life Spans
• Cell phone:
• Computer:
• Photocopier:
• Refrigerator:
• Calculator:
• Video camera:
• Digital camera:
• PDA:
• iPod:
18 months
3 years
3 years
10 years
5 years
3 years
4 years
3 years
18-24 months
The 4 R’s• Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
Sustainability Six• 1. Consume less• 2. Redesign manufacturing processes and
products to use less energy and materials• 3. Redesign manufacturing processes to
produce less waste and pollution• 4. Develop products that are easy to
repair, reuse, remanufacture, compost, or recycle
• 5. Design products to last longer• 6. Eliminate and reduce unnecessary
packaging.
Topsoil
Sand
Clay
Garbage
Garbage
Sand
Synthetic liner
Sand
Clay
Subsoil
When landfill is full,layers of soil and clayseal in trash
Methane storageand compressor
building
Electricitygeneratorbuilding
Leachatetreatment system
Methane gasrecovery
Pipe collect explosivemethane gas used as fuel
to generate electricity
Compactedsolid waste
Leachatestorage tank
Leachatemonitoringwell
Groundwatermonitoringwell
Leachate pipesLeachate pipes Leachate pumped upto storage tanks for
safe disposal
Clay and plastic liningto prevent leaks; pipescollect leachate from
bottom of landfill Bury it?
Probes to detect methane leaks
Groundwater
Advantages
No open burning
Little odor
Low groundwater pollution ifsited properly
Can be built quickly
Low operating costs
Can handle large amounts of waste
Filled land can be used for otherpurposes
No shortage of landfill space inmany areas
Disadvantages
Noise and traffic
Dust
Air pollution from toxic gases and volatile organiccompounds (VOCs)
Releases greenhouse gases (methane and CO2) unless they are collected
Groundwater contamination
Slow decomposition of wastes
Discourages recycling waste reduction
Eventually leaks and can contaminate groundwater
Sanitary Landfills
Trade-Offs
Hippocampus Animation
Landfill
Power plant
Steam
Turbine GeneratorElectricity
Crane
Furnace
Boiler
Wetscrubber
Electrostaticprecipitator
Conveyor
Water Bottomash
Conven-tional
landfill
Wastetreatment
Hazardouswastelandfill
Dirtywater
Waste pit
Smokestack
Flyash
Burn it?
Trade-Offs
Reduced trashvolume
Less need forlandfills
Low waterpollution
Quick andeasy
Incineration
High cost
Air pollution(especiallytoxic dioxins)
Produces ahighly toxic ash
Encourageswaste production
DiscouragesRecycling and wastereduction
Advantages Disadvantages
Hippocampus Animation
Incinerator
Hippocampus Animation
Dioxin
Take a peek a posters on your bulletin board over the next
few days.
What Harmful Chemicals Are In Your Home?
Cleaning • Disinfectants• Drain, toilet, and window cleaners • Spot removers• Septic tank cleaners
Paint
• Latex and oil-based paints• Paint thinners, solvents, and strippers • Stains, varnishes, and lacquers• Wood preservatives• Artist paints and inks
General
• Dry-cell batteries (mercury and cadmium)• Glues and cements
Gardening
• Pesticides• Weed killers• Ant and rodent killers• Flea powders
Automotive
• Gasoline• Used motor oil • Antifreeze• Battery acid• Solvents• Brake and transmission fluid• Rust inhibitor and rust remover
Cleaning up toxic wastes• Physical methods: allow particles to
settle and be filtered out
Cleaning up toxic wastes• Physical methods: allow particles to
settle and be filtered out
• Phytoremediation: using plants to absorb, filter, and remove contaminants. May need to genetically modify plants.
Trade-Offs
Phytoremediation
Advantages Disadvantages
Easy to establish
Inexpensive
Can reduce material dumped into land fills
Produces little air pollution compared to incineration
Low energy use
Slow (can take several growing seasons)
Effective only at depth plant roots can reach
Some toxic organic chemicals may evaporate from plant leaves
Some plants can become toxic to animals
A plant can do that?
• Sunflowers: can absorb radioactive materials (Strontium-90, Cesium-137) and other organic chemicals.
• Done through hydroponic growth
Rhizofiltration
• Roots of plants have dangling roots on ponds or in greenhouses can absorb pollutants.
A plant can do that?
• Poplars, Willows: can absorb toxic organic compounds.
Phytostabilization
• Plants can absorb chemicals and keep them from reaching groundwater or nearby surface water.
Phytodegradation
• Plants absorb toxic organic chemicals and break them down into less harmful compounds which they store or release slowly into the air.
A plant can do that?
• Indian Mustard, Brake Ferns: can absorb toxic metals like lead and arsenic
Phytoextraction
• Roots of plants can absorb toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and others and store them in their leaves.
• Plants can then be recycled or harvested and incinerated.
Inorganic metal contaminantsOrganic contaminantsRadioactive contaminants
Brake fernPoplar tree
Indian mustard
Oilspill
Groundwater
Soil Soil
Groundwater
Pollutedgroundwaterin
Pollutedleachate
Decontaminatedwater out
Landfill
Willow tree
Phytoextraction Roots of plants such as Indian mustard and brake ferns can absorb toxic metals such as lead, arsenic, and others and store them in their leaves. Plants can then be recycled or harvested and incinerated.
Phytodegradation Plants such as poplars can absorb toxic organic chemicals and break them down into less harmful compounds which they store or release slowly into the air.
Phytostabilization Plants such as willow trees and poplars can absorb chemicals and keep them from reaching groundwater or nearby surface water.
Rhizofiltration Roots of plants such as sunflowers with dangling roots on ponds or in greenhouses can absorb pollutants such as radioactive strontium-90 and cesium-137 and various organic chemicals.
Sunflower
Look how much plants can get rid of!!!
• Radioactive contaminants
- ie: Strontium-90, Cesium-137
• Organic contaminants
- ie: gasoline, oil. etc.
• Inorganic metal contaminants
- ie: lead, arsenic
Cleaning up toxic wastes• Physical methods: allow particles to
settle and be filtered out
• Phytoremediation: using plants to absorb, filter, and remove contaminants. May need to genetically modify plants.
• Deep-well disposal: pumping liquid hazard waste deep underground.
Advantages
Safe method ifsites are chosencarefully
Wastes can beretrieved ifproblemsdevelop
Easy to do
Low cost
Disadvantages
Leaks or spills atsurface
Leaks fromcorrosion of wellcasing
Existing fracturesor earthquakescan allow wastesto escape intogroundwater
Encourageswaste production
Trade-Offs
Deep Underground Wells
Cleaning up toxic wastes• Physical methods: allow particles to
settle and be filtered out
• Phytoremediation: using plants to absorb, filter, and remove contaminants. May need to genetically modify plants.
• Deep-well disposal: pumping liquid hazard waste deep underground.
• Surface impoundment: use of ponds, pits, or lagoons. Water evaporates, toxins stay.
Trade-Offs
Surface Impoundments
Advantages Disadvantages
Low construction costs
Low operating costs
Can be built quickly
Wastes can beeasily retrievedif necessary
Can store wastesindefinitely withsecure doubleliners
Groundwatercontaminationfrom leaking liners(or no lining)
Air pollution fromvolatile organiccompounds
Overflow fromflooding
Disruption andleakage fromearthquakes
Promotes wasteproduction
Lead• Found in: older paint (prior to 1970),
ceramic glazes, leaded gasoline, solder/pipes, TV sets, computer monitors
• Humans exposed by: ingestion, exposure to waste incineration, inhalation of leaded gas fumes
• Health effects: mental retardation, blindness, partial paralysis, developmental delays
Solutions
Lead Poisoning
Prevention Control
Wash fresh fruits andvegetables
Sharply reduce lead emissions from old and new incinerators
Replace lead pipes andplumbing fixturescontaining lead solder
Remove leaded paint and lead dust from older houses and apartments
Remove lead from TV sets and computer monitors before incineration or land disposal
Test for lead in existingceramicware used to serve food
Test existing candlesfor lead
Phase out leadedgasoline worldwide
Phase out wasteincineration
Test blood for lead by age 1
Ban lead solder inplumbing pipes, fixtures,and food cans
Ban lead glazing for ceramicware used toserve food
Ban candles withlead cores
Mercury
• Found in: fluorescent lights, thermometers, paints, dry-cell batteries, dental fillings, burning of coal
• Health effects: mental disorders, neurological problems, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, memory loss
• Humans exposed by: inhalation of mercury vapors, eating fish contaminated (biomagnification)
Figure 24-26Page 556
AIRWINDS PRECIPITATION WINDS PRECIPITATION
WATER
SEDIMENT
BIOMAGNIFICATIONIN FOOD CHAIN
Human sources Elementalmercury
vapor(Hg)
Inorganicmercury
and acids(Hg2+)
Inorganic mercuryand acids
(Hg2+)
Large fish
Small fish
Phytoplankton Zooplankton
Elementalmercury
liquid (Hg)
Inorganicmercury
(Hg2+)
Organicmercury(CH3Hg+)
De
po
sit
ion
Va
po
rizatio
n
De
po
sit
ion
Dep
ositio
n
Settles out
Bacteria
Bacteria and acids
Settles out
Oxidation
Incinerator Coal-burning plant
Photo-chemical oxidation
Hg and SO2 Hg2+ and acids Hg2+ and acids
Bacteria
Bacteria
Oxidation
Settles out
Runoff of Hg2+ and acids
Mercury in the environment
Solutions
Mercury Pollution
Prevention Control
Sharply reduce mercury emissions from coal burning plants and incinerators
Tax each unit of mercury emitted by coal-burning plants and incinerators
Collect and recycle mercury containing electric switches, relays, and dry-cell batteries
Require labels on all products containing mercury
Phase out waste incineration
Remove mercury from coal before it is burned
Convert coal to liquid or gaseous fuel
Switch from coal to natural gas and renewable energy resources such as wind, solar cells, and hydrogen
Phase out use of mercury in all products unless they are recycled
Know your laws?
RCRA – Resource Conservation & Recovery Act
• Gives EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave."
• This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.
Need a Stupid way to remember it?
1. RCRA sounds like Racecar
2. Just like the movie “The Shining” when
the guy says REDRUM.
3. Again, think RCRA sounds like
racecar or at least has the letters
to spell it…..almost.
• Well… you are little you can’t wait to get out of the cradle or crib to a big bed like…
Then you can’t wait to drive a car. If you drive really fast like a RaCecAR driver, you will die and go in a grave.
=
a ec AR C R
This happens in Ms. Lolich’s head
Know your case studies?
You MUST know
• Love Canal, New York
• Bhopal, India
View video clip (4:38)
Assignment
Read pages 535 – 545
You will come up with 3 specific things you can do in each of the following areas:
refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle,
Only include ideas that you could ACTUALLY do.
You will end up with at least 4 paragraphs (one per area)