Title: Solid and Hazardous Waste
1Solid and Hazardous Waste
2(No Transcript)
3Disposable?
- We live in a disposable society, trash is an
everyday reality for every American. - What does this term mean?
- Wall-E
- Think about our habits and perception of trash.
- What are the factors in identifying a disposable
society?
4Central Case Transforming New Yorks Fresh
Kills Landfill
- The largest landfill in the world, it closed in
2001 - Staten Island residents viewed the landfill as an
eyesore and civic blemish - It was briefly reopened to bury rubble from the
World Trade Center after the September 11, 2001,
attack - New York plans to transform the landfill into a
world-class public park
5Core Case Study Love Canal There Is No Away
- Between 1842-1953, Hooker Chemical sealed
multiple chemical wastes into steel drums and
dumped them into an old canal excavation (Love
Canal). - In 1953, the canal was filled and sold to Niagara
Falls school board for 1. - The company inserted a disclaimer denying
liability for the wastes.
6Core Case Study Love Canal There Is No Away
- In 1957, Hooker Chemical warned the school not to
disturb the site because of the toxic waste. - In 1959 an elementary school, playing fields and
homes were built disrupting the clay cap covering
the wastes. - In 1976, residents complained of chemical smells
and chemical burns from the site.
7Core Case Study Love Canal There Is No Away
- President Jimmy Carter declared Love Canal a
federal disaster area. - The area was abandoned in 1980 (left).
Figure 22-1
8Core Case Study Love Canal There Is No Away
- It still is a controversy as to how much the
chemicals at Love Canal injured or caused disease
to the residents. - Love Canal sparked creation of the Superfund law,
which forced polluters to pay for cleaning up
abandoned toxic waste dumps.
9Waste
- What is your definition of waste?
10Waste
- Any discarded material for which no further sale
or use is intended - examples residue, chemical by-products, unused
virgin material, spill absorbent material
11WASTING RESOURCES
- Solid waste any unwanted or discarded material
we produce that is not a liquid or gas. - Municipal solid waste (MSW) produce directly
from homes. - Industrial solid waste produced indirectly by
industries that supply people with goods and
services.
12Solid Waste
- Any garbage refuse sludge from a waste
treatment plant or air pollution control
facility and other discarded material (including
solid, liquid, semi-solid or contained gaseous
material) generated from any industrial,
commercial or community activities mining or
agricultural operations
13Solid Waste Exclusions
- Solid or dissolved materials in domestic sewage
or irrigation return flows - Industrial discharges subject to CWA regulations,
including POTW - Source, special nuclear or by-product material
defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954
14Ways to reduce waste that enters waste stream
- Waste stream flow of waste as it moves from its
sources toward disposal destinations - More efficient use of materials, consume less,
buy goods with less packaging, reusing goods - Recovery (recycling, composting) next best
strategy in waste management - Recycling sends used goods to manufacture new
goods - Composting recovery of organic waste
- All materials in nature are recycled
15How Much Trash is Generated?
- Of the 251 million tons (228 million metric tons)
of trash, or solid waste, generated in the United
States in 2006, about 81.8 million tons (74.2
million metric tons), or 32.5 percent, was either
recycled or composted source EPA.
16Materials Discarded in a Municipal Landfill
- Paper and paperboard 41.0
- Yard waste 17.9
- Glass 8.2
- Metal 8.7
- Rubber, leather, textiles 8.1
- Food waste 7.9
- Plastic 6.5
- Miscellaneous inorganic 1.6
17Electronic Waste A Growing Problem
- E-waste consists of toxic and hazardous waste
such as PVC, lead, mercury, and cadmium. - The U.S. produces almost half of the world's
e-waste but only recycles about 10 of it.
Figure 22-4
18Waste generation is rising in the U.S.
- In the U.S,, since 1960, waste generation has
increased by 2.8 times
19Waste disposal
20WASTING RESOURCES
- Solid wastes polluting a river in Jakarta,
Indonesia. The man in the boat is looking for
items to salvage or sell.
Figure 22-3
21Trash For Sale
- The US sells its trash to China for recycling.
- The turn in the economy has devalued the
recycling industry
22INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT
- We can manage the solid wastes we produce and
reduce or prevent their production.
Figure 22-5
23WASTING RESOURCES
- The United States produces about a third of the
worlds solid waste and buries more than half of
it in landfills. - About 98.5 is industrial solid waste.
- The remaining 1.5 is MSW.
- About 55 of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills,
30 is recycled or composted, and 15 is burned
in incinerators.
24Burying Solid Waste
- Most of the worlds MSW is buried in landfills
that eventually are expected to leak toxic
liquids into the soil and underlying aquifers. - Open dumps are fields or holes in the ground
where garbage is deposited and sometimes covered
with soil. Mostly used in developing countries. - Sanitary landfills solid wastes are spread out
in thin layers, compacted and covered daily with
a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam.
25Sanitary landfills are regulated
- Sanitary landfills waste buried in the ground
or piled in large, engineered mounds - Must meet national standards set by the EPA under
the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
of 1976 - Waste is partially decomposed by bacteria and
compresses under its own weight to make more
space - Layered with soil to reduce odor, speed
decomposition, reduce infestation by pets - When a landfill is closed, it must be capped and
maintained
2640 CFR Parts 239-259
- The purpose of this part is to establish minimum
national criteria under the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act (RCRA or the Act), as amended,
for all municipal solid waste landfill (MSWLF)
units and under the Clean Water Act, as amended,
for municipal solid waste landfills that are used
to dispose of sewage sludge. These minimum
national criteria ensure the protection of human
health and the environment.
27Regulatory Guidelines
- Subtitle D, of RCRA regulates non-hazardous
waste - Siting
- Design
- Operation
- Monitoring
- Closure and post-closure
- Financial assurance
28Why do we have landfills?
- Protect groundwater
- Protect surface water
- Protect air quality
- Control pathogenic migration
29Landfill Design
- The main waste contaminant features are
- Underlying soils
- Depth to groundwater
- Landfill liner (triple liner)
- Leachate collection system
- Leachate prevention through infiltration and
drainage control - Cover soil and final landfill cap
30The Size of the Landfill
- Limit of Refuse filing (LRF) determines the
volume of waste that can be properly stored at
the site - Determined by site characterization, proximity to
surface and groundwater
31The Liner
- A liner acts like a giant garbage bag
- Clay liner
- Synthetic liner
- Additional liner
32Liner Construction
33Drainage Control
- Surface water infiltration is drained from the
landfill
34Leachate
- Leachate is the liquid that migrates from within
a land disposal site which has come in contact
with solid waste.
35Monitoring
- Groundwater monitoring wells are installed around
the landfill to monitor pollution migration. - Gas collection wells are installed to remove
methane which is a natural decomposition product
or organic material.
36Procedures
- Waste is broken down and moved into the landfill.
- A layer of dirt is used to cover the waste.
37Closure
- Solid waste is layered with soil or clay and
capped off.
38Closure
39Landfill Construction
40BURNING AND BURYING SOLID WASTE
- Globally, MSW is burned in over 1,000 large
waste-to-energy incinerators, which boil water to
make steam for heating water, or space, or for
production of electricity. - Japan and a few European countries incinerate
most of their MSW.
41Burning Solid Waste
- Waste-to-energy incinerator with pollution
controls that burns mixed solid waste.
Figure 22-10
42Landfills can produce gas for energy
- Bacteria can decompose waste in an
oxygen-deficient environment - Landfill gas a mix of gases that consists of
roughly half methane - Can be collected, processed, and used like
natural gas - When not used commercially, landfill gas is
burned off in flares to reduce odors and
greenhouse emissions
43THE RS
44Solutions Reducing Solid Waste
- Refuse to buy items that we really dont need.
- Reduce consume less and live a simpler and less
stressful life by practicing simplicity. - Reuse rely more on items that can be used over
and over. - Repurpose use something for another purpose
instead of throwing it away. - Recycle paper, glass, cans, plasticsand buy
items made from recycled materials.
45REUSE
- Reusing products is an important way to reduce
resource use, waste, and pollution in developed
countries. - Reusing can be hazardous in developing countries
for poor who scavenge in open dumps. - They can be exposed to toxins or infectious
diseases.
46Case Study Using Refillable Containers
- Refilling and reusing containers uses fewer
resources and less energy, produces less waste,
saves money, and creates jobs. - In Denmark and Canadas Price Edwards Island
there is a ban on all beverage containers that
cannot be reused. - In Finland 95 of soft drink and alcoholic
beverages are refillable (Germany 75).
47REUSE
- Reducing resource waste energy consumption for
different types of 350-ml (12-oz) beverage
containers.
Figure 22-7
48Solutions Other Ways to Reuse Things
- We can use reusable shopping bags, food
containers, and shipping pallets, and borrow
tools from tool libraries. - Many countries in Europe and Asia charge shoppers
for plastic bags.
49RECYCLING
- Primary (closed loop) recycling materials are
turned into new products of the same type. - Secondary recycling materials are converted into
different products. - Used tires shredded and converted into rubberized
road surface. - Newspapers transformed into cellulose insulation.
50RECYCLING
- There is a disagreement over whether to mix urban
wastes and send them to centralized resource
recovery plants or to sort recyclables for
collection and sale to manufacturers as raw
materials. - To promote separation of wastes, 4,000
communities in the U.S. have implemented
pay-as-you-throw or fee-per-bag waste collection
systems.
51RECYCLING
- Composting biodegradable organic waste mimics
nature by recycling plant nutrients to the soil. - Recycling paper has a number of environmental
(reduction in pollution and deforestation, less
energy expenditure) and economic benefits and is
easy to do.
52RECYCLING
- Recycling many plastics is chemically and
economically difficult. - Many plastics are hard to isolate from other
wastes. - Recovering individual plastic resins does not
yield much material. - The cost of virgin plastic resins in low than
recycled resins due to low fossil fuel costs. - There are new technologies that are making
plastics biodegradable.
53RECYCLING
- Reuse and recycling are hindered by prices of
goods that do not reflect their harmful
environmental impacts, too few government
subsidies and tax breaks, and price fluctuations.
54Alternatives
- What can you do with waste other than landfilling
it? - Compost piles
- Biodegradable
55Compost
- Compost is a pile of organic debris.
- Roughly half of household waste is made up of
food and garden waste. Most of this material
could be composted to save landfill, improve soil
condition and provide fertiliser in the garden at
no cost. - Composting is the method of breaking down waste
organic materials in a large container or heap.
The decomposition occurs because of the naturally
occurring micro-organisms, such as bacteria and
fungi.
56Compost Piles
Can go in Compost Can't go in Compost
Vegetable and fruit scraps Meat and Dairy products
Fallen Leaves Diseased Plants
Tea Leaves and Tea Bags Metals, plastic glass
Coffee Grounds Droppings of meat eating animals (eg dogs)
Vacuum Cleaner Dust Fats or Oils
Soft Stems Magazines
Dead Flowers Large Branches
Used Vegetable Cooking Oil Weeds that have seeds or underground stems
Egg Shells Bread or cake (attracts mice)
Lawn Clippings Bones
Old Newspapers
Sawdust (not from treated timber)
57Hazardous Waste
58Illegal dumping of hazardous waste
- Since hazardous waste disposal is costly, it
results in illegal and anonymous dumping by
companies, - Creating health risks
- Industrial nations illegally dump in developing
nations - Basel Convention, an international treaty, should
prevent dumping but it still happens - High costs of disposal encourages companies to
invest in reducing their hazardous waste
59Superfund
- Later laws charged the EPA with cleaning up
brownfields lands whose reuse or development
are complicated by the presence of hazardous
materials - Two events spurred creation of Superfund
legislation - In Love Canal, Niagara Falls, New York, families
were evacuated after buried toxic chemicals rose
to the surface, contaminating homes and an
elementary school - In Times Beach, Missouri, the entire town was
evacuated after being contaminated with dioxin
from waste oil sprayed on roads
60The Superfund process
- Once a Superfund site is identified, EPA
scientists evaluate - How close the site is to human habitation
- Whether wastes are currently confined or likely
to spread - Whether the site threatens drinking water supplies
61Superfund harmful sites
- Harmful sites are
- Placed on the EPAs National Priority List
- Ranked according to the level of risk to human
health that they pose - Cleaned up on a site-by-site basis as funds are
available - The EPA is required to hold public hearings and
inform area residents of tits findings and to
receive feedback
62Who pays for cleanup?
- CERCLA operates under the polluter pays principle
polluting parties were to be charged for
cleanup - However, the responsible parties often cant be
found - A trust fund was established by a federal tax on
petroleum and chemical industries - The fund is bankrupt, and neither the Bush
administration nor Congress has moved to restore
it, so taxpayers now pay all costs of cleanup - Fewer cleanups are being completed
- An average cleanup costs 25 million and takes 12
- 15 years
63Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United States
- Two major federal laws regulate the management
and disposal of hazardous waste in the U.S. - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Cradle-to-the-grave system to keep track waste.
- Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) - Commonly known as Superfund program.
64Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United States
- The Superfund law was designed to have polluters
pay for cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste
sites. - Only 70 of the cleanup costs have come from the
polluters, the rest comes from a trust fund
financed until 1995 by taxes on chemical raw
materials and oil.
65The stepwise process of determining a hazardous
waste
- Define the material as a waste
- Define the waste as solid waste
- Determine any solid waste exclusions
- Define the solid waste as hazardous
- Determine any hazardous waste exclusions
66Hazardous Waste
- Solid waste or combination of solid wastes which
because of its quantity, concentration, or
physical, chemical or infectious characteristics
may cause an increase in mortality,
incapacitating illness or pose a present or
potential hazard to the health or environment
when improperly treated, stored or disposed of.
67A Hazardous Waste is . . .
- listed by 40 CFR Part 261 or
- is characterized by analytical methodology
68EPA Criteria for Hazardous Waste
- Toxicity
- Persistence in the environment
- Degradability in the environment
- Bioaccumulation potential
- Hazardous Characteristics ignitibility,
corrosivity, reactivity, Toxicity Characteristic
Leachate Procedure (TCLP)
69Hazardous Characteristics
- Ignitibility flashpoint less than 140oF
(lt140oF) - Corrosivity pH less than 2.0 S.U. or greater
than 12.5 S.U. (2.0 lt S.U. lt 12.5) - Reactivity a combination of greater than 250
mg/kg of HCN and greater than 500 mg/kg of H2S
70Hazardous Characteristics (cont.)
- TCLP with one or more compounds above the Maximum
Concentration Limit
71Hazardous Waste Exclusions
- Household waste
- Agricultural waste returned as fertilizer
- Mining overburden returned to mine site
- Certain utility wastes from coal combustion
- Certain oil natural gas exploration drilling
waste
72Hazardous Waste Exclusions (continued)
- Waste from mining and processing ores
- Cement chromium bearing wastes
- Cement kiln dust wastes
- Arsenic-treated wood wastes from end users
73Dioxins
- Regulated by TSCA
- Group of more than 70 different chlorinated
dioxins - By-product of certain manufacturing processes
- Carcinogen
- Teratogen
- Mutagen
74Bioaccumulators
- Chlorinated Insecticides
- Carbamates
- Organophosphates
- Herbicides
- Metals
75Hydrogen Sulfide
- Decomposition product of organic matter
- Sludge press by-product
- If the pH falls below 7 S.U., Hydrogen Sulfide is
released - Toxic gas
76Cyanides (-CN)
- Commonly found in plating operations and sludges
- When mixed with an acid, Hydrogen Cyanide gas is
released - Can cause instantaneous death
- Acutely toxic
77Eight Heavy Metals (RCRA)
- Arsenic
- Barium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Lead
- Mercury
- Selenium
- Silver
78Case Study Lead
- Lead is especially harmful to children and is
still used in leaded gasoline and household
paints in about 100 countries.
Figure 22-24
79Case Study Mercury
- Mercury is released into the environment mostly
by burning coal and incinerating wastes and can
build to high levels in some types of fish.
Figure 22-26
80 AIR
PRECIPITATION
PRECIPITATION
WINDS
WINDS
Hg2 and acids
Hg2 and acids
Hg and SO2
Photo- chemical
Elemental mercury vapor (Hg)
Inorganic mercury and acids (Hg2)
Human sources
Inorganic mercury and acids (Hg2)
Coal- burning plant
Incinerator
Deposition
Runoff of Hg2 and acids
Deposition
WATER
Large fish
Vaporization
BIOMAGNIFICATION IN FOOD CHAIN
Deposition
Small fish
Deposition
Zooplankton
Phytoplankton
Bacteria and acids
Oxidation
Organic mercury (CH3Hg)
Inorganic mercury (Hg2)
Elemental mercury liquid (Hg)
Bacteria
Settles out
Settles out
Settles out
SEDIMENT
Fig. 22-25, p. 542
81Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
- Group of chlorinated hydrocarbons
- Arochlor 1016, 1254, etc.
- By-product of certain manufacturing processes
- Transformer oil - dielectric properties
82Waste Minimization
- Waste minimization is required by all Large
Quantity Generators and can be achieved by - using an alternative process
- reducing the amount used or
- solvent substitution
83How is hazardous waste treated?
- The EPA decides the appropriate method of
disposal for each listed and typed waste. - Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (TSDF)
are permitted to handle hazardous waste. - Transporters of hazardous waste are also
permitted.
84Treatment Methods
- There are several categories of treatment
options. - Landfill or Storage
- Incineration or Destruction
- Fuel Blending
- Neutralization
- Biological Treatment
85Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances
- Incineration heating many types of hazardous
waste to high temperatures up to 2000 C in
an incinerator can break them down and convert
them to less harmful or harmless chemicals.
86Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances
- Plasma Torch passing electrical current through
gas to generate an electric arc and very high
temperatures can create plasma. - The plasma process can be carried out in a torch
which can decompose liquid or solid hazardous
organic material.
87Long-Term Storage of Hazardous Waste
- Hazardous waste can be disposed of on or
underneath the earths surface, but without
proper design and care this can pollute the air
and water. - Deep-well disposal liquid hazardous wastes are
pumped under pressure into dry porous rock far
beneath aquifers. - Surface impoundments excavated depressions such
as ponds, pits, or lagoons into which liners are
placed and liquid hazardous wastes are stored.
88 Trade-Offs
Deep Underground Wells
Advantages
Disadvantages
Leaks or spills at surface
Safe method if sites are chosen carefully
Leaks from corrosion of well casing
Wastes can be retrieved if problems develop
Existing fractures or earthquakes can allow
wastes to escape into groundwater
Easy to do
Encourages waste production
Low cost
Fig. 22-20, p. 539
89 Trade-Offs
Surface Impoundments
Advantages
Disadvantages
Groundwater contamination from leaking liners (or
no lining)
Low construction costs
Low operating costs
Air pollution from volatile organic compounds
Can be built quickly
Overflow from flooding
Wastes can be retrieved if necessary
Disruption and leakage from earthquakes
Can store wastes indefinitely with secure double
liners
Promotes waste production
Fig. 22-21, p. 539
90Long-Term Storage of Hazardous Waste
- Long-Term Retrievable Storage Some highly toxic
materials cannot be detoxified or destroyed.
Metal drums are used to stored them in areas that
can be inspected and retrieved. - Secure Landfills Sometimes hazardous waste are
put into drums and buried in carefully designed
and monitored sites.
91Secure Hazardous Waste Landfill
- In the U.S. there are only 23 commercial
hazardous waste landfills.
Figure 22-22
92Brownfields
- Brownfields are real property, the expansion,
redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence
of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant. - In other words, an abandoned property that is
potentially contaminated
93How many?
- It is estimated that there are more than 450,000
brownfields in the U.S. - Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties
increases local tax bases, facilitates job
growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes
development pressures off of undeveloped, open
land, and both improves and protects the
environment.
94Phytoremediation
- Phytoremediation is the use of living green
plants for in situ risk reduction and/or removal
of contaminants from contaminated soil, water,
sediments, and air.
95Phytoremediation
- Phytoremediation is actually a term for several
ways in which plants can be used to clean up
contaminated soils and water. - Phytoextraction or inorganics or metals
- Rhizofiltration for metals
- Phytostabilization to stabilize soil
- Phytodegradation of organic compounds
- Rhizodegradation for organics
- Phytovolatilization
96Advantages of phytoremediation
- It is more economically viable using the same
tools and supplies as agriculture - It is less disruptive to the environment and does
not involve waiting for new plant communities to
recolonize the site - Disposal sites are not needed
- It is more likely to be accepted by the public as
it is more aesthetically pleasing then
traditional methods - It avoids excavation and transport of polluted
media thus reducing the risk of spreading the
contamination - It has the potential to treat sites polluted with
more than one type of pollutant
97Disadvantages of phytoremediation
- It is dependant on the growing conditions
required by the plant (ie climate, geology,
altitude, temperature) - Large scale operations require access to
agricultural equipment and knowledge - Success is dependant on the tolerance of the
plant to the pollutant - Contaminants collected in senescing tissues may
be released back into the environment in autumn - Contaminants may be collected in woody tissues
used as fuel - Time taken to remediate sites far exceeds that of
other technologies - Contaminant solubility may be increased leading
to greater environmental damage and the
possibility of leaching
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99ACHIEVING A LOW-WASTE SOCIETY
- In the U.S., citizens have kept large numbers of
incinerators, landfills, and hazardous waste
treatment plants from being built in their local
areas. - Environmental justice means that everyone is
entitled to protection from environmental hazards
without discrimination.
100Global Outlook International Action to Reduce
Hazardous Waste
- An international treaty calls for phasing out the
use of harmful persistent organic pollutants
(POPs). - POPs are insoluble in water and soluble in fat.
- Nearly every person on earth has detectable
levels of POPs in their blood. - The U.S has not ratified this treaty.
101Making the Transition to a Low-Waste Society A
New Vision
- Everything is connected.
- There is no away for the wastes we produce.
- Dilution is not always the solution to pollution.
- The best and cheapest way to deal with wastes are
reduction and pollution prevention.