Solid and Hazardous Waste

1
Chapter 22

• Solid and Hazardous Waste

2
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.

3
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.

4
Love Canal There Is No Away

• President Jimmy Carter declared Love Canal a
  federal disaster area.
• Started the Superfund Act
• The area was abandoned in 1980 (left).

Figure 22-1
5
CATEGORIES OF WASTES

• SOLID WASTE
• HAZARDOUS (TOXIC) WASTE
• MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW)
• INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE
• ELECTRONIC WASTE (E-WASTE)
• TONS OF EACH TYPE OF WASTE GENERATED INCREASE
  YEARLY

6
WASTES

• Solid wastes
• Municipal solid waste (MSW) produce directly
  from homes (1.5).
• Industrial solid waste produced indirectly by
  industries that supply people with goods and
  services (98.5).
• Hazardous (toxic) waste threatens human health
  or the environment because it is toxic
  (solvents), chemically active (acids, bases,
  Chlorine), corrosive (drain cleaners) or
  flammable (gas, paints).

7
TRASH TALK

• The United States produces about a third of the
  worlds solid waste
• About 55 of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills
• 30 is recycled or composted
• 15 is burned in incinerators.

8
Electronic 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.
• Many states have passed laws governing the
  disposal of e-waste
• Developing countries a dumping ground of e-waste
• Developing countries using children to sort
  through the e-waste to recycle
• Images from the Agbogbloshie scrap metal market
  and burning site in Accra, Ghana

Figure 22-4
9
Images from the Agbogbloshie scrap metal market
and burning site in Accra, Ghana.
10
Our World of E-Waste
11
INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT
Figure 22-5
12
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.

13
REUSE

• Extends resource supplies
• Maintains high-quality matter (becomes degraded
  when recycled)
• Reduces energy use
• Ex. refillable bottles, shipping containers,
  grocery bags
• In Finland 95 of beverage containers
• are refillable (Germany 75).

14
REUSE

• Reducing resource waste energy consumption for
  different types of 350-ml (12-oz) beverage
  containers.

Figure 22-7
15

What Can You Do?
Reuse
Buy beverages in refillable glass containers
instead of cans or throwaway bottles.
Use reusable plastic or metal lunchboxes.
Carry sandwiches and store food in the
refrigerator in reusable containers instead of
wrapping them in aluminum foil or plastic wrap
Use rechargeable batteries and recycle them
when their useful life is over.
Carry groceries and other items in a reusable
basket, a canvas or string bag, or a small cart.
Use reusable sponges and washable cloth
napkins, dishtowels, and handkerchiefs
instead of throwaway paper ones.
Buy used furniture, computers, cars, and other
items.
Give or sell items you no longer use to others.
Fig. 22-8, p. 526
16
RECYCLING

• 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.

17
RECYCLING

• 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 is lower than
  recycled resins due to low fossil fuel costs.
• There are new technologies that are making
  plastics biodegradable.

18
RECYCLING

• Pre-consumer vs. post-consumer waste
• http//www.pslc.ws/mactest/work/recycle.htm
• http//maine.gov/spo/recycle/mainerecycles/whatrec
  yclablesbecome.htm
• http//www.popsci.com/bown/2009/product/eco2-plast
  ics-environmental-system

19
BURNING 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.

20
Burying 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.

21

When landfill is full, layers of soil and
clay seal in trash
Topsoil
Electricity generator building
Sand
Clay
Methane storage and compressor building
Leachate treatment system
Garbage
Probes to detect methane leaks
Pipes collect explosive methane as used as fuel
to generate electricity
Methane gas recovery well
Leachate storage tank
Compacted solid waste
Groundwater monitoring well
Garbage
Leachate pipes
Leachate pumped up to storage tank for safe
disposal
Sand
Synthetic liner
Leachate monitoring well
Sand
Groundwater
Clay and plastic lining to prevent leaks
pipes collect leachate from bottom of landfill
Clay
Subsoil
Fig. 22-12, p. 532
22
Landfills

• Leachate collection by pipes sent to sewage
  treatment facility
• Monitoring wells - drilled around facility to
  test for leakage
• Emit greenhouse gases (CO2 methane)

23

Trade-Offs
Sanitary Landfills
Advantages
Disadvantages
Noise and traffic
No open burning
Dust
Little odor
Air pollution from toxic gases and volatile
organic compounds
Low groundwater pollution if sited properly
Releases greenhouse gases (methane and
CO2) unless they are collected
Can be built quickly
Low operating costs
Groundwater contamination
Can handle large amounts of waste
Slow decomposition of wastes
Filled land can be used for other purposes
Discourages recycling, reuse, and waste reduction
Eventually leaks and can contaminate groundwater
No shortage of landfill space in many areas
Fig. 22-13, p. 533
24
HAZARDOUS WASTE

• Hazardous waste is any discarded solid or liquid
  material that is toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or
  reactive enough to explode or release toxic
  fumes.
• The two largest classes of hazardous wastes are
  organic compounds (e.g. pesticides, PCBs,
  dioxins) and toxic heavy metals (e.g. lead,
  mercury, arsenic).

25

What Harmful Chemicals Are in Your Home?
Cleaning
Gardening
Disinfectants
Pesticides
Drain, toilet, and window cleaners
Weed killers
Ant and rodent killers
Spot removers
Septic tank cleaners
Flea powders
Paint
Latex and oil-based paints
Paint thinners, solvents, and strippers
Automotive
Stains, varnishes, and lacquers
Gasoline
Used motor oil
Wood preservatives
Antifreeze
Artist paints and inks
Battery acid
General
Solvents
Dry-cell batteries (mercury and cadmium)
Brake and transmission fluid
Rust inhibitor and rust remover
Glues and cements
Fig. 22-15, p. 534
26
Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United States

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• 1) EPA IDs wastes sets standards
• 2) firms with gt220 lbs/month must have permit
• 3) Cradle-to-grave system

27
Superfund Act Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA)

• 1) ID hazardous dump sites underground tanks
• 2) Tax on chem/petro industries provide broad
  Fed authority to respond directly to hazardous
  substances release or threat of
• 3) Clean up site - Protect clean up groundwater
  near site
• 4) Trust fund established to provide for cleanup
  when no responsible party Identified
• 5) Provided for liability of persons responsible
  for releases of hazardous wastes at these sites

28
Superfund in Georgia Sites in Georgia
29
Brownfield Sites

• Abandoned, contaminated industrial sites
  cleaned up developed with eased environmental
  laws
• Atlantic Station

30
Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances

• Physical Methods using charcoal or resins to
  separate out harmful chemicals.
• Chemical Methods using chemical reactions that
  can convert hazardous chemicals to less harmful
  or harmless chemicals.

31
Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances

• Biological Methods
• Bioremediation bacteria or enzymes help destroy
  toxic and hazardous waste or convert them to more
  benign substances.
• Phytoremediation involves using natural or
  genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter
  and remove contaminants from polluted soil and
  water.

32

Inorganic metal contaminants
Organic contaminants
Radioactive contaminants
Poplar tree
Brake fern
Willow tree
Sunflower
Indian mustard
Landfill
Oil spill
Polluted groundwater in
Polluted leachate
Decontaminated water out
Soil
Soil
Groundwater
Groundwater
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
green- houses can absorb pollutants such as
radioactive strontium-90 and cesium-137 and
various organic chemicals.
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.
33
Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances

• Incineration heating many types of hazardous
  waste to high temperatures up to 2000 C
  breaks them down and convert s them to less
  harmful or harmless chemicals.

34
Conversion 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.

35
Plasma Torch

• The Plasma Torch applies plasma arc technology to
  the issue of waste management. Plasma arc
  technology is the use of a flame hotter than the
  surface of the sun to turn everything that it
  touches into the fourth state of matter (plasma).
  It takes in various types of garbage, and
  vaporizes most of it. What is produced is a gas
  that can be burnt for energy, and a solid black
  rock-like material, that has uses in construction.

36
Locations of Current Facilities

• St. Lucie County Florida
• Utashinai, Japan
• Yoshii, Japan

37

Trade-Offs
Plasma Arc
Advantages
Disadvantages
Small
High cost
Produces CO2 and CO
Mobile. Easy to move to different sites
Can release particulates and chlorine gas
Can vaporize and release toxic metals and
radioactive elements
Produces no toxic ash
Fig. 22-19, p. 538
38
Long-Term Storage of Hazardous Waste

• Deep-well disposal liquid hazardous wastes are
  pumped under pressure into dry porous rock far
  beneath aquifers.

39
Long-Term Storage of Hazardous Waste

• Surface impoundment excavated depressions such
  as ponds, pits, or lagoons into which liners are
  placed and liquid hazardous wastes are stored.

40

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
41
Long-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.

42
Secure Hazardous Waste Landfill

• In the U.S. there are only 23 commercial
  hazardous waste landfills.

Figure 22-22
43
Lead

• Causes palsy, paralysis, blindness, retardation
• Lowers IQ by 4-7 points
• Found in leaded gas (phased out in 86 in US),
  lead paint (banned in 70), plastics, plumbing,
  wiring, toys, jewelry

Figure 22-24
44
Mercury

• Fat-soluble
• Causes CNS problems, cancer
• Damages brain, kidney, lungs
• Minamata Disease
• Sources CFLs, coal-burning, wastes

Figure 22-26
45

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
46
Dioxins

• Toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons fat-soluble in
  fatty foods (meat, fish, milk, cheese, ice cream)
  carcinogen, endocrine disruptor
• Sources waste incineration, fireplaces,
  coal-fired power plants, paper production, sewage
  sludge

47
Making the Transition to a Low-Waste Society

• 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.