EVR2001 Chapter 17 - Solid Waste
A manufacturer of potato chips claims that its packaging can be broken down by living organisms. This packaging is considered _____________. 1) industrial waste 2) nondegradable 3) biodegradable 4) All of the choices listed above fit the description. 5) None of the choices listed above fit the description. 17
biodegradable
Disassembling equipment, machinery, and appliances into components which can be salvaged or reused is an example of ___________. 17
de-manufacturing
The four Rs to help an individual limit waste production are _______________. 17
refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle
The most effective way for each of us to reduce toxic wastes is to avoid the use of chemicals that are potentially hazardous. This approach is referred to as ______. 1) reusing 2) source reduction 3) recycling 4) long-term storage 5) composting 17
source reduction
_________ require(s) manufacturers to take back some of their products after consumers are finished with them. 1) Cradle-to-cradle laws 2) Take back laws 3) De-manufacturing 4) Reuse laws 5) Reduction laws 17
NOT Cradle-to-cradle laws
Incineration of waste reduces its volume by 80-90%, which is good. What are problems associated with this practice? 1) creation of air pollution 2) creation of water pollution 3) production of toxic solid waste 4) Incinerators are expensive to build. 5) All of the choices listed above are problems associated with incineration. 17
All of the choices listed above are problems associated with incineration.
Consumers can decrease the amount of landfilled solid waste by ___________. 1) refusing to purchase products that contribute to solid waste generation 2) purchasing goods with minimal packaging 3) finding ways to reuse materials instead of purchasing new ones 4) actively recycling materials 5) All of the choices listed above will decrease solid waste generation. 17
All of the choices listed above will decrease solid waste generation.
In 2009 alone, each American produced about _____ of solid waste per day. 17
4.3 pounds
Incinerators reduce the volume of solid waste by about ______________. 17
80-90%
In the United States, 54% of all garbage is categorized as ___________ waste. 1) recycled paper 2) mining 3) municipal paper 4) agricultural and industrial 5) municipal metal 17
Agricultural and industrial
When e-waste is improperly recycled, toxic metals can be released which can include _________. 17
All of the above (Lead, mercury, and chromium)
Ecological concerns regarding plastics in oceans include which of the following? 17
All of the above are concerns regarding plastics in oceans. 1) Sea mammals can get tangled in discarded plastic items such as fishing nets and six-pack rings. 2) Seabirds eat plastic mistaking it for food and may end up choking on the plastic. 3) Plastic absorbs fat-soluble pollutants such as PCBs and DDT; these are toxins known to bioaccumulate in the tissues of marine organisms and biomagnify up food chains. 4) Floating bits of plastic can serve as attachment points for fish eggs, barnacles, and many types of larval and juvenile organisms and thus could potentially transport harmful, invasive species to new locales.
_______ is the process of allowing waste to biologically decompose in the presence of oxygen and water. 1) Bioaccumulation 2) Composting 3) Recycling 4) Eutrophication 5) Hypoxia 17
Composting
__________ is harmful to humans; it is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive and/or radioactive. 1) Biodegradable waste 2) Sanitary landfill waste 3) Municipal waste 4) Hazardous waste 5) Industrial waste 17
Hazardous waste
Waste is _____________. 1) anything that humans do not deem valuable to survival 2) a human term used to describe things we throw away 3) any discarded item that can be naturally degraded in the environment 4) common in natural ecosystems 5) All of the above 17
NOT a human term used to describe things we throw away - All of the above (Anything that humans do not deem valuable to survival; a human term used to describe things we throw away; any discarded item that can be naturally degraded in the environment; common in natural ecosystems)
A city is considering constructing a new industrial park to increase revenue and exports. They also want to make the park sustainable, so they should employ techniques involved in __________. 1) industrial ecology 2) ecological downsizes 3) riparian restoration 4) landfill production 5) All of the above 17
Industrial ecology
Why can't we permanently get rid of the waste we generate? 1) It is illegal to dump waste in the oceans. 2) Most states prohibit the burning of waste. 3) It would violate the law of conservation of matter. 4) Disposal costs are prohibitive. 5) None of the choices above fit the description. Save 17
It would violate the law of conservation of matter.
The majority of municipal solid waste produced in the United States ends up being __________. 1) recycled 2) composted 3) incinerated 4) landfilled 5) reused 17
Landfilled
Which of the following is NOT a way to personally reduce your solid waste production? 1) filling a canteen instead of using plastic water bottles 2) buying goods with minimal packaging 3) composting kitchen and yard wastes 4) buying organic foods from developing countries 5) reusing plastic shopping bags for household chores 17
MAYBE NOT - filling a canteen instead of using plastic water bottles - buying goods with minimal packaging
Hazardous and nonhazardous wastes in developing countries often end up in open dumps. Which of the following is FALSE regarding open dumps? 1) Open dumps attract pests such as flies and rats. 2) Leachate from open dumps can contaminate groundwater. 3) Sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same thing. 4) Open dumps are one of the cheapest ways to get rid of human trash. 5) All of the above are true. 17
MAYBE Sanitary landfills and open dumps are essentially the same thing.
Sanitary landfills are commonly used in the United States to manage solid waste. Since decomposition in sanitary landfills relies upon anaerobic bacteria (those that live in oxygen-poor environments), a large amount of ______ is produced. 1) methane 2) carbon dioxide 3) oxygen 4) nitrogen gas 5) sulfur 17
Methane
What is the MOST APPROPRIATE way to handle hazardous waste? 1) Incinerate it, as burning eliminates all toxic waste. 2) Landfill it, as leachate contains the hazardous waste and prevents it from contaminating ground water. 3) Dump it in the ocean, as the volume of water dilutes the waste essentially making it nonhazardous. 4) Send it to developing countries in Africa, as they have developed methods of extracting the valuable components of such waste without causing harm to the workers 5) None of the above is an appropriate way to handle hazardous waste. 17
None of the above is an appropriate way to handle hazardous waste.
Which of the following materials should NOT be added to a compost pile? 1) pet waste 2) livestock manure 3) paper 4) dead leaves 5) All of the above could be added to a compost pile. 17
Pet waste
Choosing to buy goods with minimal packaging is an example of ____. 1) refusing 2) reducing 3) reusing 4) recycling 5) de-manufacturing 17
Reducing
Declining to take a plastic bag for a few items purchased at a store is an example of ________. 1) refusing 2) reducing 3) reusing 4) recycling 5) de-manufacturing 17
Refusing
Matter cannot be created nor destroyed; it only changes form. This is the law of _________. 17
conservation of matter
Tiny bits of plastic gather in specific areas of the world's oceans where strong currents circle around areas with very weak, or even no, currents. These regions are called __________. 1) Bermuda triangles 2) gyres 3) pods 4) waterfills 5) neuston layers 17
gyres
Which of the following is NOT a component of a newer sanitary landfill? 17
incinerator
One of the cheapest and most common methods of handling solid wastes in developing countries is _________. 1) sanitary landfills 2) incinerators 3) recycling 4) open dumps 5) composting 17
open dumps
Hazardous waste is __________. 17
waste that is toxic, flammable, corrosive, explosive, or radioactive