Haz Waste Module 1 Exam

F List

Chemicals used in chemical plants and become wastes

Endocrine disruptors

Mimic or modulate the action of naturally occurring reproductive thyroid hormones

Joint and several liability

Referring to a debt or a judgment for negligence, in which each debtor (one who owes) or each judgment defendant (one who has a judgment against him/her) is responsible (liable) for the entire amount of the debt or judgment

PCB

- transformed coolant and plasticizer - miscarriages and birth defects in Japan/Taiwan - polychlorinated biphenyls

Advection

Bulk movement with groundwater flow The movement of a solute at a velocity equal to the mean velocity of groundwater flow, v'

Hazardous Waste

"Wastes [solids, sludges, liquids, and containerized gases] other than radioactive [and infectious] wastes which, by reason of their chemical activity or toxic, explosive, corrosive, or other characteristics, cause danger or likely will cause danger to health or the environment, whether alone or when coming into contact with other waste." - UN Environment Program, 1985

Attenuation

(a) irreversible removal or (b) transformation example: volatilization or redox rxns

DDT

- insecticide - residues found in deep-sea squid, antarctic penguins, etc. - increased rate of cancer

PBB

- polybrominated biphenyls - PBB > cattle feed > milk > dairy products > chicken feed > eggs - Michigan cattle feed contamination

Potentially responsible parties

- present and past owners - operators at time of disposal - generators - transporters who conveyed hazardous substances to site

Biotransformation

Enzyme rich organs, such as the liver, metabolizes the toxicant to other molecular species, termed metabolites, which may not necessarily be less toxic than parent compounds

Applicable or Relevant and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs)

Established standards and preference for permanent remedies that reduce the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous substances in selecting remedies for superfund sites. Chemical specific, action specific, location specific

Interpretation

Evaluate the results of the inventory analysis and impact assessment to select the preferred product, process or service with a clear understanding of the uncertainty and the assumptions used to generate the results.

Industrial ecology

Field that systematically examines local, regional and global materials and energy uses and flows in products, processes, industrial sectors and economies. It focuses on the potential role of industry in reducing environmental burdens throughout the product life cycle from the extraction of raw materials, to the production of goods, to the use of those goods and to the management of the resulting wastes

dose-response relationship

Frequency of a specified toxic end point among individuals or a population is recorded as a function of dose

Ignitable

Has a flash point less than 60 degrees C Is a nonliquid capable of spontaneous combustion

On-site waste

Hazardous waste managed on the site generated

Life cycle analysis

Holistic approach by analyzing the entire life of a product, process, or activity Complete picture of environmental impact Environmental impact and cost of manufacturing, distribution, and disposal Energy consumption, material use, and wastes released

Corrosive

Human tissue, as well as equipment, are destroyed on contact

CERCLA (1980)

Identifies sites involving past releases of hazardous substances Superfund sites

Inventory analysis

Identify and quantify energy, water, and material usage and environmental releases

Design for Environment

Include environmental considerations at the very beginning of the design process, together with performance, manufacturability, cost and safety Ex. less material, less material variety, recycled materials, recyclable materials, longevity, etc.

Biomagnification

Increase in chemical concentration through the food chain

Mobility enhancement

Increased subsurface movement

Liability

Intent to replenish the fund for future sites, place burden on responsible parties

Segregation

Keeping waste separated greatly facilitates treatment and reuse

Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984

Land disposal facilities, issuance of permits, penalties for violating the law, and controls for underground storage tanks

Res ipsa loquitur

Latin for "the thing speaks for itself," a doctrine of law that one is presumed to be negligent if he/she/it had exclusive control of whatever caused the injury even though there is no specific evidence of an act of negligence, and without negligence the accident would not have happened

Delayed Toxic reactions

Long latency periods, perhaps measured in years, acute exposure may result in delayed toxicological effect or chronic illness

Reuse

Many materials used can be reclaimed for other applications of used again

Chemical-receptor complex

Many toxic agents attack only target organs that have specific receptor proteins

LD50

Median lethal dose -- the dose at which 50% of organisms die

Eco-industrial parks

Mimic nature by gathering industrial activities in one location to promote interactions and close-loop practices, like in natural ecosystems

Sovereign immunity

No governmental body can be sued unless it gives permission

Reactive

Normally unstable and reacts violently w/o detonating Reacts violently with water Generates toxic fumes when mixed with water

Teratogenicity

Pathological effects during the phase after implantation (first 3 months after pregnancy)

Sorption

Process by which a component moves from one phase to another across some boundary

Retardation

Processes that impede transport of contaminants by removal or immobilization

Diffusion

Random molecular movement due to concentration gradients Movement of a contaminant under the influence of a concentration gradient. The amount of contaminant passing through a unit area in a unit time is controlled by Fick's Law

RCRA (1976)

Regulates the management of solid and hazardous wastes Primary provisions are to: Protect human health and the environment from waste hazards Reduce waste generation Manage wastes in an environmentally safe manner Conserve energy and natural resources Generators are responsible from "cradle to grave"

Community Right-to-Know

Requires industries to plan for emergencies and inform public of hazardous substances being used. In response to Bhopal tragedy--3000 dead, 20,000 injured

Acute or immediate toxicity

Results shortly after a single exposure, magnitude to overcome existing protective mechanisms

Carcinogenic

Tumor indication as end point for toxic effects

Mechanical turbulence

Turbulence caused by wind, due to random fluctuations

Convective turbulence

Turbulence generated by heating of the ground surface during the day and generating thermals

Love Canal

Unfinished canal used as hazardous waste disposal site by Hooker Chemical Co. (and others). Site had elementary schools and houses nearby. Children became ill, odors in basement, gov't stepped in.

Bioaccumulation Factor (BAF)

Used to describe the total accumulation by all possible routes

Fetotoxicity

Various disturbances, such as growth depression during later stages of pregnancy

Highly Toxic

Very hazardous to health when breathed, swallowed, or in contact with the skin and may even lead to death

Large generator

Waste generator that generates at least 1000 kgs/month

Off-site waste

Waste managed at a site other than where it is generated

K List

Wastes from 17 industries (wood preservation, inorganic pigment manufacturing, etc.)

Harmful (Xn) or Irritant (Xi)

Xn: When taken in by the body, can cause slight damage; avoid contact with the body, including inhalation of vapors. Xi: May have irritating effect on skin, eyes, and respiratory organs; do not breathe vapors and avoid contact with skin and eyes.

Contributory negligence

a doctrine of common law that if a person was injured in part due to his/her own negligence (his/her negligence "contributed" to the accident), the injured party would not be entitled to collect any damages (money) from another party who supposedly caused the accident

Strict liability

automatic responsibility (without having to prove negligence) for damages due to possession and/or use of equipment, materials or possessions which are inherently dangerous

Negligence

failure to exercise the care toward others which a reasonable or prudent person would do in the circumstances, or taking action which such a reasonable person would not

Target/effective dose

Amount reaching the target organ (greatest concern)

Corrosive

An aqueous material with pH < 2 and pH > 12.5 Liquid that corrodes steel at a rate of > 0.25" per year at 55 degrees C

Genotoxic

Altering DNA, chromosomes, causing cancer or leading to hereditary changes

Bioconcentration Factor (BCF)

Amount of chemical that is likely to accumulate in aquatic organisms

Administered dose

Amount of particular toxic agent to which a body is exposed

Intake/uptake dose

Amount of toxic chemical absorbed by the body

Impact assessment

Assess the potential human and ecological effects of energy, water, and material usage and the environmental releases identified in the inventory analysis

Oxidizer

Can ignite combustible material or worse existing fires, thus making fire-fighting more difficult. Keep away from combustible material

Process modification

Change raw materials, equipment, operating procedures end products

Carcinogen (cancer hazard)

Chronic exposure may lead to the development of cancer. Do not breathe vapors and avoid contact with skin and eyes

LC50

Concentration of chemical in a volume of air inhaled at which 50% of population dies

Sorbate

Contaminant being removed

Pollution Prevention Act of 1990

Created a national policy to have pollution prevented or reduced at the source whenever possible. Also expanded the Toxics Release Inventory

Toxicology

Deals with the adverse effects caused by exposure of living organisms to chemical substances

Goal definition and scoping

Define and describe the product, process or activity. Establish the context in which the assessment is to be made and identify the boundaries and environmental effects to be reviewed for the assessment.

Soil-water partition coefficient

Describes tendency of a chemical to be adsorbed by soil

Octanol-water partition coefficient

Dimensionless constant defined as the ratio of a chemical's concentration in the octanol phase to its concentration in the aqueous phase Octanol = organic solvent used to predict the partitioning of a contaminant between natural organic phases and water

P List

Discarded unused commercial chemicals, designated as acutely toxic

U List

Discarded, unused commercial chemicals designated as acutely toxic, but also have one of the four defining characteristics (i.e. corrosive)

Transverse dispersion

Dispersion perpendicular to flow

Longitudinal dispersion

Dispersion with flow

Harmful to the Environment

Do not dispose of these materials down the drain

Manifest

Document used for tracking hazardous waste during transport for "cradle to grave"

Hazardous Waste Classification

1. Toxic because it contains a constituent that studies show had "toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic effects" 2. Contains constituents that are acutely hazardous according to studies showing it can be fatal to humans or animals in low doses 3. It exhibits one of the hazardous characteristics (i.e., toxic, reactive, ignitable, corrosive) 4. It fits within the definition of hazardous waste developed by the US Congress as a part of RCRA

Waste

A moveable object which has no direct use and is discarded permanently

SARA (Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act 1986)

Additional $8.5 Billion fund for cleaning-up abandoned waste disposal sites and an additional $500 Million for cleaning up leaking underground petroleum tanks.

Reproductive effects

Adverse effects on production of germ cells, fertilization, implantation, and development of the embryo

Non-carcinogenic

All health affects except tumor as end point

Organic carbon partition coefficient

Almost all sorption in soils is due to organic carbon in soils

Sorbent

Solid onto which the sorbate is being adsorbed

Small generator

Sources with less than 1000kg/month of waste

Highly Flammable

Spontaneously flammable substances, avoid contact with air

Mechanical dispersion

Spreading of a solute as it moves through porous media Caused by velocity variations and tortuosity in pore channels

Exposure pathway

Starts with release of waste constituents and concludes with the interface with the human body

Explosive

Substance may explode under definite conditions. Avoid shock, friction, sparks and heat

Toxic effect

The chemical agent or biotransformation products must reach the critical site of action in the target organ at a sufficiently high concentration for a sufficient length of time

Green Remediation

The practice of considering all environmental effects of a remediation strategy early in the process, and incorporating options to maximize the overall environmental benefit of cleanup actions

Pollution Prevention

The use of materials, processes, or practices that reduce or eliminate the creation of pollutants at the source

Developmental effects

Toxic effects from fertilization --> sexual maturation (adulthood)

Toxic

Toxic to humans and environment

Elimination

Toxicants are not stored and, along with most metabolites, are eliminated from the body