APES chapter 21
4 key principles in transitioning to low waste society
-everything's connected -there is no "away" -dilution is not the solution to most pollution -best and cheapest way to deal with waste and pollution is to produce less, reuse, and recycle
Deterrents to recycling
-failure to include the environmental And health costs of material in market price of consumer goods -more tax breaks and subsidies for resource extracting industries than recycling industries -lack of large, steady markets for recyclable goods
Reuse
-form of waste reduction that extends resource supplies, keeps high quality matter resources from being reduced to low quality matter waste, and reduces energy use and pollution even more than recycling -involved cleaning and using material over to increase lifespan of a product -ex: salvaging auto parts at a junkyard, recover materials from old buildings/houses
Two largest classes of hazardous waste
1) organic compounds : solvents, pesticides, PCBs, and dioxins 2) toxic heavy metals: lead, mercury m, and arsenic
Whose the first and second producer of hazardous waste
1)US 2) China
What percent of ewaste In the U.S. is recycled
10-15%
How long can landfills accept waste for
10-40 years
What percent of solid waste is agricultural waste
13%
How much has recycling aluminum cans in the US gone up from 1973-1995
15% in 1973 and 63% in 1995
Basel convention
182 countries signed to not ship hazardous wastes to developing countries (us and Haiti didn't sign)
How long will the latest rechargeable battery hold a charge when used
2 years
How much hazardous waste is produced for each person in the US
20 tons
What percent of MSW does the U.S. Recycle
25%
What percent of plastic is recycked
4% -must my separated, takes lots of man power, labour intensive
How much does the average American of MSW a day
4.5 pounds
What percent of incinerators use fluidized bed incineration
40%-has higher combustion efficiency and lower air pollution emissions
How much of their MSW do Japan and Switzerland recycle
50%
What percent of trees harvested are used to make paper
55%
What percent of paper in the US was recycled in 2007
56%
What percent of solid waste is mining waste
76%
What percent of hazardous waste do developed countries produce
80-90%
What percent of landfills have contaminated groundwater
86%
What percent of solid waste is industrial
9.5%
What percent of lead stays in body
90%
How much energy does recycling an aluminum can save
95%
What percent of discarded car must be reused or recycled in the European Union
95%
How many waste to energy incinerators does the US have
98
What percent of the worlds population does the US have and how much solid waste does it produce
Has 4.6% of population and has 1/3 or 33% of solid waste
What are the 5th largest users of energy
Pulp mills
Advantages of phytoremediation
-easy to establish -inexpensive -produce little to no air pollution -reduce material dumped in landfills
Love canal tragedy
-1942-1953:sealed drums of 200 different chemicals waste dumped into an old canal -1953: canal filled and covered with clay and top soil and sold to Niagara falls school board -elementary schools, homes, roads, sewers lines built in area -1978: school and 239 homes closed and evacuated due to leakage of chemicals into storm sewers, basements, playground, etc -1980: declared a fed disaster area and more homes purchased -area covered with clay cal and a drainage system carrying leaking wastes to a treatment plant -1990: EPA declared area safe and allowed selling of houses -oxychem paid $98 mill and $129 mill to fed gov
Non degradable take how long to degrade
-200-400 years and toxic cadmium and lead compounds leach out of these landfills
What percent of MSW produced in US is recycled or compared
-25% -rest dumped in landfills or burned in incinerators and waste-to-energy plants
What percent of MSW produced in the US is buried in sanitary landfills compared to Canada Japan and Switzerland
-54% in U.S. compared to 80% in Canada, 15% in Japan, and 12% in Switzerland
How much less energy, water pollution, and air pollution is used when recycling paper
-64% less energy to produce -35% less h2o pollution -74% less air pollution
Burning/ incinerators
-Burns MSW a to heat water, produce steam, turn turbines, turn generators, produce electricity -all burning hazardous or solid waste release toxic air pollutants-particulates, CO, CO2, toxic metals, Hg -bottom and fly ash contain toxic materials and must be disposed of correctly -Japan removes hazardous materials before incinerating. Large fines, jail, plant closings possible if violate air standards
Who are the leaders in paper recycling
-Denmark 97% -South Korea 77% -Germany 72%
Economic sense of recycling
-Many cities lose money on recycling programs -cities tend to make money if have high recycling rates and a single pickup systems
Two major types of recycling
-Primary or closed loop: most desirable, post consumer wastes are recycled to produce products of the same type (newspaper to newspaper) -secondary or open loop: waste materials are converted into different products
Benefits of landfills
-air pollution by burning avoided -odor seldom problem -rodents/insects Cannot thrive -put in to operation quickly -low operating cost -handle large amount of solid waste -can be covered over and used for park, stx
Hazardous waste
-any discarded solid or liquid natural that: •contains one or more of 39 toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic compounds at levels exceeding established limits (includes many solvency, paint strippers, pesticides) •catches fire easily (gas, paints, solvents) •is reactive or unstable enough to explode or release toxic fumes (acids, bases, ammonia, chlorine bleach) •capable of corroding metal containers such as tanks, drums, and barrels (industrial cleaning agents and oven and drain cleaners)
Solid waste
-any unwanted or discarded material that's not a liquid or gas -98.5% considered industrial waste from mining, oil and natural gas production, agriculture and industrial activities used to produce goods
Disadvantages of incineration
-ash is toxic -emitted CO2-air pollution -expensive
Biological methods of detoxifying hazardous waste
-bioremediation-bacteria and enzymes are used to break down organic matter such as oil, pesticides, PCBs, and organic solvents- drawback-slow process, takes a lot of time -phytoremediation-using plants to absorb,filter, and remove toxic metals and some radioactive substances.
BPA in plastics
-bisphenol A-used in water bottles, baby bottles, sports equipment. Use 2 million tons a year -recycle # 2 -linked to endocrine system disrupter, neurological damage, possible link to breast cancer
Negatives of landfills
-cause traffic, noise, dust -emit toxic gases -slow degradation of materials -deprive us of reusable and recyclable materials -produce methane, toxic hydrogen sulfide gas and smog forming volatile organic compounds (methane could be collected and used-required In landfills) -contamination of ground water -must be monitored for 30 years after closing -reduction of number in US since 1979 as full and replaced by larger local and regional landfills
Centralized MSW recycling
-collect mixed urban waste and carry to centralized materials- recovery facilities (MRF's) -desperate plastics, aluminum, glass, paper -expensive to build and maintain and require lots of energy to separate mixed wastes -need large input of garbage so encourage throughout-waste -emit toxic air pollutants and produce toxic ash, health hazards to workers, traffic, odor, noise
CERCLA
-comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (superfund act) -established a $16.3 bill superfund financed by special taxes -purpose is to clean up abandoned hazardous waste dump sites and leaking underground tanks -clean-ups are on a polluter pays principle (if culprits not found, paid for out of superfund) -currently 1,300 sites on national priority list for cleanup -cleanup can take decades -1980-1995 only 56 superfund sites cleaned up enough to be removed from priority list -does not cover toxic military dumps
Secure hazardous waste landfills
-concrete waste, put in drums and bury in landfills -possible leakage and ground water contamination -possible spills in transport to landfills -some engineers and environmentalists propose storing in large two story reinforced concrete buildings (above ground) until better technologies develop (in sight approach)
CCA
-copper chromium arsenate -mixture of copper chromium and arsenic in a solution -used to pressure treat lumber so it won't rot or be destroyed by insects-fence posts, telephone poles -heavy metals-neurotoxins-destroy central nervous system
Disadvantage of recycling
-cost more in some areas -reduces profits for landfill -may lose mine for glass and some plastic
Chemical methods of detoxifying hazardous waste
-cyclodextrin-a sponge like chemical currently being tested to remove toxic materials such as solvents and pesticides from soil and groundwater -nanomagnets-magnetic nano particles coated with chitosan, a chemical derived from the exoskeleton of shrimp and crabs, can be used to remove oil and organic pollutants
Ways to reduce waste and pollution
-decrease consumption* -redesign manufacturing process and products to use less material -design products that produce less pollution and waste less resources -individuals can use less hazardous cleaning products -green design and life cycle assessment help design Products that last longer, easy repair, reusable, re manufacture, compost, or recycle -design products to last longer -eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging -institute trash taxes
Lead
-doesn't break down in environment -sources-leaded gasoline, incineration of MSW, paint (38 mill homes built before 1960) lead dust -bio accumulation -survivors suffer from palsy, partial paralysis , blindness, mental retardation, lower IQ, short attention span, and hyperactivity -neurotoxin -most harmful to kids and unborn fetuses-no level safe for children -gov regulations have phased out lead in gas and lead based solder so lead poisoning numbers decreased -tears in 2007 revealed that almost 2/3 of the red, long lasting lipstick in US had lead that wasn't listed on label
Achieving a low waste society (grass roots action)
-don't cut deals with polluters and regulators -don't be bulldozed by scientific and risk analysis experts -hold polluters and elected officials personally accountable -don't fall for argument that protesters are holding up progress -oppose all hazardous waste landfills, deep disposal wells, and incinerators -recognize that there's no such thing as safe disposal of toxic or hazardous waste (NIMBY or NOPE) -pressure elected officials to pass legislation requiring unwanted industries and waste facilities be distributed more widely instead of concentrated in poor working class neighborhoods -ban all hazardous waste exports between countries
Sanitary landfill
-garbage graveyard where solid wastes are spread out in thin layer, compacted, and covered daily with fresh layer of clay or plastic foam -lined with clay and plastic before filled -second bottom liner collects leachate (rainwater contaminated as it percolates through waste) -collected leachate is pumped from bottom of landfill and stored in tanks until treated -when full covered with clay, sand, gravel, and topsoil to prevent water from getting to waste -wells are drilled around landfill to monitor leakage of leachate
Superfund law
-gov cleans up toxic sights and if gov can prove a person is the polluter, they pay it back -Louise Gibbs lived in subdivision- kids became sick, brought lawsuit against oxychem, called mother of superfund
Disadvantages of surface impoundments
-groundwater contamination from leaking of liners -volatile organic compounds causing air pollution -overflow from flooding -earthqaukes leakage
Waste paper recycling
-help prevent groundwater contamination by toxic ink -saves landfill space - -chlorine dioxide is used to bleach paper m, is corrosive, hazardous to workers, and harmful when released into environment
Chlorine
-highly reactive has used to purify water, bleach paper and wood pulp, produce household bleach productS, and make chlorinated organic compounds -persistent, bioaccumulate in body fat -3 largest uses are plastic production, solvents, and paper and pulp bleaching and there are substitute methods for these -breathe in- chest pain, water retention in lungs, irritates eyes, skin -long term exposure can damage the heart and immune systems
Disadvantages of deep well injection
-leaks/spills at surface -leaks from corroded well casting -earthquakes can allow waste to escape
Advantages of surface impoundments
-low construction cost -easily built -low operating cost
Recycling E-waste
-more than 70% of the worlds e-waste ends up in China. More than 5500 small companies, employing 30,000 workers remove valuable metals like gold and copper, from computers, tv's, cell phones -workers don't wear any masks or gloves, often work in rooms with no ventilation, and are exposed to wide variety of toxic chemicals- lead dust from TV tubes, burn computer wires to expose the copper, use strong acids to extract gold from computer boards. Leftover materials and parts are burned in a large pile releasing dioxins
MSW
-municipal solid waste -garbage, produced by homes and businesses in or near urban areas. -largest categories: •paper/cardboard- 37% •food waste- 11% •metals- 8% •yard waste- 12% •food waste- 11%
Two types of landfills
-open dumps (developing countries) holes in ground were garbage is deposited -sanitary landfills (developed)
Problem with large scale compost production
-place -odor -toxic materials
Plastic recycling
-plastics are polymers made by chemically linking monomer molecules (petrochemicals) produced from oil and natural gas. 46 types of plastic are used -among leader producers of hazardous waste, cadmium, and lead compounds leach out of these landfills -difficult to recycle -current price of oil low so pretty fe of virgin plastic resins 40* lower than recycled
Bioplastic
-plastics made from biologically based chemicals -corn, soy, sugarcane, switchgrass,chicken feathers, components of garbage, and even CO2 -can biodegrade
PCBs
-polyChlorinated biphenyls -biphenyl-organic molecule composed of two benzene rings -all man made -used in paints, cements, coatings on electrical wire, pesticides, flame retardants, hydraulic fluids, wood and floor finishes -insoluble in water-very persistent -bioaccumulate- body can't break down -penetrate skin, endocrine system am disruptors, and neurotoxins -congress banned in 1979
Surface impoundments
-ponds, pits, or lagoons asked with plastic liner on bottom -solid waste accumulate in bottom while others evaporate into atmosphere -70% have no liner And 90% threaten ground water supplies
Advantages of recycling
-reduces air/water pollution -saves virgin resources -protect biodiversity
Advantages of incineration
-reduces trash volume -lessens need for landfills -concentrates hazardous substance to ash till disposal
Refillable containets
-refillable glass/ soda bottles made of PET Plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) can be reused up to 15 times -PET recycled numbers on bottom -1 -possible endocrine system disruptors -most energy efficient container on market is a glass refillable container (saves energy, CO2 emissions, air pollution, and solid waste) -US breweries are switching back to glass bottles, US dairies deliver milk in glass or plastic acrylic bottles that can be used 50-100 times -500 bill- 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year and discarded- each bag takes 400-1000 years to biodegrade -less than 1% recycled
RCRA
-resource conservation and recovery act -requires EPA to identify hazardous waste management -give guidelines and financial aid for states to establish waste management programs -requires firm storing, treating or disposing of more than 220 pounds a year to have a permit staying how managed -EPA and state agencies don't have funding to fully monitor
Advantages of deep well injection
-safe if sites chosen carefully -easy -low cost -wastes can be retrieved if problems develop
Why is a low waste society the best choice
-save energy and virgin resources by keeping the quality of matter resources High with a lower input of High-quality energy -reduce the environmental effects of extracting, processing, and using resources -improve worker health and safety by reducing exposure to toxic and hazardous materials -decrease pollution control and waste management costs
Separation of wastes for recycling
-separation at source into recyclable it reusable containers or drop off centers -little water/air pollution, reduction of liter, law start up cost, moderate operating costs, saves energy, more jobs
Disadvantages of phytoremediation
-slow -only effective as deep as roots grow -plants become toxic
Mercury
-source- burning coal containing mercury, waste incineration, MSW and medical waste, chemical manufacturing plants, and smelting - neurotoxin/teratogen -persistent -bioaccumulates in fat cells , biomagnifies in food chain, top predators have largest amount by -in acidic conditions, Hg is converted to methyl mercury which can more easily enter the food chain -TVs, CFL, and batteries contain Hg -prevention: phase out waste incineration, remove Hg from cork before burning, use renewable energy
Cadmium
-source: metal used to manufacture batteries (Ni- Cd batteries), leaches from batteries thrown in landfills, MSW incineration, used as stabilizer in plastic, released as plastic break down -tobacco smoke has cadmium, 10% inhaler when smoking -carcinogen -linked to reproductive failure -sort out Cd containing products before they end up in landfill -educate the public on the dangers of Cd -restrict its use or pass legislation to ban it
Nitrates
-source:agriculture-fertilizers, can leach into groundwater supplies -linked to cancer of the stomach, Colin, bladder
Disposal problems of used tires
-space, fire hazards, mosquito breeding ground
Compost
-sweet-smelling, dark brown, humus-like material that's rich in organic matter and soil nutrients -produced when microorganism a break down organic matter in the presence of oxygen -to compost take organic wastes, mix with soil, put in pile, stir occasionally, leave for several months -used for soil fertilizer and conditioner, as topsoil, land fill cover, and restoring land
Ways to overcome recycling obstacles
-tax Virgin resources and phase subsidies for extraction of virgin resources -lower or eliminate taxes in recycled materials -provide subsidies for reuse and post consumer wate recycling businesses -require households and business to pay for how much garbage they use -encourage gov purchases of recycled goods to lower prices -view landfill/ once betatron as last resort
To prevent lead problems
-test children by age one -ban incineration if solid/hazardous waste -phase out leaded gas worldwide -twat older houses and buildings for lead -remove lead from municipal drinking water systems -wash fruits ad veggies carefully (pesticides) -test ceramic ware for lead glazing -reevaluate use of electric cars with lead batteries
Deep well disposal
-type of land disposal of hazardous waste -liquid hazardous wastes are pumped into dry, porous geologic formation or into fracture zones of rock beneath aquifers -supposedly isolated from overlying groundwater by impermeable layers of rock -simple and cheap so use increasing -if sites chosen carefully may be reasonably safe, but may have leaks in pipe, migration of waste to other layers, etc
How does the U.S. per capita MSW compare to other countries
-us per capita is 2 times Europe and Japan and 5-10 times as most developing countries
Physical methods of detoxifying hazardous waste
-use charcoal or resins to filter out harmful solids and distill liquid mixtures separate harmful chemicals -deadly waste can be fused with glass, cement, or ceramic materials and then stored at designated sites
How can tires be reused
-used in foundations and walks of solar homes, construct artificial reefs, burned to produce electricity, recycled to make resin products
Pollution prevention: waste reduction
-views waste as potential resources to recycle, reuse, or compost or harmful substances that should not be used -goals: 3 R's- reduce, reuse, recycle, chemically or biologically treat or incinerate waste can't reuse, recycle, or compost, bury what's left in above ground vaults or special landfills -cradle-to-cradle system -eliminate 60-80% solid and hazardous waste and treat remaining 20-40% -low waste society option
Waste management: High waste approach
-views waste production as unavoidable -attempts to manage wastes to minimize environmental harm (bury, burn, ship to another state or country) -goal: maintain increasing throughout of matter and energy resources through the economy -cradle-to-grace system -low waste society option
Exporting
-waste may be sent to other states or countries -developing countries may need money -1994: 64 countries met in Sweden and approves immediate ban on all exports of hazardous wastes from developed to developing countries -98% of US hazardous waste is sent to Mexico
What did love canal prove
-we can never really throw anything away -wastes don't stay put -preventing pollution is cheaper than cleaning it up
Bhopal India
-worlds worst industrial accident -dec 2,1984, union carbide (a U.S. company) plant makes pesticides -a gas leak caused an explosion releasing 40 tons of MIC (methyl isocyanate) -created a toxic cloud 3o sq miles -Union carbide said it was sabotage from an employee fired a few days before the accident -indias gov said it was not, that six safety devices that could have prevented the accident were shut off -5000 ppl died, 20,000 ppl had serious injuries-blindness and lung damage. Plant was sued for 4.1 bill in damages and build 470 mill dollar hospital to care for the injured. -when HIV distributed money those injured received $400 and those who had died families relieved $3000
Brownfeild
An abandoned industrial and commercial site, such as factories, junkyards, gas stations, and older landfills -can be cleaned up and turned into parks, athletic fields, nature reserves -just remove and clean or replace contaminated soil, restore area with native vegetation -by 2008 more than 42,000 brown field sites have been redeveloped in US
What's green design
Design that emphasize efficient use of matter and energy sources, reduction of outputs of solid and hazardous wastes, and reuse and recycle material
Dioxins
Family of 75 chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds formed as unwanted by-products in chemical reaction involving choline and hydrocarbons (usually high temps, especially in incinerators) -source-MSW and medical waste incineration, burning coal, wood or oil, burning household trash, bleaching paper in pulp mills, cigarette smoke, and herbicides -stay in environment for decades-persistent, ecoecially soil and fatty tissue-bio accumulation -promotes cancer, negative effects of reproductive system, endocrine system, and immune system. -most common effect- chloracne-severe skin disease with acne like lesions and the face and upper body
Who's the biggest user of paper
Government
How many municipal composting facilities does the U.S. have that recycle what percent of the country's yard waste
Has 3300 facilities producing 37% of yard waste
Most common type of dioxin
TCDD
What percent of MSW does the US incinerate and how much does great British
US-16% GB-98%
