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Hazardous Waste

Hazardous Waste. Types of Waste. Organic- usually decomposes in 2 weeks Radioactive- spent fuel rods and fire alarms Recyclable- Paper, glass, metals, plastics. Paper decomposes 10-30 days, metals 100-500yrs and plastics 1 million years

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Hazardous Waste

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  1. Hazardous Waste

  2. Types of Waste • Organic- usually decomposes in 2 weeks • Radioactive- spent fuel rods and fire alarms • Recyclable- Paper, glass, metals, plastics. Paper decomposes 10-30 days, metals 100-500yrs and plastics 1 million years • Toxic/ Hazardous- paints, chemicals and pesticides can take hundreds of years

  3. Wasting Resources • United States • 4.6% of the world's population • 33% of the world's solid waste • 75% of its hazardous waste

  4. Hazardous Waste •Hazardous waste-any discarded material, liquid or solid, that contains materials known to be –fatal in low doses –toxic, carcinogenic, mutagens or teratogens • ignitable at less than 60C • corrosive • explosive

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

  6. Love Canal • There is no away! • Hooker Chemicals and Plastics sealed waste of over 200 different chemicals and put them into the canal • Covered it with clay and top soil • Put in an Elementary school and 949 homes • As a result lots smells and kids were getting skin burns from playing on the grass • Declared a federal disaster area • Sparked the superfund law • $400 million cleanup

  7. Superfund Legislation • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liabilities Act (CERCLA); 1980 ( also called the superfund law) • “Superfund” to contain, clean up and remediate abandoned waste sites • Hazard Ranking System (HRS) • National Priority List (NPL)- list of sites to clean up • Amended in 1984 gives citizens the right to know • Put in effect as a result of Love Canal incident

  8. 1290-4500 sites on the National Priority List • Usually sites that are leaking into ground water (56% have contaminated surface waters) • Problems –EPA has only cleaned up 200 sites

  9. Types of Superfund sites • Landfills and dumps • industries bury metal drums on own property •Waste lagoons and injection wells • pumped into uncontained sites •Closed down nuclear sites like Handford

  10. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act • The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted by Congress in 1976 and amended in 1984( also called the cradle to grave law) • EPA identifies hazardous wastes and sets standards • Must have a permit to store treat or dispose of hazardous waste • Must use cradle to grave record keeping( from the time it is created until we put it to rest)

  11. Solid Waste Disposal Act • 1965 • First law that required environmental sound methods for disposal of household, municipal, commercial and industrial waste

  12. What can be done about hazardous waste? • Reduce input • physical treatment –distill, charcoal, fuse in glass, bioremediation • incineration –burn at very hot temps • chemical processing –neutralization, oxidation • biological waste treatment -bacteria • store permanently - bury or surface impoundments • Deep well disposal

  13. Toxins • Lead • Mercury • Dioxins

  14. Solutions Lead Poisoning Prevention Control Sharply reduce lead emissions from old and new incinerators Phase out leaded gasoline worldwide Replace lead pipes and plumbing fixtures containing lead solder Phase out waste incineration Remove leaded paint and lead dust from older houses and apartments Test blood for lead by age 1 Ban lead solder in plumbing pipes, fixtures, and food cans Remove lead from TV sets and computer monitors before incineration or land disposal Test for lead in existing ceramicware used to serve food Ban lead glazing for ceramicware used to serve food Test existing candles for lead Ban candles with lead cores Wash fresh fruits and vegetables

  15. Solutions Mercury Pollution Prevention Control Phase out waste incineration Sharply reduce mercury emissions from coal burning plants and incinerators Remove mercury from coal before it is burned Tax each unit of mercury emitted by coal-burning plants and incinerators Convert coal to liquid or gaseous fuel Switch from coal to natural gas and renewable energy resources such as wind, solar cells, and hydrogen Collect and recycle mercury containing electric switches, relays, and dry-cell batteries Require labels on all products containing mercury Phase out use of mercury in all products unless they are recycled

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