Chapter 22

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. 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).

6. TRASH TALK • The United States produces about a third of the world’s solid waste • About 55% of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills • 30% is recycled or composted • 15% is burned in incinerators.

7. 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

8. Images from the Agbogbloshie scrap metal market and burning site in Accra, Ghana.

9. Our World of E-Waste

10. INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT Figure 22-5

11. Reducing Solid Waste • Refuse: to buy items that we really don’t 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, plastics…and buy items made from recycled materials.

12. 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%).

13. REUSE • Reducing resource waste: energy consumption for different types of 350-ml (12-oz) beverage containers. Figure 22-7

14. 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. RECYCLING • Pre-consumer vs. post-consumer waste • http://www.pslc.ws/mactest/work/recycle.htm • http://maine.gov/spo/recycle/mainerecycles/whatrecyclablesbecome.htm • http://www.popsci.com/bown/2009/product/eco2-plastics-environmental-system

18. 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.

19. Burying Solid Waste • Most of the world’s 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.

20. 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

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

22. 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

23. 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).

24. 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

25. Hazardous Waste Regulations in the United States • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) • 1) EPA ID’s wastes & sets standards • 2) firms with >220 lbs/month must have permit • 3) Cradle-to-grave system

26. 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;

27. Superfund in Georgia Sites in Georgia

28. Brownfield Sites • Abandoned, contaminated industrial sites – cleaned up & developed with eased environmental laws • Atlantic Station

29. 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.

30. 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.

31. Radioactive contaminants Organic contaminants Inorganic metal contaminants Poplar tree Brake fern Sunflower Willow tree Indian mustard Landfill Polluted groundwater in Oil spill Polluted leachate Decontaminated water out Soil Soil Groundwater Groundwater 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. Phytostabilization Plants such as willow trees and poplars can absorb chemicals and keep them from reaching groundwater or nearby surface water. 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. 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.

32. 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.

33. 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.

34. 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.

35. Locations of Current Facilities • St. Lucie County Florida • Utashinai, Japan • Yoshii, Japan

36. 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

37. Long-Term Storage of Hazardous Waste • Deep-well disposal: liquid hazardous wastes are pumped under pressure into dry porous rock far beneath aquifers.

38. 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.

39. 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

40. 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.

41. Secure Hazardous Waste Landfill • In the U.S. there are only 23 commercial hazardous waste landfills. Figure 22-22

42. 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

43. Mercury • Fat-soluble • Causes CNS problems, cancer • Damages brain, kidney, lungs • Minamata Disease • Sources = CFL’s, coal-burning, wastes Figure 22-26

44. AIR WINDS PRECIPITATION WINDS PRECIPITATION Hg2+ and acids Hg2+ and acids Hg and SO2 Photo- chemical Elemental mercury vapor (Hg) Human sources Inorganic mercury and acids (Hg2+) 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 Phytoplankton Zooplankton Bacteria and acids Oxidation Elemental mercury liquid (Hg) Inorganic mercury (Hg2+) Organic mercury (CH3Hg+) Bacteria Settles out Settles out Settles out SEDIMENT Fig. 22-25, p. 542

45. 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

46. 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.