chapter 18: managing our waste Flashcards
what is the beare roade site?
an ex landfill in scarborough that is now used to produce methane energy. LFGTE - Landfill gas to electricity
what is the smokey mountain?
a landfill site in manilla with over 2 million tons of garbage
municipal solid waste
non-liquid waste that comes from homes, institutions, and small businesses
waste water
= water used in a household, business, or industry, as well as polluted runoff from our streets and storm drains
leachate
the liquid that results when substances from
the trash dissolve in water as rain water percolates
downward
what are the three main components of waste management?
source reduction (minimizing the amount of waste we generate), recycling, and disposing of waste safely and effectively
decommissioning
Shutting down an
industrial site and getting it ready for cleanup and postindustrial re-purposing
what are the main components of municipal waste in canada?
a, paper, organics, and plastics are the principal components of municipal solid waste
how is waste disposal governed at the municipal level?
Collection, diversion, and disposal of solid waste
Drop-off facilities for hazardous waste
how is waste disposal governed at the provincial level?
Movement of waste materials within the jurisdiction–Licensing of treatment facilities–Legislation and guidelines for landfill sites’
what are sanitary landfills?
waste buried in the ground or piled in large, engineered mounds .. engineered to minimize leakage of contaminants
what happened in islip new york when they tried to dispose of their garbage?
1987 landfills were full, and a barge traveled to empty the waste in North Carolina, which rejected the load
incineration
garbage is burned at high temperatures.. hazardous chemicals are created and released during
what do scrubbers do(waste)?
= chemically treat the gases produced in combustion to remove hazardous components and neutralize acidic gas
landfill gases consist of roughly half ______
methane
what are some source reduction strategies?
Reduce packaging–Ban or per-bag charges for plastic grocery bags–Increase the longevity of goods
composting
= the conversion of organic waste into mulch or humus through natural biological processes of decomposition
The less waste a house generates the less it is charged for trash collection….. this is an example of
pay-as-you-throw incentive
industrial ecology
= redesigning industrial systems to reduce resource inputs and to minimize physical inefficiency while maximizing economic efficiency
life cycle analysis
= examine the life cycle of a product and look for ways to make the process more ecologically efficient
what is waste exchange?
= a network service with the goal of linking producers of waste with industries or individuals that can make use of the waste as raw material
what is a reactive substance?
= substances that are chemically unstable and readily react with other compounds, often explosively or by producing noxious fumes
what is a corrosive substance?
= substances that corrode metals in storage tanks or equipment
surface inpoundments
shallow depressions lined with material, which hold liquid waste
deep well injection
a well is drilled deep beneath the water table and waste is injected into it
what is a brownfield?
sites that have been contaminated but have the potential to be cleaned up and remediated
vector
an organism that transfers pathogens to a host
radon
= a highly toxic, radioactive gas that is colorless and undetectable without specialized kit, can cause cancer
where does lead poisoning come from? what are the potential threats?
water going through lead pipes, lead-based paint on popular brand-name children’s toys–
Damages organs, causes learning problems, behavior abnormalities, and death
where do PBDES come from? what are the potential threats?
Computers, TVs, plastics, furniture–Endocrine disruptors, impacts brain and nervous system
toxicology
= the study of the effects of poisonous substances on humans and other organism
mutagens
cause dna mutations
teratogens
cause birth defects
neurotoxins
assault the nervous system
endocrine disruptors
interfere with the endocrine (hormone) system
pesticide drift
airborne transport of pesticides
bioaccumulation vs biomagnification
toxicants build up in animal tissues ….. toxicants concentrate in top predators
what is epidemology
large-scale comparisons among groups of people, generally for a long period of time
what does LD50 measure?
= the amount of toxicant required to kill 50% of the subjects (think LETHAL)
what does ED50 measure?
= the amount of toxicant required to affect 50% of the subjects (think EFFECT)
acute exposure
= high exposure for short periods of time to a hazard
substances are harmless until shown to be harmful… this is the ______ approach
innocent until proven guilty
substances are harmful until they are shown to be harmless… this is the _____ approach
precautionary principle approach
