Solid waste Flashcards
4 main categories of waste
- domestic
- agricultural
- industrial
- mining
Properties of solid waste that determine pollutant properties and may determine storage and disposal
- degradability - how rapidly waste breaks down
- flammability - how flammable it is
- toxicity - how toxic the waste is to humans, environment etc
- radioactivity
How does affluence affect waste generation
- increased affluence - increase waste generation
Because: - can afford more products
- buy things they don’t really need
- may buy too much of things
3 ways manufactures and the retail industry increases sales and in turn waste
- inbuilt obsolescence
- single-use items
- unnecessary wrapping
Factors affecting solid waste disposal methods
- population density
- amount of waste produced
- land availability
- legislation and regulations
- household income and affluence
Overview of landfill tax system
- late 1990s
- tax put on landfills - ^ expenses
- increase tax year on year
- now on tax per tonne - £100 per tonne
What is a spoil heap
- pile of material that is of low value, that has low toxicity and left on the landscape
Points to consider when managing and planning remediation of a spoil heap
- stability
- drainage
- lack of nutrients
- pH
- contamination
- heavy metals
Improvement to stability
- plant vegetation - root building
- compact it
Improvement to drainage
- ^ drainage if cause damage
- decrease mass = decrease risk
Improvement to lack of nutrients
- add top soil
- apply organic waste sewage
Improvements to pH
- add crushed limestone or lime
Improvements to contamination
- phytomining
Improvement to heavy metals
- reduce pH - add limestone
- reduce mobility
- soil cover and vegetation
Description of landfill
- choose a site
- prepare the area - putting down a protective layer - stop leaking
- add waste
- watch for problems - check for leaks
- close it up when full
Advantages of landfill
- waste management
- controlled disposal
- energy generation
Disadvantages of landfill
- environmental pollution
- land use
- loss of habitats
Description of incineration
- collect waste
- sort waste
- shred and burn waste
- control emissions
- dispose ash
Advantages of incineration
- reduce landfill use
- less land requirement
- controlled emissions
Disadvantages of incineration
- air pollution
- high costs
- public opposition
- greenhouse gas emissions
Description of encapsulation and vitrification
- heavy metals have low radioactive waste
- mixed in cement - poured in container
- buried into ground or landfills
- grind waste and mix it with molten glass
- poured into container
Features of a good landfill site
- traffic management
- collection of methane
- regular covering with soil to reduce pest problems
Features of a good incinerator
- recyclable waste
- waste with high water content removed
- atmospheric pollution is controlled
Sources of cyanide
- paper
- plastics
- textiles
Dangers of cyanide
- inhaled or ingested
- very toxic
Treatment of cyanide
- incineration - break bonds in cyanide compounds - produce oxides of carbon
Sources of asbestos
- insulation materials
- roofing
- textiles
Dangers of asbestos
- fibers escape
- when inhaled can cause respiratory issues
- cancer causing
Treatments of asbestos
- building a barrier around it - reduces exposure
- double bagged
- wear protective equipment
Advantages of recycling
- waste reduction
- creates jobs
- reduces pollution
- protects biodiversity
Disadvantages of recycling
- contamination by food or other substances
- transportation impact
- limited awareness
- difficult to separate
How is virgins aluminum obtained
- mine bauxite
- crush it
- bayed process - mix it with NaOH
- clarification - undissolved impurities removed
- precipitation - aluminum hydroxide precipitate out
- calcination - AH filtered, washed + heated
- electrolytic reduction
- casting
What are the benefits if aluminum recycling
- cost effective
- low enviro impacts
- creates jobs
What are the challenges when recycling aluminum
- limited awareness
- contamination
