solid waste management

Question 1

what are the sources of solid wastes

Answer 1

1) mining and construction ie overburden or spoil heaps
2) domestic waste ie packaging, containers, food and garden waste
3) industrial waste

Question 2

what are the properties of solid wastes

Answer 2

1) degradability
2) flammability
3) release of radioactivity
4) toxicity

Question 3

why are more affluent individuals more likely to produce increased solid wastes

Answer 3

1) purchase more consumer goods
2) purchase disposable items
3) throw away items rather than repair them

Question 4

outline how manufacturing and retail companies increase solid waste pollution

Answer 4

1) built in obsolescence- item are designed to have a short life spam forcing the consumer to upgrade and spend more money
2) disposable products- items intended to have a limited usable life so they need to be replaced sooner
3) overpackaging- items are made to seem more attractive with unnecessary packaging which is likely to be thrown away

Question 5

what factors affect solid waste disposal methods

Answer 5

• pop density
• mass of waste produced per capita
• lad availability
• degree of environmental awareness
• waste processing costs for labour or machinery

Question 6

what are the different ways of disposing of solid wastes

Answer 6

1) land fill
2) incineration
3) spoil heaps

Question 7

what are the features of good landfill site management

Answer 7

1) separation of different wastes ad recording composition and locations
2) polymer lining to prevent escape of leachate fluids
3) collection and treatment of leachate fluids
4) deodorising sprays
5) dispersal of flammable materials rather than dumping large quantities in one place

Question 8

what are the disadvantages of landfill

Answer 8

1) potential loss of resource value
2) high volume of land take
3) release of greenhouse gases from anaerobic decay
4) loss of habitat
5) transport of waste to and from site increases noise and congestion in the area

Question 9

what are some issues with the use of a spoil heap

Answer 9

1) stability
2) drainage
3) lack of nutrients
4) PH
5) contamination

Question 10

how is the issue of spoil heap stability fixed

Answer 10

the planting of vegetation so roots can hold spoil together

compaction as the spoil heap builds up

Question 11

how is the issue of drainage in spoil heaps fixed

Answer 11

natural or artificial drainage

Question 12

how is the PH of the spoil heap controlled

Answer 12

the addition of lime ca reduce acidity

Question 13

what are the advantages of incineration

Answer 13

1) volume of ash produced is less than original waste
2) heat produced ca be used for district heating or generation of electricity
3) no sorting or complicated management is needed

Question 14

what are the disadvantages of incineration

Answer 14

1) resource value of recyclable material is lost
2) it is expensive
3) energy intensive
4) treatment of atmospheric pollutants in effluent gases is expensive

Question 15

what are some methods of disposal for hazardous waste

Answer 15

1) encapsulation

2) vitrification

Question 16

what is encapsulation

Answer 16

wastes containing heavy metals are mixed with concreate cement which is poured into containers made of an impermeable and unreactive material so the waste is immobilised

Question 17

what are the feature of a good domestic waste incinerator

Answer 17

1) recyclables are removed before incineration
2) wastes with high water content are removed
3) atmospheric pollution is controlled
4) the heat is harnessed for use such as for district heating or electricity generation