Waste Management

Question 1

Residual Waste

Answer 1

Materials left after a treatment process

Ash, solids, water, recovered contaminants

There materials may be desired for reuse or repurposing processes

Question 2

Waste

Answer 2

Generated unwanted substances or mixture of substances

Municipal solid waste and garbage

Solid or liquid material intended to be treated or disposed of or intended to be stored and then treated or disposed of

Does not include recyclables

Question 3

Waste Characterization

Answer 3

Identification of waste based on its physical, chemical, and toxicological characteristics

Physical: physical state, source, bulkiness
Chemical: organic, inorganic
Toxicological: hazardous, non-hazardous

Question 4

Waste Classification

Answer 4

Identification of waste based on regulatory requirements

Question 5

Waste Characterization vs Waste Classification

Answer 5

Waste characterization is based on identifying the physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of the waste, while waste classification has to do with identifying the regulations and requirements for disposing of the waste

Question 6

Waste Statistics

Answer 6

US: generates more solid waste per capita than any other country; 4.34 lb (1.98 kg) per person per day

Canada: 720 kg of waste per capita
Nova Scotia: 386 kg kg of waste per capita; lowest amount of waste per capita among all provinces
Alberta: 1,007 kg per capita; highest rate of waste generation in Canada

Question 7

Bioremediation

Answer 7

Use of bacteria and other micro-organisms to break down hazardous waste into relatively harmless products

100 species of bacteria and fungi

Time consuming

Inexpensive

Question 8

Phytoremediation

Answer 8

Use of plants to absorb and accumulate hazardous materials in the soil

Ex. Indian mustard removes heavy metals

Question 9

Phytoremediation - Phytoextraction

Answer 9

Plant roots absorb contaminant from soil and accumulate it in root and shoot tissues. Later, plants are harvested and disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill

Ex. Hybrid poplar

Question 10

Phytoremediation - Phytostabilization

Answer 10

Plant roots immobilize contaminants in soil by absorption to roots or precipitation in root zone of soil, keeping contaminants from reaching nearby groundwater

Ex. Indian mustard

Question 11

Phytoremediation - Phytodegradation

Answer 11

Plant roots absorb contaminants and break them down into more benign chemicals

Ex. Willow