Hazardous Waste

Special Stuff
Waste Categories
 Some things CAN’T go in here:
Topsoil When landfill is full,
layers of soil and clay
Sand seal in trash
Electricity
Clay generator
Methane storage building
Garbage and compressor Leachate
building
treatment system

Probes to detect
methane leaks Pipe collect
Methane gas explosive
recovery methane gas used as
fuel to generate
electricity Leachate
storage
Compacted tank
solid waste

Groundwater
Garbage monitoring
Leachate pipes Leachate pumped up
to storage tanks for
well
Sand
safe disposal
Synthetic Leachate
liner Groundwater monitoring
Sand Clay and plastic lining well
to prevent leaks; pipes
Clay collect leachate from
Subsoil bottom of landfill
What can and can’t go in CharMeck new green bins…

http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/SWS/CurbIt/Recycling/Pages/Home.aspx
Largest Source of UNregulated Hazardous Wastes
What Harmful Chemicals Are In Your Home?

Cleaning Gardening

• Disinfectants • Pesticides
• Drain, toilet, and • Weed killers
window cleaners • Ant and rodent killers
• Spot removers • Flea powders
• Septic tank cleaners

Paint

• Latex and oil-based paints

• Paint thinners, solvents, Automotive
and strippers
• Stains, varnishes, • Gasoline
and lacquers • Used motor oil
• Wood preservatives • Antifreeze
• Artist paints and inks • Battery acid
• Solvents
General • Brake and transmission
fluid
• Dry-cell batteries • Rust inhibitor and
(mercury and cadmium) rust remover
• Glues and cements
 What Can You Do at Home?
What Can You Do?
Hazardous Waste
Reduce
• Use pesticides in the smallest amount possible.
Refuse
• Use less harmful substances instead of
to use
commercial chemicals for most household
cleaners. For example, use liquid ammonia to Toxins
clean appliances and windows; vinegar to polish
metals, clean surfaces, and remove stains and
Dispose mildew; baking soda to clean household utensils,
deodorize, and remove stains; borax to remove
Of
stains and mildew.
Properly
• Do not dispose of pesticides, paints, solvents, oil,
antifreeze, or other products containing
hazardous chemicals by flushing them down the
toilet, pouring them down the drain, burying them,
throwing them into the garbage, or dumping them
down storm drains.
 New Threat: E-Waste
Main concern heavy metals…

Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Arsenic
Chromium
 Recent Study in China

Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, Volume 45, Issue 7 June 2010 , pages 824 - 835
 Mercury (Hg)
• Released into the atmosphere from burning coal (#1), waste
incineration, ore smelting. Released in landfills from
breakdown of ewaste (leachate).

• Converts into toxic inorganic Hg2+ forms and methylmercury

(CH3Hg+)

• Attacks nervous systems and brains of children

• Bioaccumulates/biomagnifies in fish
– Fish advisories in place for many US waterways
 Mercury Poisoning
Solutions
Mercury Pollution

Prevention Control

Phase out waste

Sharply reduce mercury
incineration emissions from coal
burning plants and
Remove mercury from incinerators
coal before it is burned
Tax each unit of mercury
Convert coal to liquid or emitted by coal-burning plants
and incinerators
gaseous fuel

Switch from coal to natural Collect and recycle mercury

gas and renewable energy containing electric switches,
relays, and dry-cell batteries
resources such as wind,
solar cells, and hydrogen
Require labels on all
Phase out use of products containing
mercury
mercury in all products
unless they are recycled
 Lead (Pb)
 Potent neurotoxin

 Banned in US gasoline (1976 with phase out by 1986)

 Banned lead-based paints (1970-1978)

 Especially harmful to children-still unsafe levels in the blood of many children

 Lead still in paint and pipes of older buildings

 Plumbing may still contain lead (used to solder pipes)

 Found in cathode ray tubes of old TVs and computer screens (ewaste) and lead-
acid car batteries (thus, a landfill issue)

 Can be released into the atmosphere during incineration

 Lead Poisoning
Solutions
Lead Poisoning
Prevention Control

Phase out leaded Sharply reduce lead emissions

gasoline worldwide from old and new incinerators

Replace lead pipes and plumbing

Phase out waste fixtures containing lead solder
incineration
Remove leaded paint and lead dust
Test blood for lead by age 1 from older houses and apartments

Ban lead solder in Remove lead from TV sets and

plumbing pipes, fixtures, computer monitors before
and food cans incineration or land disposal

Ban lead glazing for Test for lead in existing

ceramicware used to ceramicware used to serve food
serve food Test existing candles for lead

Ban candles with Wash fresh fruits and vegetables

lead cores
 Characteristics of Hazardous Wastes
(meets 1 or more characteristics)
 Toxic-harmful if ingested or absorbed, carcinogenic,
teratogenic, mutagenic
– Ex. solvents, paint strippers, pesticides
 Ignitable-easily flammable
– Ex. Solvents, paint thinner, gasoline, used oil
 Corrosive-strong acids or bases
– Ex. Batteries (dissolve metal containers!)
 Reactive-unstable and can release toxic fumes
– Ex. Chlorine products, explosives
*Largest source of hazardous waste is industry*
 U.S. Federal Regulations on Hazardous
Wastes
 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) 1976
– Bans all open dumping of wastes--encouraged source reduction (Rs)
– Also sets standards for non-hazardous solid disposal (landfills)
– Defines hazardous wastes (previous slide)
– Sets standards/regulations for management/disposal
– Permits must be issued to producers who must insure “cradle-to-grave”
tracking of waste (only if more than 100 kg/month)
– Thought to only cover about 5% of actual hazardous wastes

 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

(CERCLA or Superfund) 1980
– Funds cleanup of hazardous waste sites (the “Superfund”)
– Establishes a National Priority List (NPL) for cleanup--1,280 current sites listed
(1,100 completed)
– Has shifted from polluter-pays to taxpayer pays (1995)
National Priorities List
 Produce Less Waste Hazardous
Manipulate
processes Recycle and
Waste
to eliminate
or reduce
reuse
Priorities
production

Convert (treat) to Less Hazardous or Nonhazardous Substances

Chemical,
physical, and Incineration
biological
treatment

Put in Perpetual Storage (LAST choice!)

Secure Underground Surface

injection impoundments
Landfill
 Hazardous Wastes Strategies
 Prevention is better than disposal or cleanup (Cradle to Cradle)!

 Bioremediation (with bacteria) /Phytoremediation (with plants)

 Incineration

 Deep-well disposal

 Surface impoundments

 Secure landfills
 Phytoremediation
Radioactive contaminants Organic contaminants Inorganic metal contaminants

Poplar tree Brake fern

Sunflower Willow tree Indian mustard

Landfill Oil
spill

Polluted
groundwater Polluted
Soil Decontaminated Soil
in leachate
water out
Groundwater Groundwater

Rhizofiltration Phytostabilization Phytodegradation Phytoextraction

Roots of plants with Plants can absorb Plants can absorb Roots of plants can absorb
dangling roots can absorb chemicals and keep toxic organic toxic metals such as lead,
pollutants such as them from reaching chemicals and break arsenic, and others and
radioactive strontium-90 groundwater or them down into less store them in their leaves.
and cesium-137 and nearby surface harmful compounds Plants can then be recycled
various organic chemicals. water. which are stored or or harvested and
released into the air. incinerated.
Tradeoffs of Phytoremediation
Trade-Offs

Phytoremediation

Advantages Disadvantages

Easy to Slow (can take

establish several growing
seasons)

Inexpensive
Effective only at
depth plant
roots can reach
Can reduce
material Some toxic
dumped into organic
land fills chemicals may
evaporate from
plant leaves
Produces little
air pollution Some plants can
compared to become toxic to
incineration animals

Low energy use

Tradeoffs of Deep Underground Wells
Trade-Offs

Deep Underground Wells

Advantages Disadvantages
Safe method if Leaks or spills at
sites are chosen surface
carefully
Leaks from
Wastes can be corrosion of well
retrieved if casing
problems
develop Existing fractures
or earthquakes
Easy to do can allow wastes
to escape into
Low cost groundwater

Encourages
waste production
Tradeoffs of Surface Impoundments
Trade-Offs

Surface Impoundments

Advantages Disadvantages

Low construction Groundwater

costs contamination
from leaking liners
Low operating (or no lining)
costs
Air pollution from
Can be built volatile organic
quickly compounds

Wastes can be Overflow from

easily retrieved flooding
if necessary
Disruption and
Can store wastes leakage from
indefinitely with earthquakes
secure double
liners Promotes waste
production
 Secure Hazardous Waste Landfill
Bulk waste Topsoil Plastic cover
Impervious Gas vent Earth
clay Sand Impervious clay cap
Clay cap

Earth

Water
table Leak
detection
system
Groundwater
Double Plastic
leachate double liner Groundwater
collection Reactive wastes monitoring
system in drums well
 Transition to a Low-Waste Society
 Recognizing that everything is connected…air, land, water, life.

 There is no “away” as in “to throw away” (it goes somewhere)

 Dilution is not always the solution to pollution

(bioaccumulation is the reason why!)

 Mimic nature: reuse, recycle, compost

 Industrial Ecology (the “new” industrial revolution) a focus on

pollution prevention by refusing to use toxins and reduction
by by better design (waste = food)
 Achieving a Low-Waste Society
 Grass-roots action is needed

 Environmental justice must be considered (location of waste

treatment and storage sites)

 “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBY) attitudes shift to “Not in

Anyone’s Backyard” (NAMBY) or “Not On Planet Earth” (NOPE)

 International treaties on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

that should be avoided (notably the “Dirty Dozen”)

 The Precautionary Principle is a good guide