AP Environmental Science Unit 8

list 3 ways you can “source reduce”

buy products in bulk, buy and use products in reusable containers, compost organic waste

what is the biggest problem associated with landfills?

groundwater contamination

why do they cover the landfill with a tarp every day?

to prevent animals from getting in

explain a NIMBY concern that you can face in your lifetime

wastewater treatment plant - due to foul smell

what is aluminum made from?

bauxite

what are the two most common items that make up our waste?

paper and food/yard waste

what is windrow composting?

rotating lines and rows of compost in a landfill

what are the top two trash producing countries?

china and US

why have we become a throw away society?

convenience

why do we use landfills as opposed to incineration here in the US?

due to air pollution and toxic ash

what are some benefits of recycling glass?

uses less energy

what does RCRA stand for and try to accomplish?

resource conservation and recovery act - identify hazardous waste and set management standards for states and cradle-to-grave system

what does CERCLA stand for and try to accomplish?

comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability act - identify hazardous waste dump sites and underground tank leakings, hold the people responsible by making them clean up, give compensation to families

why was SARA (superfund amendments and reauthorization act) created?

defends a company from being associated with cleanup by doing an environmental audit

what is teratogen?

chemical that causes birth defects

what is the difference between acute and chronic toxicity?

acute - effects of massive doses, chronic - effects of small doses over time

what are three lessons we learned from love canal?

we can never really throw anything away, waste often does not stay put, preventing pollution is much safer and cleaner than trying to clean it up

explain a negative impact of trash in our oceans, besides killing baby birds

we are exposed to microplastics from consuming fish

how come we don’t feel immediate effects of hazardous waste and groundwater contamination?

we experience chronic exposure to it

what are some consequences of overconsumption?

the people we take resources from are exposed to harmful toxins, we use more natural resources, habitat destruction

what is another name for CERCLA?

superfund

what does the basel convention try to do?

control movement of hazardous waste from one country to another

what are 3 design parts of building a modern landfill?

clay liner, plastic liner, lechate collection system, cap

waste prevention (aka source reduction)

changing habits to reduce the amount of trash created every day

tips to save resources and money

buy products in bulk to reduce packaging waste, buy and use products in refillable containers, use reusable shopping bags, compost organic waste, use a reusable drink cup

sanitary landfill

-before placing garbage, a linear system is installed to prevent any groundwater contamination
-linear systems consists of a leachate collection system, plastic membrane liner, and clay liner
-as garbage is placed, it is compacted to maximize the amount of trash that can be placed in the landfill
-ADC (alternative daily cover) is placed each day over the exposed landfill to minimize odors from landfill and prevent animals from being attracted to garbage
-as the garbage decomposes, it produces methane (explosive and greenhouse gases)
-the MRF collects the gas to reduce health hazards associated with the gas
-portion of gas is used to run on internal combustion engine that will generate electricity
-when the landfill reaches max capacity, it will be “capped” to prevent liquids from coming into contact with garbage
-the cap will include a layer of soil that will support native gasses, helping the closed landfill to blend in with the natural surroundings

what are the five waste disposal methods?

landfills, incineration, composting, source reduction, recycling

what has become a problem for many large, metropolitan areas?

lack of dumping space

what are communities concerned about?

waste disposal costs, groundwater, air quality (methane), aesthetics (smell/sight)

what did disposable lifestyle market?

the wave of the future and as a way to reduce household duties

what began after WWII?

consumerism

garbage =

municipal solid waste

the US volume of trash has increased more than ___ since 1960

50%

what type of countries have a higher standard of living and produces more waste?

developed countries

what type of methods are no longer accepted in the US?

dumping and burning because they cause air pollution and toxic ash

how much of US municipal solid waste is deposited in landfills?

almost 57%

why are the number of landfills declining?

public concerns (NIMBY) over groundwater contamination, odors, and truck traffic

why are modern landfills retarded?

tight, anaerobic conditions and biological decay

what the benefits of recycling?

resource conservation and pollution reduction

hazardous waste

discarded solid or liquid material that contains one or more of the 39 toxic chemical, catches on fire easily, is reactive or unstable, capable of corroding materials

issues involving setting regulations

-identification of hazardous and toxic materials
-setting exposure limits
-acute v. chronic testing
-synergism (assessing the effects of chemical mixtures)

each year, roughly 1000 new chemicals are produced and distributed while ___ already are in daily use

70,000 chemicals

what is the main problem with hazardous waste?

chemical products and by-products of industry are often handled and disposed of improperly

how many pounds of trash a day do americans generate?

4.9 pounds

how much energy is saved by recycling aluminum?

95% of energy

why are we not building incinerators in the US?

they charge higher tipping fees, releases air pollutants, more toxic ash, large and expensive to build and operate, require large amounts of solid waste, less likely to encourage recycling, may not completely burn all of the waste, location of incinerator raise NIMBY

explain what NIMBY stands for?

not-in-my-backyard

discuss an argument in favor of recycling aluminum?

aluminum cans only take 5% of energy to be recycled and they can be recycled over and over again without losing quality

discuss an argument against recycling aluminum?

if not recycled properly, environmental damage can be caused which is expensive and can produce hazardous by-products

what is a teratogen, mutagen, and carcinogen?

-teratogen: chemical that causes birth defects
-mutagen: type of carcinogen that causes damage to the genetic material of a cell
-carcinogen: chemical that causes cancer

lead

-metal found naturally in the earth’s crust and it doesn’t break down in the environment
-used for production of batteries and metal products
-when lead is released into the air, it can be transported long distances before it lands and stays in the ground
-acute effect: severely damages brain and kidneys and can cause death

cadmium

-natural element in earth’s crust
-produces batteries, pigments, metal coatings, and plastics
-particles can travel long distances before falling to the ground to enter soil, water, and air from mining and industry
-acute effect: damage lungs and irritate stomach causing vomiting and diarrhea

arsenic

-naturally occurring element widely distributed in earth’s crust
-to preserve wood, make industrial appliances, and pesticides
-occurs naturally in soil and minerals may enter air, water, and land from wind
-acute effect: sore throat and irritated lungs, ingesting - death

benzene

-colorless liquid with a petroleum-like odor
-solvent to make plastics, detergents, paint removers, rubber goods, and for unleaded gasoline
-naturally from forest fires, volcanic activity, and oil from earth’s surface
-acute effect: can lead to anemia and leukemia

PCB’s

-mixtures of up to 209 individual chlorinated compounds
-used as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors, and other electrical equipment
-entered the air, water, and soil during their manufacture, use, and disposal
-acute effect: skin conditions like acne and rashes as well as liver damage

step 1 of nitrogen cycle: nitrogen fixation

atmospheric nitrogen is converted into ammonia

step 2 of nitrogen cycle: nitrification

ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrates

step 3 of nitrogen cycle: assimilation

plants take up nitrates through their roots to create proteins and nucleic acids

step 4 of nitrogen cycle: ammonification

when plants die, decomposers break down organic matter and release ammonia back into the soil

step 5 of nitrogen cycle: denitrification

nitrates are converted back into nitrogen gas

persistence

how long the chemical remains in the environment

persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

synthetic, carbon-based molecules that break down very slowly in the environment

PFAS

synthetic organic chemicals that are used in nonstick pans, stain-resistant carpets, water-repellant clothing, food packaging, and fire retardants

forever chemicals

chemicals currently expected to last thousands of years

routes of exposure

way where an individual might come into contact with an environmental hazard like a chemical

child’s routes of exposure for bisphenol A

toys, food containers, and baby bottles

municipal solid waste (MSW)

solid waste collected by municipalities from households, small businesses, and institutions like schools, prisons, municipal buildings, hospitals

waste stream

flow of solid waste that is recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill, or disposed of in another way

leachate

liquid that can contain elevated levels of pollutants as a result of having passed through the solid waste of a landfill

tipping fee

fee charged for trucks that deliver and tip solid waste into a landfill or incinerator

incineration

process of burning waste materials to reduce volume and mass, and sometimes to generate electricity or heat

typical incinerator

-solid waste is sorted and certain recyclables are diverted to recycling centers
-remaining material is dumped onto a platform where certain materials like metals are identified and removed
-moving grate or other delivery system transfers waste to furnace
-combustion converts waste into CO2 and water which are released into the atmosphere with heat after being passed through a filter to remove harmful particles in the combustion gases
-end product of combustion is ash