Solid and Hazardous Waste Management

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering terms related to solid and hazardous waste management and air pollution.

RCRA

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: A U.S. law regulating the disposal of solid and hazardous waste.

Putrescible Waste

Organic waste capable of decaying or rotting, such as food waste and yard waste. (liable to decay)

MSW (Municipal Solid Waste)

Commonly referred to as trash or garbage; includes durable goods, nondurable goods, containers, packaging, yard waste, and food waste.

SWMP (Solid Waste Management Plan)

A plan addressing the collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal of solid waste within jurisdiction.

Leachate

Liquid that passes through a landfill extracts dissolved and suspended matter form the waste material.

 External sources provide the liquid (rainfall, surface drainage, groundwater, and liquid contained and produced by the waste)

Geomembrane

A synthetic membrane used in landfills to prevent leachate from contaminating soil and groundwater.

Compost

Decomposed organic material used to enrich soil, created by recycling organic waste.

MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology)

Regulations requiring the best air pollution control technologies in hazardous waste incinerators.

LFG (Landfill Gas)

A mixture of gases from the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in landfills, mainly methane and carbon dioxide.

They have sufficient economic value.

What is a Sanitary Landfill?

A site where waste is safely contained and isolated until it fully decomposes.

Define what an open dump is and why are they illegal in the United States.

An uncovered area where waste is thrown without regulation, posing environmental hazards.

Hazards consist of fires, diseases, and pollution.

What is Darcy's Law?

A principle describing fluid flow through porous media, formulated as V=K×(Δh/L).

Explain what the three types of recycling are and give examples.

1. Closed-loop Recycling - Recycling materials to make the same product, such as aluminum cans.

2. Secondary Recycling - Reusing materials in a different way, like turning plastic bottles into furniture

3. Tertiary Recycling - Chemical recycling to make materials reusable, such as breaking down plastics into new chemicals.

Dioxins

Highly toxic compounds produced during combustion; carcinogenic and pose health risks.

PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)

Toxic industrial chemicals now banned due to persistence in the environment.

HSWA (Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments)

1984 amendments to RCRA focusing on waste minimization and reducing hazardous waste land disposal.

Superfund

A program established to clean up hazardous waste sites in the U.S.

What are Brownfields?

Properties that may be contaminated with hazardous substances, complicating redevelopment.

NPL (National Priorities List)

A list of the most contaminated hazardous waste sites in the U.S. requiring remediation.

HAP (Hazardous Air Pollutants)

Pollutants that cause severe health effects.

Adiabatic Process

A process where no heat is exchanged with the surroundings.

Particulate Matter

Tiny particles suspended in the air that can affect respiratory health.

Primary Pollutants

Pollutants directly emitted into the atmosphere.

Ozone Depletion

The thinning of the ozone layer due to chemicals like CFCs.

CAP (Criteria Air Pollutants)

Six pollutants identified by the EPA that are harmful to health.

NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards)

Limits set by the EPA for harmful pollutants.