Ch. 17 & 18 ( Water pollution, Solid waste management, recycling, hazardous waste) Review Questions

Cradle to cradle design

Products are designed to be fully reused, recycled, or safely returned to nature with no waste

Biomimicry

Copying natural processes to create sustainable systems with little or no waste

Solid waste

Unwanted or discarded materials from human activities

Industrial solid waste

Waste from production processes such as mining waste or factory scrap

Municipal solid waste (MSW)

Everyday trash from homes and businesses like food, paper, and plastic

Hazardous waste

Toxic, flammable, corrosive, or reactive waste that can harm health or the environment

E waste

Discarded electronics like phones and computers that contain toxic materials

Waste management

Collecting, processing, and disposing of waste

Waste reduction

Producing less waste in the first place

Integrated waste management

Using multiple methods to reduce and manage waste in the most sustainable way

Refuse

Avoid using unnecessary products

Reduce

Use fewer resources and create less waste

Reuse

Use items again instead of throwing them away

Recycling

Converting waste into new materials

Composting

Breaking down organic waste into nutrient rich soil

Primary recycling

Turning waste into the same product (aluminum cans → aluminum cans)

Secondary recycling

Turning waste into a different product (tires → playground material)

Upcycling

Creating a higher value product from waste

Downcycling

Recycling into a lower quality product

Source separation

Sorting recyclables at home before collection

Mixed MSW recycling

Sorting recyclables after collection at a facility

Bioplastics

Plastics made from plant based materials instead of petroleum

Incineration

Burning waste to reduce volume and sometimes produce energy

Sanitary landfill

Engineered site designed to safely store waste with liners and monitoring

Open dump

Unregulated waste disposal site without environmental protections

Leachate

Polluted liquid that drains from a landfill

Waste to energy

Burning waste to produce electricity or heat

Bioremediation

Using bacteria to break down hazardous waste

Phytoremediation

Using plants to absorb or remove pollutants

Plasma gasification

Using high heat to convert waste into gas and solid residue

Deep well injection

Pumping liquid hazardous waste deep underground

Surface impoundment

Storing liquid waste in ponds or lagoons

Basel Convention

International treaty controlling movement of hazardous waste between countries

RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)

Regulates hazardous waste from creation to disposal

TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act)

Regulates chemical use and safety

CERCLA (Superfund)

Cleans up contaminated sites and holds polluters responsible

Industrial ecosystem

System where waste from one process becomes input for another

Water pollution

Contamination of water that harms ecosystems or human health

Point source pollution

Pollution from a single identifiable source like a pipe

Nonpoint source pollution

Pollution from many diffuse sources like runoff

Wastewater

Used water from homes, industry, or agriculture

Pathogens

Disease causing organisms in water

Oxygen demanding waste

Organic matter that reduces oxygen levels as it decomposes

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Amount of oxygen needed to decompose organic waste

Eutrophication

Natural nutrient enrichment of water bodies

Cultural eutrophication

Human caused nutrient pollution leading to algal blooms

Algal bloom

Rapid growth of algae due to excess nutrients

Dead zone

Area with very low oxygen where aquatic life cannot survive

Thermal pollution

Heat released into water that lowers oxygen levels

Groundwater

Water stored underground in aquifers

Aquifer

Underground layer that stores and transports water

Arsenic contamination

Toxic metal pollution in groundwater that harms human health

Septic tank

Underground system that treats household wastewater

Primary treatment

Physical removal of large solids by screening and settling

Secondary treatment

Biological treatment using bacteria to break down waste

Tertiary treatment

Advanced treatment to remove nutrients and pollutants

Disinfection

Killing harmful microorganisms using chemicals or UV light

Sludge

Solid waste removed during sewage treatment

Ocean pollution

Contamination of oceans from land, oil spills, and waste dumping

Oil spill

Release of oil into water that harms marine life

Ocean garbage patch

Large area of floating plastic waste in oceans

Clean Water Act

U.S. law regulating water pollution

Safe Drinking Water Act

U.S. law ensuring safe public drinking water

Nonpoint source control

Reducing pollution from runoff through better land use

Sewage treatment

Process of removing contaminants from wastewater

Waterborne diseases

Illnesses spread through contaminated water like cholera

Pollution prevention

Reducing pollution before it enters the environment

Sustainable waste management

Managing waste to reduce environmental impact and conserve resources