Environmental Science Chapter 23

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question
On average how many kg of solid waste does a U.S citizen generate per day?
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2.2kg/4.5 lb of solid waste per day.
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What happened to the tugboat Break of Dawn 1987 and the ship Khian Sea 1986?
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Each was refused acceptance in each port it went to. Eventually the Break of Dawn took its material back to New York for incineration. The Khian Sea illegally dumped part of its load on a beach in Haiti and the rest someplace in the ocean.
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What are 2 reasons for packaging items from electronics to food?
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1. Packaging makes the product more attractive and therefore more likely to sell. 2. Packaging protects the item and keeps the item sanitary.
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List the four ways of disposing of solid waste.
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1. Dump it. 2. Bury it. 3. Burn it. 4. Compost it.
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What are the drawbacks to open dumps?
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Open dumps are unsanitary and malodorous places in which disease-carrying vermin such as rats and flies proliferate. Methane gas is released which is flammable and a greenhouse gas.
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What is the function of each of the following in a sanitary landfill?
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1. Covering the compacted solid date with soil: This reduces the number of rats and vermin, lessens the danger of fires, and decreases the amount of odor. 2. Compacted clay and plastic sheets at the bottom of sanitary landfills: these layers prevent liquid waste (leachate) from seeping into the groundwater.
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What gas can accumulate in sanitary landfills?
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Methane gas can accumulate in sanitary landfills and may cause explosions.
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What is meant by the acronym NIMBY?
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Not In My Back Yard, people do not want waste disposal sites(or any other ugly r dangerous disposal or industrial site) near where they live.
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What waste is growing faster than any other component of municipal waste?
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Plastic.
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How are Biodegradable plastics broken down?
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Biodegradable plastics are supposed to be broken down by microorganisms in sanitary landfills, but preliminary evidence indicated that it is not working because the optimum conditions are not being melted and reused.
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Because tires are relatively large and light, they have a tendency to move upward to the surface. Describe 2 problems associates with tiers coming to the surface in landfills.
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1. Old tires are a fire hazard and if they catch on fire they are difficult to put out. 2. Old tires collect rainwater which provides a good breeding place for mosquitoes.
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How does food waste decrease the efficiency of incineration?
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Because of high moisture content.
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What burns only the combustible portion of solid waste?
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Refuse-derived fuel incinerators.
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What are lime scrubbers and what do they do?
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Lime scrubbers are devices in incinerator towers in which a chemical spray neutralizes acidic gases.
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What do electrostatic precipitators do to fly ash?
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Electrostatic precipitators give fly ash a positive electrical charge so that it adheres to negatively charged plated rather than going out the chimney.
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What is fly ash?
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Fly ash is the name given to ash which floats up through the chimney of an incinerator and it is usually the most toxic ash.
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What does composting do?
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Composting converts yard waste, food scraps, sewage sludge and etc. into soil conditioners such as mulch and compost.
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What are the three goals of waste prevention in order of priority?
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1. Reduce the amount of waste as much as possible. 2. Reuse products as much as possible. 3. Recycle materials as much as possible.
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In terms of reducing the amount of waste, what should a consumer ask before purchasing a product?
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Do I really need this product, or do I merely want it?
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Why is \"reuse\" a lower priority than \"reduce\"?
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Reuse of products requires more energy and produces more pollution than not having the product in the first place.
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What is the concept used in which manufacturers assume responsibility for their products from cradle to grave?
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The concept used is called Product Stewardship.
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What is source reduction?
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Source reduction is an aspect of waste management in which products are designed and manufactured in ways that decrease not only the volume of solid waste but also the amount of hazardous materials in the solid waste that remains.
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What is dematerialization?
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Dematerialization is the decrease in size and weight of a product as a result of technological improvements over time. Results in source reduction only if the new product is as durable as the one it replaced.
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How does a bottle deposit work?
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The consumer pays an extra5-10 cents for a bottled beverage, but when they return the empty (bottle) to the store, they get the money back.
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Why is recycling preferred over landfill disposal?
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1. Conserves our natural resources. 2. More environmentally benign. 3. It generates jobs.
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Why are some food containers difficult to recycle?
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Some food containers are composed of thin layers of metal foil, plastic, and paper which makes them difficult to separate.
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Why doesn't the U.S recycle more of its waste paper?
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Many older paper mills are not equipped to process waste paper.
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What products are made from melted crushed glass food and beverage containers?
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Cullet.
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What is glassphalt made from and used for?
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Glassphalt is made of a mixture of colored glass bottles and road surface materials. It is used to pave some roads.
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. Give examples of items that can be made from recycled plastics.
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Sweaters, carpeting, automobile parts, tennis ball felt, polyester cloth, coat hangers, flower pots, foam insulation, toys, and plastic lumber.
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Give examples of items that can be made from recycled tires.
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Retread tires, playground equipment, trashcans, garden hoses, reef building on coastlines, and rubberized asphalt for pavement.
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What does the fee-per-bag approach do?
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It is a way to reduce the wight and volume of municipal solid waste by charging households for each container of garbage.
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What happened to cause the toxic disaster at Love Canal in leading up to 1977?
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The Hooker Chemical company dumped tons of toxic chemicals into the Love Canal. The company then put a layer of top soil over it and donated it to a local board of education which built a school and housing over it. Eventually the toxic chemicals rose to the surface causing health problems.
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. How does dioxin generally get into the human body and where is it stored?
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Dioxin is ingested. It settles onto plants which are eaten by animals which then humans eat or eaten directly by humans. They are stores in the fatty tissues. Passed to infants in breast milk.
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What are three or more different health problems caused by dioxin in the human body?
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1. Cancer (several types). 2. Damage reproductive, immune, and nervous system. 3. Delay fetal development. 4. Endometriosis. 5. Decrease in sperm production. 6. Linked to increased heart disease risk.
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What are three or more different health problems caused by PCB's
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1. Liver and kidney damage. 2. Harm to skin, eyes, reproductive organs and gastrointestinal organs. 3. They are endocrine disruptors. 4. Intellectual impairments to infants in the womb. 5. They may also cause cancer.
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What are three different ways that PCB's can be destroyed or extracted from the soil?
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1. High temperature incineration. 2. Extraction from solid using solvents. 3. Biodegradation using bacteria.
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What was the main source of the nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation?
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The main source of the radioactive materials have been the production of nuclear warheads and the dismantling of old nuclear warheads=Nuclear weapons manufactures.
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Define the term \"Principle of Inherent Safety\".
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Chemical safety programs that stress accident prevention by redesigning industrial processes to involve less toxic materials.
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What is one reason for the urgency about cleaning up the sites on the National Priorities List?
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Most were originally in rural areas on the outskirts of cities, but with the growth of cities and their suburbs, many of the dumps are now surrounded by residential developments.
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Who, besides the federal government is responsible for cleaning up toxic waste dump sites? List at least 3.
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1. Current landowners. 2. Prior owners. 3. Anyone who has dumped waste on the site. 4. Anyone who had transported waste to the site.
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What are al least 4 toxic chemicals manufactured at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal?
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1. Nerve gases. 2. Mustard gases. 3. Napalm. 4. Rocket fuel. 5. Pesticides for agriculture and gardening.
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How does Bioremediation work?
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Bacteria that breakdown harmful chemicals to harmless substances are spread in the contaminated soil and encouraged to grow. It takes longer, but can be far cheaper.
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Where are the plants that help to absorb the toxic compounds from soil disposed of?
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Plants used to absorb toxic compounds from the soil and store them in their tissues are harvested and disposed of in toxic/hazardous waste landfills.
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What is plasma torch and what can it do that normal incinerators cannot?
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A plasma torch incinerator can reach temperatures of 10,000ºC while normal incinerators connote get above 2000ºC. At this temperature, the hazardous waste is almost completely turned into harmless gases.
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What have studies shown about poor minority neighborhoods?
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They are more likely to gave hazardous waste facilities, sanitary landfills, sewage treatment plants, and incinerators in them.
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What is the definition of environmental justice?
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The right of every citizen, regardless of age, race, gender, social class, or other factors, to adequate protection from environmental hazards.
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The rights of which two groups are generally at odds when there is an environmental justice issue?
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The rights of the poor and disenfranchised versus the rights of the rich and powerful.
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Why did the NRC reject the request to build a uranium processing plant near two minority neighborhoods in 1997?
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The commission decided that racial considerations had been a factor in site selection because the applicant had ruled out all perennial sites near predominantly white neighborhoods.
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Why do some countries send their waste to other countries?
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To avoid more stringent environmental standards which increase the cost disposing of the hazardous waste in their own country.
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What is the Basel Convention and how was it modified in 1995?
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It restricts the transport of hazardous waste. It allows countries to export hazardous waste only with the prior consent of the importing country as well as countries that the waste passes through in transit. In 1995 it was modified to ban the export of any hazardous waste between industrial and developing countries.
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What is the name of the program which is a combination of the best waste management techniques?
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The consolidated program to deal effectively with solid waste is known as Integrated Waste Management.
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What is \"Voluntary Simplicity\"?
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It is a concept which recognizes that individual happiness and quality of life are not necessarily linked to the accumulation of material goods. People who embrace voluntary simplicity recognize that a persons values and character define that individual more than how many thinks he or she owns.
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What are some ideas that individuals, businesses, and communities are developing innovative ways to make due with less?
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Form \"tool libraries\" to share tools which reduces the need for every household to own its own tools. This can also be done with luggage, household appliances, cookbooks, and recreational equipment. Car sharing programs ave been started in many european countries it reduces the number of cars manufactures, and reduces the number of miles individuals drive.
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KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)
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Voluntary Simplicity 1. Individual happiness and quality of life are not necessarily linked to the accumulation of material goods. 2. A person's values and character define that individual more than how many things he or she owns. 3. Voluntary simplicity requires a change in behavior as people purchase and use fewer items than they might have formerly.
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TATE- What is solid waste? Distinguish between municipal solid waste and nonmunicipal solid waste.
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a. Solid waste is discarded solid materials produced through human activity. b. Municipal solid waste consists of solid materials discarded by homes, office buildings, real stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, prisons, libraries, and other commercial and institutional facilities. c. Non-Municipal solid waste includes from agriculture, mining and industry.
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TATE-What are the main features of a sanitary landfill?
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a. Sanitary landfills have double layers at the bottom of high density plastic sheets, compacted clay, high density plastic sheets and compacted, which prevent liquid waste from seeping into groundwater. b. Sophisticated system to collect leachate from water passing through the landfill and gases that form during decomposition. c. Located far from bodies of water and densely populated areas. It also should take into account flooding, climate and precipitation.
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TATE- What are the main features of a mass burn incinerator?
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a. Modern mass burn, waste-to-energy incinerators are large incinerators which collects bottom ash for hazardous waste disposal. Attached to them they have a boiler to heat water to make steam which can heat a building or generate electricity. It also gas a lime scrubber to remove acidic gases, electrostatic precipitators to remove fly ash for hazardous waste disposal.
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TATE- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of disposing of waste in sanitary landfills and by incineration.
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Sanitary landfills Advantages: As compared to open dumps: -Reduces the number of rats and vermin as compared to open dumps. -Reduces problems associated with leachate. -Less odor -Decrease the chance of fire. -Can take in large amounts of waste at less cost than other methods. Disadvantages: -produces methane gas, which is explosive. -Potential contamination of surface water and groundwater is still present. -Many are filling up and closing without new ones opening. NIMBY. -After closure, they must be monitored for 30 years. Incineration Advantages: -Reduces waste volume by 90% -Produces heat which can be used to produce steam for warming buildings or generating electricity. -Also produces less carbon dioxide than equivalent power plants using fossil fuels. Disadvantages: -Air pollution, including toxic compounds, toxic metals, and greenhouse gases, acidic gases which lead to acid rain. -Large amounts of toxic ash is produced which must be disposed of. -Difficult to build new incinerators because people don't want them near them, \"NIMBY\". -Expensive pollution control devices must be added.
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TATE- What is source reduction? Explain how source reduction, reuse, and recycling reduce the volume of solid waste.
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a. Source reduction is an aspect of waste management in which products are designed and manufactured in ways that decrease not only the volume of solid waste but also the amount of hazardous materials in the solid waste that remains. b. All three (reduce, reuse, recycle), reduce the demand for new products which reduces the solid waste in manufacturing. Also reuse and recycle keeps materials in use for longer periods of time rather than the materials being discarded at a high rate and contributing to the volume of solid waste. All three can be used by the manufacturing industry and people (consumer) who use the product.
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TATE-List what you think are the best ways to treat each of the following types of solid waste, and explain the benefits of the processes you recommend: paper, plastic, glass, metals, food waste, yard waste.
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a. All of these should be reduces which reduces the use of raw materials and waste production throughout. Paper a. Burning in waste-to-energy incinerators which can produce steam for heating buildings and generating electricity. b. Recycling reduces the need for cutting down trees to produce new paper. Plastic a. Plastic should both be reduced and incinerated. Both would reduce the amount of plastic in the environment and incineration of plastic can be used to produce steam for heating buildings and generating electricity. Glass a. Reuse of bottles will reuse the night to produce new glass and cut down on discarded glass. Cuts down the use of taw materials and energy use. b. Recycling glass will reduce the need to produce new glass and costs less to produce than new glass. It also can be used to create other products such as glassphalt which is a good road building material. Metals a. Metals can be recycled which is much cheaper and more energy efficient than mining and extraction metals from one (metal containing rock). Also reduces the use of raw materials. Food Waste and Yard Waste a. Composting of food and yard waste would help allocate the stress on sanitary landfills and produce soil conditioners such as mulch and compost.
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TATE- How do industries such as Goodwill, which accepts donations of clothing, appliances, and furniture for resale, affect the volume of solid waste?
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a. They reduce the volume of waste by reducing the need for people to purchase new products which leads to a reduction in manufacturing waste and because products are in use for longer periods of time, items which would normally be discarded and adding to the amount of solid waste are kept in use and not disposed of.
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TATE-It could be argued that a business that collects and sells its waste paper is not really recycling unless it also buys products made from recycled paper. Explain.
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a. For this to be truly recycling, it must be a closed loop, which these business's do not success in doing because these businesses do not reduce their use of new products (made from virgin materials) and also are not actually reducing their own waste production, they are profiting from it and at the same time buying new materials themselves, contributing to manufacturing waste.
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TATE-Why is creating a demand for recycled materials sometimes referred to as \"closing the loop\"?
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a. For recycling to work, discarded materials must be put back into use. This means there has to be a valuable, useful product produced from the discarded material and it must show a profit in order to provide incentives for people to be involved in recycling. If no one use or buys recycled products, then recycling will have to stop. If there is no demand for the recycled product, it will simply have to be disposed of anyway.
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TATE-What is hazardous waste?
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a. Any discarded chemical (solid, liquid, or gas) that threatens human health or the environment.
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TATE-What are dioxins, and how are they produced?
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a. Any of a family of mildly to extremely toxic chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds that are formed as by-products in certain industrial processes. They are produced during the combustion of chlorine compounds.
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TATE- What are PCB's, and what harm do they cause?
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a. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) are a group of industrial chemicals composed of carbon hydrogen, and chlorine. They are clear or light yellow, oily liquids or waxy solids. The health problems they cause include: Kidney damage, harm to eyes, skin, reproductive organs, gastrointestinal tract. They are endocrine disrupters, they cause intellectual impairment, and they may also be carcinogenic.
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TATE- The Organization for African Unity has vigorously opposed the export of hazardous waste from industrialized countries to developing nations. They call this practice \"toxic terrorism.\" Explain.
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a. Hazardous waste brought into developing countries is causing the same type of hazardous waste sites that industrialized nations are trying to avoid. Because these countries lack the funds knowledge to store and clean up these sites they will eventually poison their water supplies and harm their people.
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