1. Environmental Hazards and Human
Health ; Solid and Hazardous Waste
By: Dalyn Valentin & Alfredo Valdivia
Period # 2
APES
2. Kinds of Waste
• H a z a r d o u s W a s t e : Any
waste that poses potential harm to
human health due to its toxicity.
• S o l i d W a s t e : Unwanted
discarded products made by
humans.
– Municipal solid waste: trash or
garbage that is thrown out by
residential or commercial
buildings.
– Industrial solid waste: solid waste
3. Waste Disposal Methods
• O p e n d u m p s : large fields or
holes in the ground where garbage is
often deposited and burned
• S a n i t a r y l a n d f i l l s : specially
prepared facilities that must meet
requirements in the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act
• B i o r e m e d i a t i o n : uses
microorganisms or bacteria to remove
contaminants from liquid or solid
hazardous waste
4. Waste Disposal Methods Cont.
• In c in e r a t io n
– reduces volume by 90%
– Can produce electrical
energy
– Waste is deposited into the
waste bunker
– The furnace is where it is
burned
– The ash conveyor carries
ash for deposition into
landfills
– The boiler creates steam for
electricity or heat
– Scrubbers spray lime to
neutralize acids and control
pollution
– Smoke stack to release
5. Types of Recycling
• P r i m a r y / C l o s e d -L o o p
R e c y c l i n g : materials are
converted into new products of the
same type.
• S e c o n d a r y R e c y c lin g :
materials are converted into
different kinds of products.
• C o m p o s t i n g : recycling that
uses the natural role of
decomposing bacteria and fungi to
convert biodegradable waste into
useable soil amendments.
• Recycling’s usefulness is limited by
the amount of energy needed to
complete the process.
6. Radioactive Waste
• Useless radioactive materials
that are left after some
laboratory or commercial
process is completed.
- H i g h L e v e l : Large
amounts of radioactive radiation
for a short time followed by
small amounts for a very long
time.
- L o w L e v e l : Gives off
small amounts of radiation.
Storage time is 100-500 years.
7. Types of Major Hazards
• B i o l o g i c a l : living organisms and
viruses that can cause human disease.
• C h e m i c a l : are in the air, soil, and
water we drink and food we ingest. (e.g.
heavy metals & asbestos)
• P h y s i c a l : natural disasters like
fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
floods, and etc.
• C u l t u r a l : living in areas with high
crime rates, working in unsafe
conditions, and poverty.
• L i f e s t y l e : choices humans make
that pose a health concern. (e.g.
unprotected sex, smoking, and drug
use)
8. Biological Hazards
• An i n f e c t i o u s d i s e a s e can be spread from person to
person and is therefore called a contagious or communicable
disease.
• They can be transmitted from person to person through water, air,
food, and bodily fluids.
• Where you live and your level of poverty can increase the
probability of catching some of these diseases.
9.
10. Chemical Hazards
• We are constantly exposed to
insidious chemical compounds.
• B i o m a g n i f i c a t i o n : certain
compounds that accumulate in
body tissues can be passed from
one organism to another through
the food chain.
• I m m u n e s y s t e m : whose
role is to produce antibodies to
protect against infection and
disease, if often weakened by
exposure to these toxins.
11. Types of Chemical Hazards
• C a r c i n o g e n : promote
various types of cancer in the
human body. (e.g. tobacco
smoke & PCBs)
• M u t a g e n : promotes
mutations or changes in DNA.
• Te r a t o g e n s : chemical
hazards that cause birth
defects to a fetus or embryo.
(e.g. ethyl alcohol and PCBs)
12. Cultural & Lifestyle Hazards
• The greatest risk that people in
developing countries face today is
poverty.
• People in poor conditions also
suffer from malnutrition, which
increases their susceptibility to
disease and death.
• Avoid smoking, improve eating
habits, getting adequate exercise,
limit alcohol intake, and practice
safer sex are ways to reduce their
risk of death.
13. Multiple Choice Questions
1. T h e m i n i m u m a m o u n t o f h a l f - l i v e s t h a t m u s t p a s s b e f o r e r a d i o a c t i v e w a s t e
i s r e d u c e d b y a f a c t o r o f 10 0 0 .
A 1
B 10
C 100
D 1,0000
E 1,000,000
2 . W h ic h o f t h e f o llo w in g b e s t e x p la in s t h e t r e n d in s o lid w a s t e p r o d u c t io n
b e t w e e n 19 8 0 a n d 2 0 0 5 ?
A Additional consumption leading to more waste production
B Increased awareness of air pollution problems associated with incineration that led to more waste being diverted to
landfills.
C Increased recycling including curbside pickup of mixed recyclables.
D Additional exports of solid waste to developing countries
E Decreased consumption resulting in less production of consumables
3 . In a r iv e r , w h ic h o f t h e f o llo w in g w ill o c c u r d o w n s t r e a m a s a r e s u lt o f t h e
e f f lu e n t d is c h a r g e o f a p r im a r y s e w a g e t r e a t m e n t f a c ilit y ?
A Increase in dissolved oxygen concentration of the river’s water.
B Increase in biological demand of the river’s water
C Decrease in the turbidity of the water
D Decrease in the ph of the river’s water
14. 4 . T h e a c r o n y m t h a t r e s id e n t s m a y e m p lo y in t r y in g t o p r e v e n t
a n e w la n d f ill f r o m b e in g p la c e d in t h e ir c o m m u n it y is :
A NIMBY
B PEMBT
C NOPE
D DON’T
E GOAWAY
5 . W h ic h o f t h e f o llo w in g w a y s o f m a n a g in g e -w a s t e h a s t h e
f e w e s t n e g a t iv e e n v ir o n m e n t a l a n d s o c ia l c o n s e q u e n c e s ?
A Disposal in sanitary landfills or hazardous waste facilities
B E-waste collection and local recycling
C E-waste collection and shipping to developing countries for recycling
D Incineration
E E-Waste collection by manufactures required to take back their products for recycling.
6 . F u n d in g r e s e a r c h t o im p r o v e t r e a t m e n t o f w h ic h o f t h e
f o llo w in g in f e c t io u s d is e a s e s w o u ld d e c r e a s e g lo b a l d e a t h
ra te s the mo s t?
A. Avian Flu
B. Influenza
C. HIV
D. Malaria
E. SARs
15. 7 . F a r m e r s in t h e m id w e s t U n it e d S t a t e s h a v e
d is c o v e r e d t h a t t h e lo c a l f r o g p o p u la t io n is
d e c lin in g . S c ie n t is t s d e t e r m in e t h is is d u e t o m a le
f r o g s ’ in a b ilit y t o p r o d u c e s p e r m . W h ic h o f t h e
f o llo w in g is a lik e ly c a u s e ?
A. Exposure to arsenic from local metal smelting plants
B. Inhalation of inorganic mercury from local power plant emissions
C. High levels of atrazine in the water from agricultural runoff
D. Absorption of high levels of nitric acid through their skin
E. Increasing UV radiation in the Midwest
8 . A c la s s o f o r g a n ic c o m p o u n d s , g e n e r a t e d f r o m
w a s t e in c in e r a t io n , t h a t b io a c c u m u la t e in t h e f a t
t is s u e o f o r g a n is m s c a u s in g r e p r o d u c t iv e d a m a g e
a n d c a n c e r is
A. PCBs
B. Dioxins
C. Mercury
D. Cyanide
E. Asbestos
16. 9 . L iv e r d is e a s e t h a t d e v e lo p s d u e t o lo n g -t im e
u s e o f a lc o h o l a n d d r u g s w o u ld b e a n e x a m p le o f
a (n)
A. Chronic effect
B. Synergistic effect
C. Acute effect
D. Additive effect
E. Cumulative Effect
10 . E c o l o g i s t s h a v e b e e n s t u d y i n g p o p u l a t i o n s i n
t r o p ic a l r e g io n s t o d e t e r m in e t h e e f f e c t s o f D D T
o n a q u a t ic s y s t e m s . W h ic h p o p u la t io n w o u ld y o u
e x p e c t to s ho w the m o s t e ffe c ts ?
A. Phytoplankton
B. Small benthic fish
C. Zooplankton
D. Larger schooling fish like tuna
E. Predatory birds like pelicans
