Chapter 15

Environmental Concerns:

Wastes and Pollution

Chapter Objectives

• Define the terms environment, ecology, and biosphere.

• Explain how human activities affect the environment through the production of wastes and residues.

• Name the primary sources of solid wastes.• List and briefly explain the four approaches

to solid waste management.

Chapter Objectives

• Define hazardous wastes.• Explain the difference between sanitary and

secured landfills.• Identify the five approaches to hazardous

waste management.• Explain what is meant by the term Superfund.• Explain the Pollution Standard Index (PSI).

Chapter Objectives

• Briefly describe acid rain, the ozone layer, global warming, and photochemical smog.

• Identify the major indoor air pollutants.• Explain the difference in point source and

nonpoint source pollution.• Identify the different types of water

pollutants.

Chapter Objectives• Briefly describe the purpose of waste water

treatment. • Identify and describe two important pieces of

federal legislation that protect our nation’s water.

• Name the primary sources of radiation.• Identify the pros and cons of nuclear power.• Explain the difference between sound and

noise.• Identify approaches to reduce problems

associated with noise pollution.

Introduction to Environment

• External conditions, circumstances, and influences surrounding and affecting the growth and development of an organism or a community of organisms

• Ecology

• Biosphere

Natural Environmental Hazards

• Natural hazards• Biological hazards

– Insect– Microbiological– Vegetation

Natural Environmental Hazards

• Psychological hazards– Stress– Boredom– Anxiety– Fear (terrorism)

• Sociological hazards– Overcrowding– Isolation– War

Residues and Wastes from Humans

• Contributing factors– Urbanization– Industrialization– Human population growth– Production and use of disposable products

Types of Wastes and Pollution

• Solid wastes

• Hazardous waste

• Water and its pollution

• Radiation

• Noise pollution

Solid Waste

• Sources of solid waste– Agriculture– Mining– Industry– Municipalities– Utilities

• Decomposing waste

Sources of Waste

utilitiesindustry

household

mining

agriculture

Solid Waste

• Solid waste management– Collection – Transportation– Disposal

• Sanitary landfills– Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976

• Combustion– Energy recovery plants

• Recycling– Composition

• Source reduction

Hazardous Waste

• Environmental Protection Agency• A product that may

1. Cause or contribute to an increase in mortality or to an increase in serious, irreversible, or incapacitating reversible illness.

2. Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed.

Hazardous Waste

• Management– Secured landfill: least expensive– Deep well injection– Incineration of hazardous waste– Hazardous waste recycling and neutralization– Source reduction

Hazardous Waste

• Cleanup

• 1980: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

• Superfund

• Brownfields

Air Pollution

• Criteria pollutants• Contaminants of outdoor

air:– Transportation– Electric power plants– Industry: mills and

refineries

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards

• Pollutant Standard Index

Special Concerns with Outdoor Air

• Acid rain• Destruction of the ozone layer

– Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

• Global warming– Greenhouse gases

• Photochemical smog– Thermal inversion– Clean Air Act of 1963

Indoor Air

• Indoor air pollutants– Asbestos

• Biogenic pollutants• Combustion by-products

– Formaldehyde– Radon– Environmental tobacco smoke– Volatile organic compounds

Indoor Air

• Air quality and conservation– Sick building syndrome– Ventilation– Testing

Water Pollution

• Sources of water– Desalinization

• Treatment of water for use– Coagulation and flocculation– Sedimentation– Filtration– Disinfection

Sources of Water Pollution

• Point source pollution– Single identifiable source

that discharges pollutants into the water.

• Nonpoint source pollution– All pollution that occurs

through the runoff, seepage, or falling of pollutants into the water.

Types of Water Pollutants

• Biological pollutants– Pathogens– Overgrowth of aquatic plants

• Toxic pollutants– Inorganic chemicals– Radioactive materials– Synthetic organic chemicals

Water Quality• Strategies to ensure

safe water– Water treatment– Municipal waste

water treatment– Primary

treatment– Secondary

treatment– Tertiary

treatment– Septic systems– Conservation

Radiation

Sources• Natural

– Cosmic radiation: Sun and outer space– Terrestrial radiation: Earth’s minerals– Internal radiation: Inside the body from

ingestion• Human-made

– X-rays– Nuclear medicine– Nuclear weapons

Sources of Radiation

Radon54%

Consumer products

3%

Others1%

Nuclear medicine

4%

Medical X-rays11%

Internal11%

Terrestrial8%

Cosmic8%

Radiation

Danger– Roentgen equivalent man (REMS)– Damages cells and tissues.

Policy– U.S. Department of Energy– Nuclear waste disposal is highly controversial.

Noise Pollution

Measure by annoyance factor• Amplitude

– Decibels (dB) • Noise abatement

– Policy: Noise Control Act of 1972– Education programs– Environmental changes