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
household
industry
utilities
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
Consumer
Nuclear products
Medical X-raysmedicine
3%
11%
4%
Internal
11%
Terrestrial
8%
Cosmic
8%
Others
1%
Radon
54%
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