Solid and Liquid Wastes PH 385 Environmental Health

History

Growing Solid Waste Problem

MSW Stream  Components of the MSW stream include packaging, furniture, clothing, bottles, food waste, papers, batteries, and organic materials.

EPA Hierarchy for MSW management  Source Reduction  Recycling  Disposal

MSW Disposal  Recycling  Composting  Landfilling  Incineration

Recycling  Reduces greenhouse gas emissions  Prevents water pollution  Decreases need for new landfills  Preserves raw materials and energy  Employment opportunities

Composting  The controlled decomposition of organic materials, such as leaves, grass, and food scraps, by microorganisms.

Landfills  4 major parts  Leachate  Air pollution and groundwater contamination  Megafills

Incineration

Hazardous Wastes  Hazardous materials used in the home  Medical waste  Industrial hazardous waste  Radioactive waste  Mining and extraction wastes

Uncontrolled HW sites  Superfund

Love Canal EPA Removes Love Canal From Superfund List For Release : Thursday, September 30, 2004 (#04152) New homes at Love Canal New York, NY --The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today finalized its decision to remove the Love Canal site in Niagara County from the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL). All cleanup work at the site has been completed, and follow up monitoring conducted over the past 15 years and continuing today confirms that the cleanup goals have been reached. Through a series of plans, EPA, together with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, contained and secured the wastes already disposed of in the canal so that they are no longer leaking into surrounding soils and groundwater and also revitalized properties in the neighborhood surrounding the canal. Love Canal siteSuperfund National Priorities List (NPL)

Medical Waste  Any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals.

Safe Disposal of HW

Sewage Processing and Disposal  Sewage is defined as the wastewater generated by people in homes and businesses.

Sewage Treatment  Preliminary processing  Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Phases

Sewage Disposal  Composting Toilets  Septic Systems  Animal Wastes