1. Land Pollution
Solid Waste

2. LAND POLLUTION – SOLID WASTE
SOLID WASTE: is any discarded material that is not a liquid or a gas
TOTAL AMOUNT OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE PRODUCED PER YEAR
Examine the figure below. What is happening to the total amount of waste
produced?

3. KINDS OF WASTE
BIODEGRADABLE: a material that can be broken down by living things into simpler chemicals that can be consumed by living things.
* Products made from natural materials are biodegradable
E.g. paper bags, newspaper, cotton fibers and leather
NON-BIODEGRADABLE: synthetics made by combining chemicals to form compounds that do not exist in nature. These compounds can NOT be broken down by living things.
E.g. Polyester, nylon, and plastic

4. Solid Waste COMPOSITION OF ALL SOLID WASTE PRODUCED
Examine the figure below.
How much is hazardous?
What is the largest solid waste?
What is the smallest source of solid waste?

5. SOLID WASTE MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE Examine the figure below.
What is the largest portion of municipal solid waste?
What is the smallest portion?
How much is biodegradable? Non-biodegradable? Other?

6. WHERE OUR TRASH GOES
LANDFILLS: waste disposal facilities where wastes are put in the ground and covered each day with a layer of dirt, plastic, or both
What percentage of our trash is:
Stored in Landfills? 57%
Recycled? 27%
Incinerated? 16%
Problems with Landfills
Leachate: water that contains toxic chemicals dissolved from wastes in a landfill
Methane: a highly flammable gas that is produced deep in the landfill where organic waste decomposes and there is no oxygen

7. WHERE OUR TRASH GOES Safeguards Added to Landfills
Landfills must be lined with clay or a plastic liner
Landfills must have systems for treating leachate
Landfills must have vent pipes installed to carry methane out of landfill, where it can be released into air or burned to produce energy
20 American States will be out of landfill space within 10 years

8. INCINERATION PROS and CONS of Incineration PROS CONS
some have equipment that use - some of burned waste
heat from burning waste to ends up in air as poisonous
produce steam for energy gases and ash goes to landfill
space needed in landfill reduced - ash is more toxic
- needs lots of waste to
run therefore, reduces
incentive to recycle

9. INCINERATOR

10. NEW LANDFILLS