solid waste

• Domestic sources of waste


  Packing and containers

  Paper

  Domestic appliances

  Organic materials- food and garden waste

  Clothing and textiles
• Problems with waste management


  Large quantities of waste are produced

  Household waste collection is expensive, intensive and time-consuming

  Waste mix changes throughout the year
• Properties of solid wastes


  properties that influence the choice of disposal:

  Degradability

  Conditions that affect degradation (oxygen, pH, temperature, presence of bacteria)

  Flammability

  Release of radioactivity

  Toxicity
• waste production and affluence


  The more money people have the more they buy, but also the more they dispose off without thinking

  They get rid of and don’t repair
• Sales strategies that increase waste

  Planned obsolesce- products designed to have short lifespans

  Disposable products- designed to have limited lifespan

  Overpacking- made to look more attractive
• Solid waste disposal methods


  Landfill, incineration, recycling and composting
• Factors affecting waste disposal

  Population density- more waste = higher collection cost

  Waste properties- flammability and toxicity

  Land availability- Land needed for landfill and recycling plants

  Income- household, local and national

  Waste processing cost- labour and machinery

  Environmental awareness- degree to which people local and national governments are willing to recycle reuse and repair
• Advantages of landfill

  -Simple, no treatment, not expensive

  features of a good landfill:

  Waste separation

  Polymer lining-to prevent leaking

  Regular soil cover- reduces pests

  Collection of methane as fuel
• Disadvantages of landfill


  -Loss of valuable resources

  -Requires large area

  -Habitat loss

  -Produces methane and carbon dioxide

  -Contamination of land

  -Pollution from transport
• Advantages of incineration


  -Ash produced is less than the volume of waste

  -Heat produce can be directed to houses and electricity plants

  -Complex sorting required

  -Fuel can be created for power stations
• Disadvantages of incineration


  -Resource value is lost

  -Toxic materials can be produced

  -Expensive
• Advantages of recycling

  -Benefits environment

  -Create jobs

  -Reduces energy use
• Disadvantages of recycling


  -Takes energy

  -Leads to pollution

  -costly
• advantages of composting

  -Reduces food waste

  -Enriches soil

  -Stores carbon

  -Saves money

  -Conserves water
• Disadvantages of composting

  -Smelly

  -Attracts pests

  -requires land space, time and effort
• specialist solid wastes

  Asbestos, cyanide, radioactive waste

  Storage or treatment techniques are likely to be required to avoid pollution
• Asbestos


  Dangerous as fibres disintegrate and become airborne

  -If inhaled causes irritation and asbestosis

  -Scar tissue forms in the lungs slowing gas exchange and making breathing more difficult

  -Can cause cancer, mesothelioma
• Treatment of asbestos

  Secure permanent sealed storage

  Double wrapped in heavy duty polythene bags in a specialised landfill site
• Cyanide


  Used in the manufacturer of paper textiles and plastics

  Cyanide compounds are toxic enzyme inhibitors that can be inhaled or ingested
• Treatment of cyanide

  Cyanide compounds are incinerated to separate the carbon nitrogen into less harmful oxide compound
• Radioactive waste

  Extracted from used nuclear fuel
• Treatment of radioactive waste


  Vitrification is specialist encapsulates technique use for the storage of high-level radioactive waste
• Encapsulation

  Mixing with cement slurry and poured into containers for an impermeable unreactive material

  -Pollutant is immobilised

  -Effective for intermediate radioactive wastes
• Vitrification process

  -High level powdered radioactive waste is mixed with molten glass and poured into stainless steel containers which are sealed

  -The solidifies encapsulating the waste

  -The steel containers are placed in concrete buildings that are ventilated to remove the heat that is generated
• Other sources of solid waste

  Mining and construction

  • Mine over burden- usually non-toxic
  • Spoil heaps- may contain toxic materials
  • Demolition waste- often contains hazardous materials
• Other sources of solid waste

  Industrial waste

  • Large industries and factories produce large quantities of waste often requiring very specific treatment
  • The treatment method required depends upon its specific properties