Exam 16: Solid and Hazardous Waste

Plastics pose a special problem for sanitary landfills because 1. plastics are the most rapidly accumulated component of municipal solid waste. 2. plastics attract harmful microorganisms and bacteria to the landfill. 3. plastics move upward to the surface creating a fire hazard. 4. most plastics are chemically stable and do not readily decompose.

____________ is an aspect of waste management in which products are designed and manufactured in ways that decrease the amount of solid and hazardous waste in the solid waste stream.

Fifty-four percent of the municipal solid waste generated in the U.S. today is disposed of

What is the most effective method of disposal for the high-tech waste illustrated below? Obsolete computer equipment

Which material has the greatest potential for recycling? WHY?

What is one difference between the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (the Superfund Act)?

Currently two federal laws, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Superfund Act, in the United States dictate how hazardous waste should be managed.

What is the most efficient method of disposal for the solid waste illustrated below?

Fly ash is the ash left at the bottom of the incinerator when combustion is completed.