Deck 23: Solid and Hazardous Waste

Question 1

Which of the following does NOT contribute to municipal solid waste production?

A) hospitals
B) retail stores
C) agriculture
D) office buildings
E) restaurants

Answer 1

C

Question 2

A good example of source reduction would be:

A) burning old tires to generate usable energy.
B) finding uses for discarded computers and other high technology equipment.
C) the lighter weight of aluminum cans compared to 30 years ago.
D) installing air pollution control devices in incinerators.
E) increasing the percentage of paper, glass, and aluminum that is recycled in the United States.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following represent potential markets for compost from municipal solid waste composting programs?

A) landscapers
B) greenhouses
C) golf courses
D) farmers
E) All of these choices are correct

Answer 3

E

Question 4

A benefit of sanitary landfills over "open dumps" is that:

A) clay liners at the bottom of the landfill help prevent groundwater pollution.
B) a soil cover minimizes the escape and dispersal of offensive odors.
C) they have systems designed to collect leachate.
D) they tend to have fewer rodents than open dumps.
E) All of these statements are correct

Question 5

Which of the following correctly identifies one of the goals of waste prevention?

A) increased use of disposable items
B) decreased dematerialization
C) increased consumption
D) increased reuse of products
E) decreased recycling of packaging materials

Question 6

All of the following are possible problems associated with incineration EXCEPT:

A) production of heat to produce electricity.
B) air pollution containing mercury.
C) particulate air pollution.
D) large quantities of toxic ash.
E) the release of dioxins.

Question 7

One of the problems associated with sanitary landfills is:

A) the possibility of a methane gas explosion.
B) leakage of radioactive waste.
C) depletion of groundwater.
D) transmission of communicable diseases.
E) None of these choices is correct

Question 8

A significant problem with waste incineration is that:

A) acid rain can cause the lime scrubbers to neutralize electrostatic precipitators.
B) hazardous materials cannot be removed by air-pollution control devices.
C) heavy metals in the fly ash must be disposed of in a hazardous waste landfill.
D) the resulting ash takes up more space than the original waste.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 9

What factors should be considered to make an "ideal" sanitary landfill?

A) geology
B) proximity to nearby surface and ground water
C) proximity to population centers, but far enough to not be offensive
D) does not require high transportation costs to deliver solid waste
E) All of these statements are correct

Question 10

Which of the following acts contains provisions that attempt to reduce the amount of pollution at the point of origin, rather than mitigating the damage caused by the production and release of pollutants into the environment?

A) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
B) Superfund Act
C) Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
D) Clean Water Act
E) Pollution Prevention Act

Question 11

Every ton of recycled paper saves approximately:

A) 17 trees.
B) 7000 gal of water.
C) 4100 kilowatt-hours of energy.
D) 3 cubic yards of landfill space.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 12

Which of the following statements about landfills is FALSE?

A) Most sanitary landfills in operation today meet current standards for new landfills.
B) Landfills produce methane gas.
C) Landfills have the ability to contaminate surface water and groundwater.
D) Few new landfills are being opened to replace old ones.
E) All of these choices are true

Question 13

Organic waste can be converted into valuable soil conditioners through the process of:

A) composting.
B) osmosis.
C) dematerialization.
D) incineration.
E) reduction.

Question 14

Tires are a problem in sanitary landfills because they:

A) could be melted and reused for new tires instead.
B) degrade too quickly, leading to sinking within the landfill.
C) collect water and provide a good breeding place for mosquitoes.
D) represent the largest component of municipal solid waste.
E) All of these choices are correct

Question 15

Over half of the solid waste produced in the United States is disposed of:

A) by composting.
B) in sanitary landfills.
C) by incineration.
D) in open air dumps.
E) by recycling.

Question 16

The largest single component of municipal solid waste in the United States is:

A) food wastes.
B) glass.
C) paper products.
D) plastic.
E) yard waste.

Question 17

The three largest producers of solid waste in the United States are:

A) agriculture, industry, and municipal solid waste.
B) agriculture, industry, and mining.
C) industry, mining, and commercial office buildings.
D) industry, mining, and municipal solid waste.
E) agriculture, mining, and municipal solid waste.

Question 18

Which of the following should NOT be recycled?

A) personal computers
B) food scraps
C) televisions
D) cell phones
E) All of these items can be recycled

Question 19

Which of the following statements does NOT explain why there are fewer sanitary landfills today than 20 years ago?

A) Many landfills closed after they reached capacity.
B) Many landfills closed because they did not comply with environmental standards.
C) Fewer landfills are needed because newer landfills are generally much larger than in the past.
D) Fewer landfills are needed because less municipal solid waste is produced today than in the past.
E) Many desirable sites are already taken, and new sites are often opposed by local residents

Question 20

The materials in municipal solid waste that are best for incineration are:

A) food wastes, glass, and paper.
B) food wastes, paper, and rubber.
C) glass, plastics, and paper.
D) paper, plastics, and rubber.
E) yard wastes, rubber, and plastics.

Question 21

Which of the following forms of hazardous waste is incorrectly paired with its source?

A) PCBs - composting
B) nerve gas - old military installations
C) mercury - metal refining
D) CFCs - air conditioners and refrigerators
E) dioxins - combustion of chlorine compounds

Question 22

One reason that only a small percentage of plastic is recycled is that:

A) the supply of plastic waste is very limited.
B) few applications using recycled plastics have been developed.
C) it is more expensive to recycle plastics than to make the products from raw materials.
D) there is no legislative support for recycling plastic at the local, state, or federal level.
E) there are many different kinds of plastic found in consumer products.

Question 23

Integrated waste management refers to:

A) the principle of dilute and disperse.
B) national programs of source reduction.
C) proper disposal of household hazardous wastes.
D) waste management techniques that involve reusing, recycling, and reducing.
E) handling problems of household, industrial, and sewage wastes all together.

Question 24

Bioremediation:

A) is faster than conventional hazardous waste disposal methods.
B) is much less expensive than traditional hazardous waste disposal methods.
C) for toxic wastes has only been demonstrated in the laboratory.
D) involves the use of either microorganisms or plants to clean up a contaminated site.
E) is particularly effective in deep soil and groundwater applications.

Question 25

Green chemistry can play a significant role in waste management by:

A) converting radioactive waste into a less harmful byproduct.
B) fertilizing plants that can break down hazardous waste into harmless compounds.
C) making it more economical to recycle polyethylene terphthalate (PET) plastic.
D) reducing the amount of hazardous materials used in industrial processes.
E) all of these statements are correct

Question 26

Describe how modern sanitary landfills are located and designed to minimize the environmental impacts of solid waste.

Question 27

Which of the following statements about dioxins is CORRECT?

A) Humans are primarily exposed to dioxins through drinking water.
B) Dioxin pollution can be reduced if medical and municipal wastes are incinerated.
C) Dioxins are byproducts during the combustion of unleaded automobile fuel.
D) Dioxins are known to cause several kinds of cancer in laboratory animals, but data on humans are conflicting.
E) Human exposure to dioxins is mostly limited to people living in polar regions.

Question 28

When you want to bag groceries, should you request "paper or plastic?" Use information from this chapter to support your choice.

Question 29

Which of the following statements about recycling automobiles is FALSE?

A) Fluids are drained, recycled, or processed for disposal.
B) About 75% of the weight of the car can be reused for parts.
C) Recycling the scrap iron and steel actually produces more air pollution than using new materials.
D) Recycling plastic is difficult.
E) Catalytic converters are disassembled for the platinum and rhodium.

Question 30

The largest dioxin polluters in the United States are probably:

A) gas stations.
B) hospital waste incinerators.
C) nuclear power plants.
D) automobiles.
E) cigarettes.

Question 31

Who pays for the cleanup of toxic sites on the Superfund National Priorities List?

A) those who transported wastes to the site
B) those who dumped wastes on the site
C) prior owners of the site
D) current owners of the site
E) all of these choices are correct

Question 32

The most successful recycling program in the United States involves:

A) aluminum cans.
B) old computers.
C) glass.
D) old automobiles.
E) paper.

Question 33

Hazardous waste accounts for approximately what percent of the U.S. waste stream?

A) 1%
B) 10%
C) 25%
D) 50%
E) 75%

Question 34

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation is located along which U.S. river?

A) Colorado River, Arizona
B) Columbia River, Washington
C) Mississippi River, Louisiana
D) Ohio River, Ohio
E) Potomac River, Maryland

Question 35

Why are refillable glass beverage bottles rarely used in the United States today?

A) increased concerns about disease transmission
B) transportation costs of heavy bottles to and from centralized bottling plants
C) most consumers prefer to purchase disposable containers
D) legislation prohibits bottle reuse
E) all of these choices are correct

Question 36

In 1978, ________ became the first location ever declared a national emergency area because of hazardous waste.

A) Hanford, WA.
B) Times Beach, MO.
C) Love Canal, NY.
D) Three-Mile Island, PA.
E) Gary, IN.

Question 37

All of the following are major categories of hazardous waste EXCEPT:

A) acids.
B) sewage.
C) heavy metals.
D) organic solvents.
E) radioactive waste.

Question 38

Discuss two advantages and two problems associated with the incineration of solid waste.

Question 39

Which of the following statements about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation is TRUE?

A) Bioremediation has been effective in reducing radioactive pollutants.
B) The Hanford site is second only to Yucca Mountain, Nevada, in terms of contamination from radioactive waste.
C) The cleanup is being conducted under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy.
D) Once cleanup is completed, the site will be used for an extensive public park.
E) Once cleanup is completed, the Hanford site will remain hazardous for approximately 100 years.

Question 40

Incineration is a particularly effective method to destroy _______.

A) PCBs
B) dioxins
C) radioactive Wastes
D) coal ash
E) heavy metals

Question 41

What are PCBs? What is the risk that exposure to PCBs presents to human health? Identify methods for destroying these harmful chemicals.

Question 42

Identify the major provisions of the two pieces of federal legislation that deal with the management of hazardous waste. Comment on the success of these laws in dealing with the problems of hazardous waste.

Question 43

Describe the relative successes and/or limitations of paper, aluminum, and rubber tire recycling programs in the United States. What are the reasons behind these successes and/or limitations?

Question 44

Discuss the use of biological organisms to remove hazardous contaminants. Give specific examples of types of organisms that can be used and the contaminants they can clean up. Identify two advantages of using living organisms and two problems associated with using this method.

Question 45

Discuss some sources of dioxins and the health concerns associated with dioxin bioaccumulation.