“Waste stream” is a term describing

Multiple Choice

the steady production of all waste products that humans produce.

the process of eliminating domestic and commercial waste.

the production of solid waste, specifically.

the intermittent production of particular wastes.

the production of liquid waste, specifically.

 

In the United States about two-thirds of a ton of waste is generated for each person (including children). Compared to the United States, Japan and Europe generate about half that amount. Which of these factors does not contribute to this difference?

Multiple Choice

The United States collection and dumping processes mix and crush everything together so separation is not possible.

Japan is an island with limited space.

There is a high rate of recycling by people in Japan and Europe.

People in the United States have a higher standard of living than Japan and Europe.

 

In recent decades, unregulated open dumps have ____________ in developing countries.

Multiple Choice

nearly disappeared

mostly become regulated

remained the primary disposal method

been replaced by incineration and methane generation

been replaced by sanitary landfills

 

Landfills differ from open dumps in that

Multiple Choice

landfills are smaller.

landfills charge less for disposal

landfilled waste is compacted and covered.

landfills are cheaper to operate.

landfills and dumps are the same thing.

 

In the case of sanitary landfills, the cost of disposing of wastes is _____ as technology provides safer alternatives.

Multiple Choice

slowly increasing

slowly decreasing

staying relatively stable

sharply increasing

sharply decreasing

 

The main method for disposing of municipal wastes in the United States is ___________ while _____ is the main method in Japan.

Multiple Choice

incineration; recycling

recycling; landfilling

landfilling; recycling

landfilling; incineration

recycling; incineration

 

The major disadvantage of incinerating waste is

Multiple Choice

it costs more than landfilling.

it produces significant air pollution.

it cannot be done without first sorting the wastes.

both it costs more than landfilling and it produces significant air pollution are correct.

both it costs more than landfilling and it cannot be done without first sorting the wastes are correct.

Prior to 1992, many US cities disposed of refuse and sewage in the ocean. What stopped this practice?

Multiple Choice

economic infeasability

ethical considerations

federal regulations

state regulations

 

Rank the following ‘Rs’ for waste management from 1(more beneficial) – 3(less beneficial).

Rank the options below.

RecycleRecycle open choices for ranking

No answer

ReduceReduce open choices for ranking

No answer

Reuse

 

Recycling, in terms of solid waste management, means

Multiple Choice

reusing materials.

melting or shredding to make new products.

keeping intact but putting to a new use.

using less of the material in production of a product.

 

Urban curbside recycling costs cities

Multiple Choice

a great deal, but citizens approve the expense anyway.

nothing at all because the materials pay for expenses.

more than any other disposal method.

far less than landfilling or incinerating.

nothing, in fact, all cities make money with recycling.

Using the heat from a trash incinerator to power nearby facilities is a process known as

Multiple Choice

energy recovery.

recycling.

massburn.

composting.

 

Recycling aluminum is most important for

Multiple Choice

saving raw materials (the ore).

saving energy.

saving landfill space.

reducing pollutants in the air and water.

All of these are correct.

 

Composting is a waste disposal method that

Multiple Choice

is useful only for single households.

is technologically complex.

vastly reduces total waste volumes.

is more environmentally costly than landfilling.

is not realistic for college students.

 

Which of the following actions would be unlikely to encourage efficiency and recycling programs?

Multiple Choice

discontinue energy and water subsidies to industries processing raw materials

discontinue subsidies favoring the extraction of raw materials

consumers asking for and buying products made from recycled products

charging a surcharge on materials when purchased that is redeemable when the consumer recycles the product

lowering the prices recycling centers pay consumers for their recyclables

 

Which of the following statements about methane is FALSE ?

Multiple Choice

can be created from sewage and manures

degrades the ozone layer

is a greenhouse gas

is the main component of natural gas

 

E-waste is a bigger problem in

Multiple Choice

developing countries.

developed countries.

the United States.

Europe.

Central America.

 

Individual efforts to reduce the volume of the waste stream

Multiple Choice

have enormous cumulative effects.

are fairly useful because it demonstrates to corporations that we care.

have some effects, but we need to target industries to reduce their waste stream instead.

have little effect but make people feel better.

matter very little.

 

 

The most often overlooked of the “three Rs” is

Multiple Choice

recycle.

reuse.

release.

redefine.

reduce.

 

All of the following are examples of how to process or permanently store the hazardous waste we generate, except

 

Multiple Choice

 

incineration.

 

 

brownfield sites.

 

 

chemical processing.

 

 

permanent retrievable storage.

 

 

secure landfills.

 

CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) legislation

Multiple Choice

established the National Priority List.

requires the testing of the toxicity of substances.

requires brownfields to be developed.

requires the EPA to clean up toxic waste sites.

 

The National Priority List is a list of sites that

Multiple Choice

we currently have money to deal with.

deserve research for possible cleanup.

will probably never be cleaned up.

seriously require cleanup to prevent further environmental and health damage.

are especially vulnerable to hazardous wastes (e.g., aquifer recharge zones) and are not available for future building permits.

 

Hazardous waste is anything that

Multiple Choice

causes human health threats.

severely contaminates the environment.

is toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, corrosive, or explosive.

has the potential of causing health problems.

All of these are correct.

 

The questions of ____ and _________ are among the biggest problems in cleaning up hazardous waste sites.

Multiple Choice

liability; degree of purity required

appropriate technology; location

appropriate technology; liability

degree of purity required; appropriate technology

location; cost

Secure landfills are those that

Top of Form

Multiple Choice

· have no groundwater below them.

· accept no toxic substances.

· are built like a bathtub with a lid.

· are sealed entirely with durable plastic.

· are sealed entirely with concrete.

Bottom of Form

 

Illegal dumping and storage of hazardous waste

Multiple Choice

continues to threaten public health.

has completely stopped since the Superfund Act.

has not stopped completely but is rare.

has become a problem mainly since the Superfund Act.

will always be present because people are not concerned about toxic wastes.

 

Brownfields are

Multiple Choice

landfills that have been converted to farmland.

contaminated areas in cities that have to be abandoned.

facilities that use plants to convert hazardous wastes to less harmful substances.

farmland that has been made useless because of improper disposal of toxic waste.

abandoned land in cities that are put to use for community gardens or other green space.

 

 

This process involves using plants to absorb and accumulate toxic material. Once contaminants are absorbed into plants, the plants themselves are usually toxic and must be landfilled. The cost of this process can be less than half the cost of landfilling or treating toxic soil.

 

Multiple Choice

 

detoxification

 

 

phytoremediation

 

 

composting

 

 

bioremediation

 

 

fertilizing

 

Hazardous substances ______________ while toxins are ______________.

Multiple Choice

react with specific cell components to kill cells; poisonous substances

are dangerous substances; poisonous substances

are usually of concern at all concentrations; dangerous substances

are dangerous only at high concentrations; dangerous only at low concentrations

 

Describe either a) the properties or b) the types of materials that can be composted. (1 point)

 

How does biogas fit into the overall goal of reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills?  (1 point)

 

Describe two of the biggest challenges that are preventing more recycling in the US. (2 points)

 

 

What are the two primary methods for dealing with hazardous waste? (1 point)