Anoxic waste materials

In fact, even if this possibility will not be used due to political reasons, the anoxic geochemistry constitutes constitutes favourable conditions for the immobilization of toxic metals in large-volume waste materials. This is valid both with respect to environmental safety and economic considerations. Metal sulphides in particular have very low solubilities compared with those of the respective carbonate, phosphate and oxide compounds. For the extreme case of copper, there... 

At many sites, the subsurface environment will be anoxic or even anaerobic due to the activity of aerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria in the surface layers of the soil. It is therefore essential to take into consideration the extent to which anaerobic degradation may be expected to be significant. Reactions may take place under sulfidogenic or methanogenic conditions, and the occurrence of sulfate at sites containing building material waste and the metabolic versatility of sulfate-reducing bacteria makes them particularly attractive. 

The environmental degradation of lubricating oils is less easily demonstrated. One of the problems is the complex and varied nature of the used material. Materials other than hydrocarbons can inhibit or influence the rate of degradation, which is of greatest interest. Once released into the environment, there is a finite time before the waste lubricant is bound up in sediments or soils. Once there, due to the hydrophobic nature of the material, water is excluded and conditions are essentially anoxic. Anaerobic degradation of oils does not readily occur in nature - much to the relief of the oil exploration and refining industry. However, waste lubricant on the road or in soil or sediments is not locked in place in the same way as crude oil in rock formations. Heavy rain can wash surfaces, churn up river beds and release sediments, whilst the action of animals and plant can oxygenate soils. One means of... 

Gas emissions may be produced from hazardous waste disposal sites. In some cases, gases come directly from materials disposed of in the site. If biodegradable wastes are present, the anoxic biodegradation of biomass, represented by CH2O, may produce significant quantities of CO2, explosive CH4, and toxic H2S ... 

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