Hazardous substances waste disposal

Production, Import/Export, Use, Release, and Disposal. Asbestos is widely used by humans in a variety of products, and exposures are likely from a number of sources. Extensive data are available on current production, import, and use of asbestos (U.S. Bureau of Mines 1992). Releases to the environment may occur either to air or to soil and water, with releases to air being of greatest health concern. Waste friable asbestos is regulated as a hazardous substance, so disposal is permitted only in authorized waste sites. Methods of handling friable asbestos are prescribed to minimize dust release. However, data are lacking on the amount of asbestos disposed in waste sites, and on the location and status of these sites. 

Uncontroited hazardous waste site means an area identified as an uncontrolled hazardous waste site by a governmental body, whether Federal, state, local or other where an accumulation of hazardous substances creates a threat to the health and safety of individuals or the environment or both. Some sites are found on public lands such as those created by former municipal, county or state landfills where illegal or poorly managed waste disposal has taken place. Other sites are found on private property, often belonging to generators or former generators of hazardous substance wastes. Examples of such sites include, but are not limited to, surface impoundments, landfills, dumps, and tank or drum farms. Normal operations at TSD sites are not covered by this definition. 

Clean Air Act and its amendments ia 1970, 1977, and 1990 1967 Air Quahty Standards and National Air Pollution Acts and 1970 National Environmental PoHcy Act) (2) better waste disposal practices (1965 SoHd Waste Disposal Act 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) (see Wastes, industrial Waste treatment, hazardous wastes) (i) reduced noise levels (1972 Noise Control Act) (4) improved control of the manufacture and use of toxic materials (1976 Toxic Substances Control Act) and (5) assignment of responsibiUty to manufacturers for product safety (1972 Consumer Product Safety Act) (15,16). 

Waste minimization generally considers all of the methods in the EPA hierarchy (except for disposal) appropriate to reduce the volume or quantity of waste requiring dispos (i.e., source reduction). The definition oi source reduction as applied in the Pollution Prevention Act, however, is any practice that reduces the amount of any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant entering any waste stream... 

Much of the current activity in the field of solid-waste management, especially with respect to hazardous wastes and resources recoveiy, is a direc t consequence of legislation. It is imperative to have a working knowledge of waste regulations, including RCRA (for EPA hazardous waste) TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) for PCBs and toxic waste Sohd Waste Disposal Act the Clean Air Ac t and PSD (prevention of... 

It should be noted that early remedial actions for contaminated soil consisted primarily of excavation and removal of the contaminated soil from the site and its disposal at a landfill. SARA strongly recommends on-site treatment that permanently and significantly reduces the volume, toxicity, or mobility of hazardous substances, and utilizes cost-effective permanent solutions. The legislation prohibits land disposal of hazardous wastes unless U.S. EPA determines otherwise (as in the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments, HSWA). 

Recycling and Disposal of Hazardous Solid Wastes Containing Heavy Metals and Other Toxic Substances... 

AND DISPOSAL OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC WASTES CONTAINING PARTICULARLY HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES... 

Stripping of electrical and electronic waste appliances must be carried out properly. During the processing of waste appliances (e.g., in shredders), it is essential to avoid that components highly contaminated with hazardous substances end up in fractions that are intended for recycling. It is furthermore necessary to ensure that the disposal of treatment residues (e.g., shredder residues) is not impeded by the presence of hazardous substances. As a rule, components containing particularly hazardous substances are to be removed manually. Future disposal processes, such as pyrolysis, may allow recycling of appliances without prior removal of hazardous substances, in which case it will be possible to do without the disassembly of hazardous components.411... 

The objectives for disposal of electronic waste appliances are (a) stripping of hazardous substances (b) reduction of pollutant and metal contents in the plastic fraction, thus permitting recycling or incineration in waste incineration plants or cement works (c) recovery of nonferrous metals and (d) attainment of commercially recyclable scrap quality. 

The requirements for proper disposal of electronic waste appliances are as follows (a) appliances may be broken up (shredded) only if the components containing particularly hazardous substances have previously been removed and (b) since in disposing of electronic appliances the main emphasis is on the recovery of nonferrous metals, nonstripped appliances must not be shredded together with scrap cars. As a rule, electronic appliances are dismantled manually to achieve effective separation of the components containing hazardous substances. 

The only requirement for a disposal of small electrical waste appliances is that appliances may be shredded only if the components containing particularly hazardous substances have previously been removed. In the case of small cordless electrical appliances, the greater part of the hazardous substances can be eliminated by a prior removal of batteries and accumulators. 

The objectives sought to be achieved through disposal of refrigeration and air conditioning waste appliances are (a) separate disposal of the CFCs from the circulation system and the insulating material (b) further stripping of hazardous substances (e.g., mercury switches) and (c) recovery of ferrous metals, the priority in metal recycling. 

Stripping of hazardous substances Mercury switches and other components containing particularly hazardous substances must be removed CFCs are recovered from the cooling circuit and PU foam with special equipment and appliances with varying degrees of automation ammonia is dissolved in water and separate disposal of waste oil (from compressors). 

Especially in the case of solid substances, waste management is responsible for the clean-up of the technosphere, i.e. collection and disposal of the chemical in question. With respect to hazardous compounds in used goods, tools have been developed to phase out these goods for special recycling procedures or safe disposal. 

The concentrations of hazardous substances in waste are often limited with respect to different disposal methods. This could also be discussed for valuable resources to avoid mixing up of products containing the resource with other waste items. If this dilution cannot be avoided, disposal in landfills or reuse as part of construction material will lead to non-retrievable losses. 

China, in addition to ratifying the Basel Convention, has a 2002 law banning hazardous waste imports. In 2005, the Management Measure for the Prevention of Pollution from Electronic Products became effective. It has been referred to as China s RoHS, specifying limits on materials similar to the EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. A new waste disposal law enacted in 2009, Regulations for the Administration of the Recovery and Disposal of Electric and... 

Convention on Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal and 69 ratified the ban on all kinds of hazardous waste export from wealthy OECD-countries to non-OECD countries, large amounts of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) are shipped overseas for recycling, the majority to China as reported by Brigden et al. [2] and Puckett et al. [3], lesser quantities to India and Western Africa reported by Kuper and Hojsik [4]. WEEE contains a variety of harmful substances like endocrine disruptors and persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Additionally, hazardous substances may be formed during informal recycling. This often practised informal treatment without proper equipment for metal extraction and labour safety heavily affects the environment and human health of workers and the inhabitants of whole stretches of land. 

Because acrylonitrile is listed as a hazardous substance, disposal of waste acrylonitrile is controlled by number of federal regulations (see Chapter 7). Rotary kiln, fluidized bed and liquid injection incineration are acceptable methods of acrylonitrile disposal (HSDB 1988). Underground injection is another disposal method. The most recent quantitative information on amount of acrylonitrile disposed in waste sites is for 1987. Emissions were 0.9 metric tons in surface water, 152 metric tons disposed through Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), 92 metric tons disposed of on land 1,912 metric tons by underground injection (TR11988). Because acrylonitrile is relatively volatile and is also readily soluble in water, release to the environment from waste sites is of concern. 

Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) An individual or company identified by EPA as potentially liable under CERCLA for cleanup costs at a hazardous waste site. PRPs may include generators of hazardous substances, present or former owners of hazardous substances that have been disposed, site property owners, and transporters of hazardous materials to the site. 

Because endrin and endrin aldehyde are listed as hazardous substances, disposal of wastes containing these compounds is controlled by a number of federal regulations (see Chapter 7). Land disposal restrictions apply to wastes containing endrin or endrin aldehyde (EPA 1986d, 1987b). Chemical treatment (reductive dechlorination) or incineration are possible disposal methods (HSDB 1995 IRPTC 1985). Past disposal... 

CERCLA, or Superfund, was enacted in 1980, and amended in 1986, for the basic purpose of providing funding and enforcement authority to clean up any site where there is a past unremedied release of a hazardous substance or hazardous substance spill. Such sites are typically characterized as areas where hazardous waste or materials have been disposed of improperly, with litde if any responsible action being taken to mitigate the situation. Standards for financial responsibility were promulgated by the SARA of 1986 which further amended Section 9003 of RCRA and mandated that the EPA establish financial responsibility requirements for UST owners and operators to guarantee cost recovery for corrective action and third-party liability caused by accidental releases of USTs containing petroleum products. 

Because bromomethane is a gas above 3.6 °C (38 °F), most disposal is by release to the atmosphere (see Section 5.2.1). Disposal of liquid or solid wastes that contain bromomethane is regulated by federal restrictions which apply to hazardous substances (see Chapter 7). 

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) addresses closed hazardous waste disposal sites that may release hazardous substances into any environmental medium. Title 111 of SARA also requires regular review of emergency systems for monitoring, detecting, and preventing releases of extremely hazardous substances at facilities that produce, use, or store such substances. 

All point source and nonpoint source wastewaters at an industrial site must be properly managed for source separation, waste minimization, volume reduction, collection, pretreatment, and/or complete end-of-pipe treatment [39,47]. When industrial waste is not disposed of properly, hazardous substances may contaminate a nearby surface water (river, lake, sea, or ocean) and/or groundwater. Any hazardous substance release, either intentionally or unintentionally, increases the risk of water supply contamination and human disease. Major waterborne contaminants and their health effects are listed below. 

Incineration has been used extensively in hospitals for disposal of hospital wastes containing infectious and/or hazardous substances. Most hospital incinerators (over 80%), however, are outdated or poorly designed. Modem incineration technology, however, is available for complete destmction of organic hazardous and infectious wastes. In addition, adequate air pollution control facilities, such as scmbbers, secondary combustion chambers, stacks, and so on, are needed to prevent acid gas, dioxin, and metals from being discharged from the incinerators. 

Secondary wastes are generated from the collection, treatment, incineration, or disposal of hazardous wastes, such as sludges, sediments, effluents, leachates, and air emissions. These secondary wastes may also contain hazardous substances and must be treated or disposed of properly to prevent secondary pollution of underground water, surface water, soil, or air. 

One difference between these systems and the biological treatment of nonhazardous wastewater is that the exhaust air may contain volatile hazardous substances or intermediate biodegradation products. Therefore, the air must be treated as secondary hazardous wastes by physical, chemical, physico-chemical, or biological methods. Other secondary hazardous wastes may include the biomass of microorganisms that may accumulate volatile hazardous substances or intermediate products of their biodegradation. This hazardous liquid or semisolid waste must be properly treated, incinerated, or disposed. 

The general public and the local neighbors who might be exposed to hazardous substances that come over the plant fences in the air as vapors and aerosols, spilled on the ground in traffic accidents, discharged into the water supply, and disposed of as solid wastes. The environment represents a collection of concerns... 

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