Transcript Liggett Notes 4.2

Land, Water, and Air Resources
Chapter 4
4.2 Waste Disposal and Recycling
The Problem of Waste Disposal
• There are three methods of handling solid
waste. Burning Burying Recycling
• Each method has advantages and
disadvantages
Burning –Incineration <-vocab word
• ADVANTAGES
1. Incinerator buildings
take up less space than
landfills.
2. Do not pollute ground
water
3. The heat can be used
to generate power
• DISADVANTAGES
1. Possible air pollution
2. Some waste-ash still
goes into a landfill
3. They are expensive to
build
Burying – Landfills
• Dumping waste into the
ground has been the most
common method.
.
• Rainwater can soak into
the dumps and create. . .
.
. . . LEACHATE , a polluted
liquid produced when rain
water passes through
buried waste in a landfill.
page 123
Sanitary Landfill <-vocab word
• Holds waste more
safely.
picture page 124
Recycling
• Matter naturally cycles
(Remember water, carbon-oxygen, and nitrogen)
• Biodegradable is any
material that can be
broken down naturally by
bacteria and decomposers
• Nature can recycle many
things – biodegrade (rot)
<-vocab word
Non-biodegradable
• Many manufactured (man-made) items are not
biodegradable
• Metal
• Plastic
• Glass
• Paper(can biodegrade but is better to recycle)
What People Can do
Recycle materials.
To keep them out of the landfills.
Hazardous Waste
<-vocab word
Four main types, based on their impact on
people and the environment.
1.Toxic-poisons: Can harm all biotic organisms.
2.Explosive: React when exposed to air,
heat or are dropped
3.Flammable: catch fire easily
4.Corrosive: Easily dissolves many materials.
The end