Essay Hazardous Waste

Words: 2142
Pages: 9
Open Document
The Problem Household hazardous waste along with E-waste is not only becoming an enormous problem locally in developed nations but also a major issue on a global scale. “A hazardous waste is a waste that exhibits a hazardous characteristic or is a listed waste. There are four criteria that define a characteristic hazardous waste. They are: 1. Ignitability, 2. Corrosivity, 3. Reactivity, 4. Toxicity.” These materials can be flammable, reactive, or unstable enough to release toxic fumes into the atmosphere. They are capable of corroding metal containers such as tanks, barrels, and drums. Currently, the Environmental Protection Agency has over 500 items designated as hazardous waste. Examples of household hazardous waste …show more content…
5 Some of the toxins that are found in E-waste are Barium, lead, lithium, Mercury, Nickel, Palladium, Rhodium, Cadmium and Silver. When E-waste ends up in our landfills, these toxins can leach into ground water and cause serious health issues such as, birth defects, brain damage, and kidney damage, among many other serious health problems.6 Computers are just one of the many items that after being scavenged here for the most lucrative parts are then sent to developing countries where the remaining parts are scavenged by workers there who earn less than 17 cents per day. 7 The major cause of computers being discarded is they become obsolete. Every year an estimated 400 million electronic units are being scrapped, and by the year 2010 that figure will rise to three billion units.8 A recent example of this is the release of Microsoft Vista. A study by Softchoice Corp. states that fifty percent of the business PC’s do not meet the minimum requirements for Vista, and ninety-four percent do not meet system requirements for Vista Premium. Even though this can be resolved by upgrading the RAM in the computer, most businesses will choose to simply discard the computers.9 Another problem we are having globally with hazardous waste is Shipbreaking. Shipbreaking is the process of dismantling obsolete vessel structures for scrapping or disposal.10 This is primarily done in developing nations such and India and Bangladesh because their
Show More

Related Documents: Essay Hazardous Waste

Waste: Recycling and Hazardous Waste Material Essay

While most would say it takes too much time and effort to dispose of hazardous material. Rather than properly dispose the hazardous material one would go as far as placing the harmful waste in the garbage can for the sanitation workers to pick up once a week. Most people are not familiar with the proper disposal of hazardous waste. One would think just pouring your expired medicine down the drain and turning on the garbage disposal is one way. In fact, that is the most dangerous way to…

Words 519 - Pages 3

Household Hazardous Waste Case Study

theorizes the Waste disposal issues that include: leftover food disposal, biodegradable, non-biodegradable and recyclable material, and the disposal prevention of vectors, infections and bacterial contamination. Among the different waste disposal factors, the prevention of vectors, infection and bacteria contaminated by the vectors, the harbor of bacterial and the transfer of poisonous chemical or injuring from a foreign object is our main research. Thus, household hazardous waste that was directly…

Words 734 - Pages 3

Cola: Hazardous Waste and Rokicki Professor Place Essay

Greg Rokicki Professor Place IT 150 02 – Info Tech for Bus 29 Nov. 2011 Electronic Waste In today’s technological based society cell phones, computers, iPods, televisions, and cameras are essential in everyday life. Whether you use it for work, play, or convenience there is no escape form technology in today’s day and age. The production of electric and electronic equipment is a fast-growing industry. While having many economic benefits that come along with the sales of all of this new technology…

Words 678 - Pages 3

MGT 401 Week 1 Quiz Essay examples

1.Question : Hazardous materials can be released intentionally in criminal acts or acts of terrorism. 2.Question : The fourth level of emergency response personnel in the HAZWOPER regulation whose training may also include the handling of specific materials and interaction with outside agencies is the ____. 3.Question : The law that began the process of regulating the handling of hazardous waste and defines what is a hazardous waste and outlines the programs…

Words 566 - Pages 3

Essay on 18 Withgott 2ce Tif

Ed. (Withgott) Chapter 18 Managing Our Waste 18.1 Graph and Figure Interpretation Questions Figure 18.1 Discarded electronic waste can leach heavy metals including lead. The light-coloured bar shows the percentage of electronic devices leaching. The U.S. EPA's regulatory threshold for lead leachate is 5 mg/L. The graph shows the percentage of devices that exceed the threshold, as well as the average concentration of lead leachate from each waste category. Use Figure 18.1 to answer the following…

Words 6100 - Pages 25

Business Sustainability Assessment Worksheet: California R & D

such as products, byproducts, wastes, or pollutants. Describe the process used at each stage and identify the least sustainable…

Words 1286 - Pages 6

The Digital Economy And The Evolution Of Waste Electronic Equipment In European Union

The Digital Economy and the Evolution of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment in European Union Introduction and Background Electrical and Electronic products have become a must part of today’s life. Modern life seems impossible without these products. These products are used in almost all areas such as education, food, military, security, medical science, media and communication, construction, manufacturing and culture. Some examples of domestic devices are refrigerators, televisions, mobile…

Words 2083 - Pages 9

Value Stream Mapping Essay example

environmental performance. Conventional value stream mapping can overlook environmental wastes, such as: • • • Energy, water, or raw materials used in…

Words 1833 - Pages 8

Essay on Superfund Gneral Knewledge

consequences. One of the major results of the industrial revolution was the amount of waste that it produced. Because such a large problem arose, different tactics were adopted, to confront waste and their disposal processes. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) also known as the Superfund act would be the outcome of many issues surrounding the proper disposal of waste nationally. One of the most famous superfund sites is the love canal. Love Canal…

Words 879 - Pages 4

Recycling and Data Protection Essay

Workplace Legislation In this report I will be explaining about Workplace Legislation information, covering topics such as Equal Opportunities, Data Protection, Health & Safety and Environmental Issues. I will include my findings from research, a conclusion and Finally covering my information Sources. Equal Opportunities What is meant by diversity and why it should be valued? During my findings I discovered that Diversity can be defined as differences in heritage, race, beliefs,…

Words 5297 - Pages 22