Solid Waste Management Flashcards

Which solid waste material poses a risk of puncture injury and is classified as a special waste requiring specific management?

Answer: Medical sharps (needles, lancets)

Medical sharps such as needles and lancets are classified as special wastes due to their risk of puncture injury and potential for disease transmission.

What environmental health concern is associated with open dumping of solid waste?

Answer: Vector breeding, groundwater contamination, and fire hazards

Open dumps create numerous environmental health hazards including vector breeding sites (rodents, insects), leachate contamination of groundwater, methane fire risks, and air pollution.

Under RCRA, what distinguishes hazardous waste from solid waste?

Answer: Hazardous waste poses a substantial threat to human health or the environment due to ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity

RCRA defines hazardous waste as solid waste that poses a substantial present or potential hazard due to its quantity, concentration, or characteristics of ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.

What is the purpose of a transfer station in a solid waste management system?

Answer: To consolidate waste from collection vehicles for more efficient long-distance transport to disposal facilities

Transfer stations receive waste from collection vehicles and consolidate it into larger transport vehicles, reducing transportation costs for long-distance hauls to landfills or processing facilities.

What is composting as a solid waste management strategy?

Answer: Biological decomposition of organic materials into a stable humus-like product

Composting is a controlled biological process that decomposes organic materials such as food scraps and yard waste into a stable, nutrient-rich product that can be used as a soil amendment.

Which regulatory requirement applies to small quantity generators (SQGs) of hazardous waste under RCRA?

Answer: They may accumulate hazardous waste on-site for up to 270 days without a storage permit

Small quantity generators that produce 100–1,000 kg/month of hazardous waste may accumulate waste on-site for up to 270 days without obtaining a RCRA storage facility permit.