ozone
colorless and highly reactive gas and a major component of photochemical smog. also found in the ozone layer in the stratosphere.
ozone layer (shields)
layer of gaseous ozone (O3) in the stratosphere that protects life on earth by filtering out most harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun
ozone depletion
decrease in concentration of ozone (O3) in the stratosphere.
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
organic compounds made up of atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine.
Dobson unit
Used to measure the concentration of the ozone.
UVA
Longest of three wavelengths of solar radiation. Is no effected by ozone. Gets to earth and can damage living cells but not extremely dangerous to humans.
UVB
Burning rays; cause Tanning and burning; penetrates thru Epidermis
UVC
Of 3 UV rays, has the shortest wavelength but is very energetic. Is completely absorbed by ozone so none get to earth. Also breaks apart O2 molecules
Montreal Protocol
(1987) phase-out of ozone depleting substances
hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
HCFCs; contain an atom of hydrogen in place of one chlorine atom; can be broken down in the lower atmosphere but still causes ozone depletion if they do reach the stratosphere before being broken down
polar vortex
arctic air masses that in the winter become isolated from the rest of the atmosphere and circulate about the pole; the vortex rotates counterclockwise because of the rotation of the Earth in the Southern Hemisphere
Rowland & Molina
1974, determine that CFCs destroy stratospheric (good) ozone, eventually led to Montreal Protocol
integrated waste management
an integrated approach to waste management that incorporates a combination of practices to safely and effectively handle municipal solid waste. These practices include source reduction, recycling, composting, waste combustion, and landfilling.
reduce
To decrease the amount of products purchased or produced with the intent of minimizing waste.
reuse
The amount of building materials returned to active use (in the same or related capacity as their original use), expressed as a percentage of the total materials cost of a building. The salvaged materials are incorporated into the new building, thereby ex
recycle
The process of making new products from materials that were used in another product.
brownfield
a property which has the presence or potential to be a hazardous waste, pollutant or contaminant i.e. former: gas stations, dry cleaners
composting
The controlled biological decomposition of organic solid waste such as food scraps and yard trimmings. Through composting, organic waste materials are transformed into soil conditioners such as humus or mulch.
incineration
Advantages-volume of waste reduced by 90% and waste heat can be used. Disadvantages-toxic emissions (polyvinyl chloride, dioxin), scrubbers and electrostatic precipitators needed, ash disposal.
toxic waste
hazardous waste causing danger from chemicals and infectious organisms
sanitary landfill
A place to deposit solid waste, where a layer of earth is bulldozed over garbage each day to reduce emissions of gases and odors from the decaying trash, to minimize fires, and to discourage vermin.
leachate
polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill
open dump
unregulated disposal area
ocean disposal
The dumping of waste into the ocean, uses the solution of dillution
deep-well injection
Waste pumped deep into the ground,where they are absorbed into a dry layer of rock below the level.
municipal waste
the waste materials produced in homes, businesses, schools, and other places in a community
phytoremediation
A method employed to clean up a hazardous waste site that uses plants to absorb and accumulate toxic materials
dioxins
A family of toxic chemical compounds formed when polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are heated or burned. Dioxins are also formed as by-products in the process of chlorinating phenols, which are used in producing herbicides.
hazardous waste
Any material that can be harmful to human health or the environment if it is not properly disposed of
radioactive waste
Particles from a nuclear reaction that emit radiation; contact with such particles may be harmful or lethal to people and must therefore be safely stored for thousands of years.
PCBs
(Polychlorinated biphenyls) are synthetic chemicals widely used from the 1930s to the 1970s in industrial products such as heat exchange fluids, paints, plastics, and lubricants
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
respecting pollution prevention and the protection of the environment and human health in order to contribute to sustainable development.
CERCLA (the Superfund Act)
An act that gave EPA the authority to clean up abandoned, leaky hazardous waste sites.
RCRA
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Enacted in 1976 to give EPA "Cradle to Grave" authority on hazardous waste.
Love Canal
A neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, which became the subject of national and international attention, controversy, and eventual environmental notoriety following the discovery of 21,000 tons of toxic waste buried beneath the neighborhood.
secure iandfill
A site for the disposal of solid waste in which refuse is buried between layers of dirt so as to fill in or reclaim low-lying ground.
bioremediation
The use of living organisms to detoxify and restore polluted and degraded ecosystems
mineral resources
Resources from which metals are obtained
acid mine drainage
Pollution caused when sulfuric acid and dangerous dissolved materials such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium wash from coal and metal mines into nearby lakes and streams.
ore deposits
Earth materials in which metals are concentrated in high concentrations, sufficient to be mined
surface mining
cheaper and can remove more minerals; less hazardous to workers
subsurface mining
The extraction of mineral and energy resources from deep underground deposits.
strip mining
A process whereby miners strip away at the surface of the earth to lay bare the mineral deposits
open pit mining
Removing minerals such as gravel, sand, and metal ores by digging them out of the earth's surface and leaving an open pit.
solution mining
Hot water is pumped down a drill hole and minerals are dissolved and pumped out.
tailings
Rock and other waste materials removed as impurities when waste mineral material is separated from the metal in an ore.
The Mining Law of 1872
Regulate the mining of silver, copper, and gold ore as well as fuels, including natural gas and oil, on federal land (General Mining Act)
smelting
The process by which ore is melted to separate the useful metal from other elements.
lithosphere
A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.
overburden
The surface soil that must be moved away to get at coal seams and mineral deposits
dredging
Type of surface mining in which chain buckets and draglines scrape up sand, gravel, and other surface deposits covered with water. It is also used to remove sediment from streams and harbors to maintain shipping channels.
bauxite
An ore of aluminium, more common than cryolite but cannot be used in the electrolysis cell due to its high melting point.
quarries
places where stone is dug, cut, or blasted out for use in putting up buildings
iron pyrtie
an iron sulfide with the chemical formula FeS2
Reclamation
The act of making something useful again
1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
established a program for regulating surface coal mining and reclamation activities; established mandatory standards for these activities on state and federal lands, including a requirement that adverse impacts on fish, wildlife, and related environmental