Hazardous waste
Encyclopedia
A hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. According to the U.S. environmental laws (see Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
) hazardous wastes fall into two major categories: characteristic wastes and listed wastes.
Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known or tested to exhibit a hazardous trait such as:
Listed hazardous waste are materials specifically listed by regulatory authorities as a hazardous waste.
Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. For example, dry cleaners
, automobile
repair shops, hospitals, exterminators
, and photo processing centers all generate hazardous waste. Some hazardous waste generators are larger companies such as chemical manufacturers, electroplating
companies, and oil refineries
.
These wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. Furthermore, a hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be available.
(R.C.R.A.) which was enacted in 1976. The primary contribution of R.C.R.A. was to create a "cradle to grave" system of record keeping for hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes must be tracked from the time they are generated until their final disposition.
RCRA's record keeping system helps to track the life cycle of hazardous waste and reduces the amount of hazardous waste illegally disposed.
" and provided for the clean-up and remediation of closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites.
. Generators of and transporters of hazardous waste must meet specific requirements for handling, managing, and tracking waste. Through the RCRA, Congress directed the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to create regulations to manage hazardous waste. Under this mandate, the EPA developed strict requirements for all aspects of hazardous waste management including the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. In addition to these federal requirements, states may develop more stringent requirements that are broader in scope than the federal regulations.
In the United States, hazardous wastes generated by commercial or industrial activities may be classified as "listed" hazardous wastes or "characteristic" hazardous wastes by the EPA.
In regulatory terms, a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste is a waste that is either a "characteristic waste" or a "listed waste":
Individual states may regulate particular wastes more stringently than mandated by federal regulation. This is because the U.S. EPA is authorized to delegate primary rule-making authorization to individual states. Most states take advantage of this authority, implementing their own hazardous waste programs that are at least as stringent as the federal program.
Some of the most common "universal wastes" are: fluorescent light bulbs, some specialty batteries
(e.g. lithium or lead containing batteries), cathode ray tube
s, and mercury-containing devices.
Also, in worldwide, The United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP) estimated that more than 400 million tons of hazardous wastes are produced universally each year, mostly by industrialized countries (schmit, 1999). About 1- percent of this total is shipped across international boundaries, with the majority of the transfers occurring between countries in the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) (Krueger, 1999). In a country like the United States, some undefined portion of the total is shipped legally or illegally to underdeveloped countries. Some of the reasons for industrialized countries to ship the hazardous waste to industrializing countries for disposal are the rising cost of disposing hazardous waste in the home country.
Universal wastes are subject to somewhat less stringent regulatory requirements and small quantity generators of universal wastes may be classified as "conditionally exempt small quantity generators" (CESQGs) which releases them from some of the regulatory requirements for the handling and storage hazardous wastes.
Universal wastes must still be disposed of properly. (For more information, see Fact Sheet: Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator)
The following list includes categories often applied to HHW. It is important to note that many of these categories overlap and that many household wastes can fall into multiple categories:
that is neutralized with a basic substance so that it is no-longer corrosive. (see acid-base reactions.)Another mean to neutralize some of the waste is pH adjustment. pH is an important factor on the leaching activity of the hazardous waste. By adjusting the pH of some toxic materials, we are reducing the leaching ability of the waste.
burn HWs like used oils or solvents. Today incineration treatments not only reduce the amount of hazardous waste, but also they also generate energy throughout the gases released in the process. It is known that this particular waste treatment releases toxic gases produced by the combustion of byproduct or other materials and this can affect the environment. However, current technology has developed more efficient incinerator units that control these emissions to a point that this treatment is considered a more beneficial option. There are different types of incinerators and they vary depending on the characteristics of the waste. Starved air incineration is another method used to treat hazardous wastes. Just like in common incineration, burning occurs, however controlling the amount of oxygen allowed proves to be significant to reduce the amount of harmful byproducts produced. Starved Air Incineration is an improvement of the traditional incinerators in terms of air pollution. Using this technology it is possible to control the combustion rate of the waste and therefore reduce the air pollutants produce in the process.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act , enacted in 1976, is the principal Federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste.-History and Goals:...
) hazardous wastes fall into two major categories: characteristic wastes and listed wastes.
Characteristic hazardous wastes are materials that are known or tested to exhibit a hazardous trait such as:
- ignitability (i.e., flammable)
- reactivityReactiveReactive may refer to:*Generally, capable of having a reaction*Reactance , the imaginary component of AC impedance*Reactive mind*Reactive programming...
- corrosivityCorrosiveA corrosive substance is one that will destroy or irreversibly damage another surface or substance with which it comes into contact. The main hazards to people include damage to the eyes, the skin, and the tissue under the skin; inhalation or ingestion of a corrosive substance can damage the...
- toxicity
Listed hazardous waste are materials specifically listed by regulatory authorities as a hazardous waste.
Many types of businesses generate hazardous waste. For example, dry cleaners
Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene , abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public...
, automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
repair shops, hospitals, exterminators
Pest (animal)
A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...
, and photo processing centers all generate hazardous waste. Some hazardous waste generators are larger companies such as chemical manufacturers, electroplating
Electroplating
Electroplating is a plating process in which metal ions in a solution are moved by an electric field to coat an electrode. The process uses electrical current to reduce cations of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive object with a thin layer of the material, such as a metal...
companies, and oil refineries
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
.
These wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. Furthermore, a hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be available.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Modern hazardous waste regulations in the U.S. began with the Resource Conservation and Recovery ActResource Conservation and Recovery Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act , enacted in 1976, is the principal Federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste.-History and Goals:...
(R.C.R.A.) which was enacted in 1976. The primary contribution of R.C.R.A. was to create a "cradle to grave" system of record keeping for hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes must be tracked from the time they are generated until their final disposition.
RCRA's record keeping system helps to track the life cycle of hazardous waste and reduces the amount of hazardous waste illegally disposed.
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), was enacted in 1980. The primary contribution of CERCLA was to create a "SuperfundSuperfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
" and provided for the clean-up and remediation of closed and abandoned hazardous waste sites.
Hazardous wastes in the United States
A U.S. facility that treats, stores or disposes of hazardous waste must obtain a permit for doing so under the Resource Conservation and Recovery ActResource Conservation and Recovery Act
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act , enacted in 1976, is the principal Federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste.-History and Goals:...
. Generators of and transporters of hazardous waste must meet specific requirements for handling, managing, and tracking waste. Through the RCRA, Congress directed the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) to create regulations to manage hazardous waste. Under this mandate, the EPA developed strict requirements for all aspects of hazardous waste management including the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. In addition to these federal requirements, states may develop more stringent requirements that are broader in scope than the federal regulations.
In the United States, hazardous wastes generated by commercial or industrial activities may be classified as "listed" hazardous wastes or "characteristic" hazardous wastes by the EPA.
In regulatory terms, a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste is a waste that is either a "characteristic waste" or a "listed waste":
- Characteristic Waste - exhibits at least one of the four "characteristics" of hazardous waste (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity)
- Listed Waste - appears on one of the four hazardous wastes lists (F-list, K-list, P-list, or U-list)
Individual states may regulate particular wastes more stringently than mandated by federal regulation. This is because the U.S. EPA is authorized to delegate primary rule-making authorization to individual states. Most states take advantage of this authority, implementing their own hazardous waste programs that are at least as stringent as the federal program.
Hazardous Waste Mapping Systems
The US government provides several tools for mapping hazardous wastes to particular locations. These tools also allow the user to view additional information.- TOXMAPTOXMAPTOXMAP is a geographic information system from the United States National Library of Medicine that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory and Superfund programs...
is a Geographic Information System (GIS) from the Division of Specialized Information Services http://sis.nlm.nih.gov of the United States National Library of MedicineUnited States National Library of MedicineThe United States National Library of Medicine , operated by the United States federal government, is the world's largest medical library. Located in Bethesda, Maryland, the NLM is a division of the National Institutes of Health...
(NLM) that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection AgencyUnited States Environmental Protection AgencyThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
's (EPA) Toxics Release InventoryToxics Release InventoryThe Toxics Release Inventory is a publicly available database containing information on toxic chemical releases and other waste management activities in the United States.-Summary of requirements:...
and Superfund Basic Research ProgramSuperfund Basic Research ProgramThe Superfund Research Program was created within the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 1986 under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act...
s. TOXMAP is a resource funded by the US Federal Government. TOXMAP's chemical and environmental health information is taken from NLM's Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET) http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov and PubMedPubMedPubMed is a free database accessing primarily the MEDLINE database of references and abstracts on life sciences and biomedical topics. The United States National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health maintains the database as part of the Entrez information retrieval system...
, and from other authoritative sources.
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "Where You Live" http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/where.htm allows users to select a region from a map to find information about SuperfundSuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
sites in that region.
Universal wastes
Universal wastes are hazardous wastes that (in the U.S.):- generally pose a lower threat relative to other hazardous wastes
- are ubiquitous and produced in very large quantities by a large number of generators.
Some of the most common "universal wastes" are: fluorescent light bulbs, some specialty batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
(e.g. lithium or lead containing batteries), cathode ray tube
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
s, and mercury-containing devices.
Also, in worldwide, The United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP) estimated that more than 400 million tons of hazardous wastes are produced universally each year, mostly by industrialized countries (schmit, 1999). About 1- percent of this total is shipped across international boundaries, with the majority of the transfers occurring between countries in the Organization for the Economic Cooperation and Development(OECD) (Krueger, 1999). In a country like the United States, some undefined portion of the total is shipped legally or illegally to underdeveloped countries. Some of the reasons for industrialized countries to ship the hazardous waste to industrializing countries for disposal are the rising cost of disposing hazardous waste in the home country.
Universal wastes are subject to somewhat less stringent regulatory requirements and small quantity generators of universal wastes may be classified as "conditionally exempt small quantity generators" (CESQGs) which releases them from some of the regulatory requirements for the handling and storage hazardous wastes.
Universal wastes must still be disposed of properly. (For more information, see Fact Sheet: Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator)
Household Hazardous Waste
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (also referred to as domestic hazardous waste) is waste that is generated from residential households. HHW only applies to wastes that are the result of the use of materials that are labeled for and sold for "home use".The following list includes categories often applied to HHW. It is important to note that many of these categories overlap and that many household wastes can fall into multiple categories:
- PaintPaintPaint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...
s and solventSolventA solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
s - Automotive wastes (used motor oilMotor oilMotor oil or engine oil is an oil used for lubrication of various internal combustion engines. The main function is to lubricate moving parts; it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from moving parts.Motor oils are derived from...
, antifreezeAntifreezeAntifreeze is a freeze preventive used in internal combustion engines and other heat transfer applications, such as HVAC chillers and solar water heaters....
, etc.) - Pesticides (insecticideInsecticideAn insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
s, herbicideHerbicideHerbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
s, fungicideFungicideFungicides are chemical compounds or biological organisms used to kill or inhibit fungi or fungal spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality and profit. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and to fight fungal infections in animals...
s, etc.) - MercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
-containing wastes (thermometerThermometerDeveloped during the 16th and 17th centuries, a thermometer is a device that measures temperature or temperature gradient using a variety of different principles. A thermometer has two important elements: the temperature sensor Developed during the 16th and 17th centuries, a thermometer (from the...
s, switchSwitchIn electronics, a switch is an electrical component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another....
es, fluorescent lighting, etc.) - Electronics (computerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s, televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
s, cell phones) - Aerosols / Propane cylinders
- Caustics / Cleaning agents
- RefrigerantRefrigerantA refrigerant is a substance used in a heat cycle usually including, for enhanced efficiency, a reversible phase change from a liquid to a gas. Traditionally, fluorocarbons, especially chlorofluorocarbons, were used as refrigerants, but they are being phased out because of their ozone depletion...
-containing appliances - Some specialty BatteriesBattery (electricity)An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
(e.g. lithium, nickel cadmium, or button cell batteries) - Ammunition
- Radioactive wasteRadioactive wasteRadioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
(some home smoke detectorSmoke detectorA smoke detector is a device that detects smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Commercial, industrial, and mass residential devices issue a signal to a fire alarm system, while household detectors, known as smoke alarms, generally issue a local audible and/or visual alarm from the detector...
s are classified as radioactive waste because they contain very small amounts of a radioactive isotopeIsotopeIsotopes are variants of atoms of a particular chemical element, which have differing numbers of neutrons. Atoms of a particular element by definition must contain the same number of protons but may have a distinct number of neutrons which differs from atom to atom, without changing the designation...
of americiumAmericiumAmericium is a synthetic element that has the symbol Am and atomic number 95. This transuranic element of the actinide series is located in the periodic table below the lanthanide element europium, and thus by analogy was named after another continent, America.Americium was first produced in 1944...
- see: Disposing of Smoke Detectors).
Final disposal of hazardous waste
Historically, some hazardous wastes were disposed of in regular landfills. This resulted in unfavorable amounts of hazardous materials seeping into the ground. These chemicals eventually entered natural hydrologic systems. Many landfills now require countermeasures against groundwater contamination, an example being installing a barrier along the foundation of the landfill to contain the hazardous substances that may remain in the disposed waste. Currently, hazardous wastes must often be stabilized and solidified in order to enter a landfill and many hazardous wastes undergo different treatments in order to stabilize and dispose of them.Recycling
Many HHWs can be recycled into new products. Examples might include lead-acid batteries or electronic circuit boards where the heavy metals can be recovered and used in new products. A non-household example is the ash generated by coal-fired power plants; these plants produced two types of waste: fly and bottom ash. Fly ash particles have a low density, are very fine, and are removed by air pollution control devices. On the other side, bottom ash is a dense, dark, gravely substance that remains on the bottom of combustion chambers. After these types of ashes go though the proper treatment, they could bind to other pollutants and convert them into easier-to- dispose solids, or they could be used as pavement filling. Such treatments reduce the level of threat of harmful chemicals, like fly and bottom ash , while also recycling the safe product.Portland cement
Another commonly used treatment is cement based solidification and stabilization. Cement is used because it can treat a range of hazardous wastes by improving physical characteristics and decreasing the toxicity and transmission of contaminants. The cement produced is categorized into 5 different divisions, depending on its strength and components. This process of converting sludge into cement might include the addition of pH adjustment agents, phosphates, or sulfur reagents to reduce the settling or curing time, increase the compressive strength, or reduce the leach ability of contaminants.Neutralization
Some HW can be processed so that the hazardous component of the waste is eliminated: making it a non-hazardous waste. An example of this might include a corrosive acidAcid
An acid is a substance which reacts with a base. Commonly, acids can be identified as tasting sour, reacting with metals such as calcium, and bases like sodium carbonate. Aqueous acids have a pH of less than 7, where an acid of lower pH is typically stronger, and turn blue litmus paper red...
that is neutralized with a basic substance so that it is no-longer corrosive. (see acid-base reactions.)Another mean to neutralize some of the waste is pH adjustment. pH is an important factor on the leaching activity of the hazardous waste. By adjusting the pH of some toxic materials, we are reducing the leaching ability of the waste.
Incineration, destruction and waste-to-energy
A HW may be "destroyed" for example by incinerating it at a high temperature. Flammable wastes can sometimes be burned as energy sources. For example many cement kilnsCement kiln
Cement kilns are used for the pyroprocessing stage of manufacture of Portland and other types of hydraulic cement, in which calcium carbonate reacts with silica-bearing minerals to form a mixture of calcium silicates...
burn HWs like used oils or solvents. Today incineration treatments not only reduce the amount of hazardous waste, but also they also generate energy throughout the gases released in the process. It is known that this particular waste treatment releases toxic gases produced by the combustion of byproduct or other materials and this can affect the environment. However, current technology has developed more efficient incinerator units that control these emissions to a point that this treatment is considered a more beneficial option. There are different types of incinerators and they vary depending on the characteristics of the waste. Starved air incineration is another method used to treat hazardous wastes. Just like in common incineration, burning occurs, however controlling the amount of oxygen allowed proves to be significant to reduce the amount of harmful byproducts produced. Starved Air Incineration is an improvement of the traditional incinerators in terms of air pollution. Using this technology it is possible to control the combustion rate of the waste and therefore reduce the air pollutants produce in the process.
Hazardous waste landfill (sequestering, isolation, etc.)
A HW may be sequestered in a HW landfill or permanent disposal facility. "In terms of hazardous waste, a landfill is defined as a disposal facility or part of a facility where hazardous waste is placed or on land and which is not a pile, a land treatment facility, a surface impoundment, an underground injection well, a salt dome formation, a salt bed formation, an underground mine, a cave, or a corrective action management unit (40 CFR 260.10)."Pyrolysis
Some hazardous waste types may be eliminated using pyrolisis in an ultra high temperature electrical arc, in inert conditions to avoid combustion. This treatment method may be preferable to high temperature incineration in some circumstances such as in the destruction of concentrated organic waste types, including PCBs, pesticides and other persistent organic pollutants.See also
- Bamako ConventionBamako ConventionThe Bamako Convention is a treaty of African nations prohibiting the import of any hazardous waste...
- Brownfield Regulation and DevelopmentBrownfield Regulation and DevelopmentThe United States Environmental Protection Agency defines brownfield land as property where the reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazardous materials....
- Environmental remediation
- Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management AssociationGade v. National Solid Wastes Management AssociationIn Gade v. National Solid Wastes Management Association, 505 U.S. 88 , the United States Supreme Court determined that federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations preempted various Illinois provisions for licensing workers who handled hazardous waste...
- Household Hazardous WasteHousehold Hazardous WasteHousehold hazardous waste , sometimes called retail hazardous waste, is post-consumer waste which qualifies as hazardous waste when discarded. It includes household chemicals and other substances for which the owner no longer has a use, such as consumer products sold for home care, personal care,...
- List of solid waste treatment technologies
- List of Superfund sites in the United States
- List of topics dealing with environmental issues
- List of waste management companies
- List of waste management topics
- List of waste types
- Mixed waste (radioactive/hazardous)Mixed waste (radioactive/hazardous)According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, mixed waste is a waste type defined as follows; "MW contains both hazardous waste and radioactive waste . It is jointly regulated by NRC or NRC's Agreement States and EPA or EPA's RCRA Authorized States...
- National Priorities ListNational Priorities ListThe National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
(in the US) - PollutionPollutionPollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
- Radioactive wasteRadioactive wasteRadioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
- RecyclingRecyclingRecycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
- Retail hazardous waste
- SuperfundSuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
- Toxic wasteToxic wasteToxic waste is waste material that can cause death or injury to living creatures. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers. The term is often used interchangeably with “hazardous waste”, or discarded material that can pose a long-term risk to health or environment.Toxic waste...
- TOXMAPTOXMAPTOXMAP is a geographic information system from the United States National Library of Medicine that uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory and Superfund programs...
- Triad (environmental science)Triad (environmental science)The Triad is an approach by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to decision-making for hazardous-waste site cleanup. During the late 1990s, technology advocates from the environmental sector in the United States developed the approach by combining innovations in management and...
- Vapor intrusionVapor intrusionVapor intrusion is a process by which chemicals in soil or groundwater migrate to above a contaminated site. is an , the United States Environmental Protection Agency having only issued a draft guidance on the subject in 2002...