Environmental Impact of Waste, Rubber, and Industrial Processes
Waste Incineration
48. How do normal waste incinerators operate? They operate at 1,100 °C with a gas retention time of 2 seconds to achieve 99.99% destruction of incinerated waste. The calorific value of the waste stream is used as fuel while achieving the total destruction of the material.
Rubber Recycling Challenges
49. Owing to the chemical reactions that irreversibly set the rubber during processing, the biggest problem worldwide is that rubber cannot be recycled and is not biodegradable. Because of this, thousands of tires accumulate annually in landfills without being able to be reused.
Rubber Reuse Options
50. How could rubber be reused? It could be reused in apartment construction, for various range of applications, or to improve asphalt on roads.
Black Liquor Composition
51. What is Black Liquor? It is a complex mixture of organic material and reagent remaining from the process of extracting cellulose from wood.
Combustion Emissions
52. Which fuels are released into the atmosphere during the combustion process? Sulfur dioxide is released into the atmosphere from the sulfur content in fuel. Other pollutants include nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, heavy metals, and a variety of substances. When coal is used as fuel, it emits abundant fine particles that can be transferred over long distances.
Production Processes and Air Pollutants
53. What is the relationship between production processes and air pollutants? Among the various sources of air pollution from industrial sources, the combustion of fossil fuels for heat and electricity generation looms large, both in the quantity and types of pollutants emitted. Power plants for electricity production are of particular concern.
Mining Activities
54. What is mining? Mining is one of the oldest activities undertaken by man, whose evolution has occurred in parallel with the progress of mankind. All the activities we have at present are indirectly given by this practice, such as housing construction using concrete, iron, bricks, and pharmaceuticals.
Forms of Natural Resource Extraction
55. What are the forms of natural resource extraction?
- Groundwater Exploitation: Generally less serious than surface exploitation. However, it has an increased incidence in regard to occupational diseases known since antiquity as silicosis, asbestosis, lead poisoning, and mercury poisoning.
- Surface or Opencast Exploitation: Offers a greater impact on the environment. Includes quarrying of construction materials, ornamental rocks, and aggregates for roads.
Environmental Impact of Mining
56. What are the divisions of environmental impact caused by mining? Atmospheric, scenic, hydrologic, edaphic, floristic, and faunal impacts.
Solid Particles in Mining
57. Where are solid particles produced, and who do they generally bother? The solid particles are produced in the openings of holes (blasting) and during the transport of ore and barren materials. They are annoying to people with respiratory problems and trees.
Fauna and Flora Impacts
58. What are the impacts on fauna and flora? They are one of the most important impacts due to the alteration or elimination of many species’ habitats.
Edaphic Impacts
59. How do edaphic impacts occur? They occur as a result of the elimination or modification of soil depth for operation.
Fishmeal Plant Pollution
60. What are the pollutants from fishmeal plants? Traditional odors emanating from the processing plants of fishmeal located in coastal areas, dust particles are added to this product moving in the atmosphere due to winds running from west and east. The inhalation of these substances causes respiratory and allergic problems.