18-Env-A6 Solid Waste Engineering and Management · December 2014
Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)
Reference texts: Tchobanoglous, Theisen & Vigil, Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues; Vesilind, Worrell & Reinhart, Solid Waste Engineering; Davis & Cornwell, Introduction to Environmental Engineering (6th ed.); CCME, Guidance Document on Landfill Gas Management; Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.
This paper prints marks IN FRONT of the question number on every line (e.g. "5 1. What are the elements…", "4 16. All 29 questions are answered in full.
Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.
Hazardous wastes (batteries, solvents, paints, pesticides, sharps) mixed into the MSW stream create worker health and safety hazards during collection, sorting and processing (chemical exposure, cuts, fire); can contaminate leachate and process residues with heavy metals and toxic organics, complicating leachate treatment and potentially reclassifying ash or compost as hazardous; can poison biological processes (toxicity to the microbial populations in composting or anaerobic digestion); create fire and explosion risk (aerosols, batteries, flammable solvents) at transfer stations, MRFs and landfills; and can generate additional air emissions if inadvertently combusted (e.g. mercury from batteries/lamps, dioxin precursors from chlorinated plastics). Beyond the direct physical impacts, undetected hazardous waste also creates regulatory and liability exposure for the facility operator.
