Hazardous Waste

You may be interested to know some of the hazardous waste sources that affect our lives today. Every year millions of metric tons of this waste is produced in the United State alone.

Here are 10 of those sources:

Lets start with our own homes. It's hard to believe our homes are a source of dangerous waste. I am amazed and never considered the amount of corrosive, reactive and flammable substances in the home. Have you ever thought about the chemicals used for our vehicles; or the lead, mercury and other dangerous substances in electronic devices.

Laboratories, regardless to location-- whether high school labs or research labs, all produce hazardous waste. Typically found in labs are disinfectants, solvents and chemicals.

Auto shops that do body work use hazardous chemicals such as antifreeze, gas, oil and paint.

Older buildings often have lead paint which remodelers are exposed to when the painted surfaces are demolished. Asbestos, fluorescent bulbs and equipment that contain mercury may also be there, especially in commercial buildings.

We are all familiar with the dangerous chemicals, pesticides and herbicides that farmers use for crops. Fluoride waste is created during fertilizer production as well.

Solutions used to develop photos are hazardous, containing silver, which is harmful to aquatic life. Silver can also affect the biological action of sewage treatment plants.

Dry cleaners use a number of hazardous solvents to clean our clothing. The used chemicals and any filters, rags or other items that come into contact with them, are considered hazardous waste.

Before leaded gas was eliminated, gasoline was a major contributor to environmental lead. Underground fuel storage tanks have also had an adverse impact on the environment due to leakage. Today's regulations have greatly reduced these issues, but older gas station tanks could still pose a hazard.

The majority of biological and infectious waste comes from hospitals and doctor's offices. Examples include used needles, bloody bandages and removed organs. But those are not the only hazards that come from medical facilities. Radioactive waste is produced by various imaging technologies and treatments. And while discarded medicine is not generally considered hazardous waste, it is essential that it be properly disposed of.

Practically any manufacturing operation that works with metals produces some sort of hazardous waste. Some of the waste products produced include solvents, pickling solutuions, plating waste, cyanide paint washes and eastewater sludge.

These are only some of the places this waste can come from. When you think about it, it is just about everywhere. Cutting down on the use of hazardous materials and disposing of those that we do use properly is essential to our health, as well as that of the environment.

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