Hazardous Waste Management [Hardcover]

Hazardous waste management is a complex, interdisciplinary field that continues to grow and change as global conditions change. Mastering this evolving and multifaceted field of study requires knowledge of the sources and generation of hazardous wastes, the scientific and engineering principles necessary to eliminate the threats they pose to people and the environment, the laws regulating their disposal, and the best or most cost-effective methods for dealing with them. Written for students with some background in engineering, this comprehensive, highly acclaimed text does not only provide detailed instructions on how to solve hazardous waste problems but also guides students to think about ways to approach these problems. Each richly detailed, self-contained chapter ends with a set of discussion topics and problems. Case studies, with equations and design examples, are provided throughout the book to give students the chance to evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment and containment technologies.

Part I: FUNDAMENTALS

1. Hazardous Waste

Working Definition / Historical Roots / Landmark Episodes / Regulatory Initiatives / Classification / Generation / Contaminated Sites / Future Endeavors / Toward an Environmental Ethic

2. The Legal Framework

Environmental Law / Resource Conservation and Recovery Act / Federal Hazardous Waste Regulations under RCRA / Superfund / Other Federal Statutes / International Perspectives

3. Process Fundamentals

A Little Chemistry / Physical-Chemical Properties / Energy and Mass Balances / Reactions and Reactors / Geochemical Modeling and Analysis Programs

4. Fate and Transport of Contaminants

Contaminant Release / Transport of Contaminants in the Subsurface / Fate of Contaminants in the Subsurface / Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion of Contaminants

5. Toxicology

Exposure / Toxic Effects / Dose-Response Relationships / Noncarcinogens / Carcinogens / Ecotoxicology

Part II: CURRENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

6. Environmental Audits

Introduction / Program Planning / Preaudit Preparation / On-Site Audit / Evaluation and Presentation / Other Types of Audits

7. Pollution Prevention

General Considerations / Management Strategies / Life Cycle Analysis / Volume Reduction / Toxicity Reduction / Recycling

8. Facility Development and Operations

Facility Types / Facility Operations / Needs Assessment / Site Selection / Public Participation / Permitting

Part III: TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL METHODS

9. Physicochemical Processes

Air Stripping / Carbon Adsorption / Steam Stripping / Chemical Oxidation / Supercritical Fluids / Membrane Processes

10. Biological Methods

Basics of Microbial Metabolism / Biodegradation of Xenobiotics / Growth Kinetics / Ex Situ Systems—Treatment of Liquids / Ex Situ Systems—Slurry-Phase Treatment / Ex Situ Systems—Solid-Phase and Vapor-Phase Treatment / In Situ Biological Treatment Systems—Monitored Natural Attenuation / In Situ Biological Treatment Systems—Enhanced Degradation / Major Classes of Xenobiotic Compounds Amenable to Biological Treatment / Biological Treatment—Treatability Studies and Other Considerations

11. Stabilization and Solidification

Introduction / Mechanisms / Technology / Testing / Field Implementation / Design / Case Studies

12. Thermal Methods

Introduction / Regulations / Combustion / Gases and Vapors / Liquid Injection Incinerators / Solid Waste Incineration / Storage and Feed Systems / Flue Gas Temperature Reduction / Air Pollution Control / Instrumentation / Continuous Emission Monitors / Trial Burns / Mobile Systems

13. Land Disposal

Introduction / Landfill Operations / Site Selection / Liner and Leachate Collection Systems / Cover Systems / Materials / Contaminant Transport through Landfill Barriers / Landfill Stability / Surface Impoundments and Deep Well Injection / Closure and Postclosure Care

Part IV: SITE REMEDIATION

14. Quantitative Risk Assessment

Risk / Hazard Identification / Exposure Assessment / Toxicity Assessment / Risk Characterization / Risk Communication / Ecological Risk Assessment / Monte Carlo Methods / Case Study

15. Site and Subsurface Characterization

Introduction / Methodology / Planning / Methods of Site Characterization / Geophysical Methods / Boring and Sampling / Monitoring Wells / Geographic Information System / Case Study

16. Remedial Technologies

Introduction / Remedial Objectives / Passive Contaminant Control Systems / Surface Water Control Technologies / Groundwater Control: Vertical Barriers / Groundwater Control: Horizontal Barriers / Active Remediation Systems / Soil Vapor Extraction / Permeable Reactive Treatment Walls / Other Remedial Technologies

17. Evaluation and Selection of Remedial Actions and Corrective Measures

Overview or Remedy Selection Process / Case Study I—Evaluation and Selection of a Remedial Action for a "Model" Superfund Site / Site Conceptual Model / Remediation Objectives / Development of Alternatives / Analysis of Alternatives / Regulatory Guidance / Case Study 2—Focused Evaluation and Selection of an Interim Corrective Measure at an Operating Chemical Plant

Appendix A: Basel Convention

Appendix B: Contaminant Properties

Appendix C: Thermodynamic Properties

Appendix D: Conversion Factors

Michael D. LaGrega (1944-1995) was a professor of Civil Engineering at Bucknell University. He received a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Manhattan College and a Master's degree and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Syracuse University. Dr. LaGrega was a licensed professional engineer in six states and was board certified in the specialty of hazardous waste management by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. The author of more than seventy-five publications covering a wide variety of industrial waste topics, Dr. LaGrega also served as Director of Hazardous Waste Planning for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources in 1983-1984. Dr. LaGrega was a Principal for the firm of Environmental Resources Management, Inc. Dr. LaGrega was the senior author of the first edition.

Phillip L. Buckingham received a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University and a Master's degree in Sanitary Engineering from Cornell University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Mr. Buckingham is a founding Principal of Environmental Resources Management, Inc., and has directed numerous hazardous waste projects including state hazardous waste facilities plans and site remediation and risk assessment studies. He is the author of more than 20 technical publications dealing with a wide range of environmental engineering topics.

Jeffrey C. Evans is currently a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Bucknell University. He received a Bachelor's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University, a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. Dr. Evans is a licensed professional engineer in Michigan and, prior to joining the academic community, was affiliated with Woodward-Clyde Consultants for over 10 years. His research interests in the area of waste 'containment and environmental geotechnology are reflected in his publications, numbering over 50. In addition to his work as an academic, his consulting activities include a variety of hazardous waste remediation projects.