Every day thousands of pounds of toxic waste are created and disposed of throughout the country. Toxic waste can include human, animal, medical, chemical and even nuclear waste. Once this waste has been created, much care must be taken to dispose of it properly to reduce the potential negative impact it can have on the human population and the environment. Toxic waste can be disposed of in one of several ways.
Incineration
Incinerators are one common way to dispose of some forms of toxic waste, such as infectious medical waste from hospitals and clinics across the nation. In fact, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 requires incineration for certain medical waste, such as body parts and lab cultures. Some states also have laws regarding the incineration of medical waste and some other forms of toxic waste. Incinerators use extremely high temperatures to burn toxic waste, eliminating its threat to the community. However, debate still exists on the safety of the emissions produced by incinerators.
Deep Well Injection
Toxic waste may also be pumped deep into the earth through deep well injection. Deep well injection involves pumping liquid wastes, such as acids, ammonias and deicing fluids deep into the ground where porous rock is located. The waste is believed to remain encased between layers of impenetrable rock, keeping it from leaking into the surrounding soils or well water. However, some concern exists related to the possibility of explosions or earthquakes during the injection process.
Recycling
Recycling is another disposal option for some forms of toxic waste. For example, batteries often end up in landfills where they can leach harmful and toxic substances such as mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel into the soil and environment. Instead of disposing of them in a landfill, batteries can be sent to recycling centers where they are broken down and reused in other plastics, or go towards making new batteries, states the Environmental Protection Agency. Other potentially toxic wastes that can be recycled include fluorescent tubes, electronic devices--such as televisions and computers--and mercury-containing products, such as thermometers.
Long-term Storage
Some forms of waste have few options for disposal other than secured long-term storage. For example, used nuclear fuel gets stored at nuclear power plants throughout the United States. The toxic nuclear waste is stored either in specialized pools, or in specially designed above ground containment units. As power plants began running out of room for storage, legislation called the Nuclear Waste Policy Act was passed. Part of this act revolves around the movement of toxic nuclear waste from short-term storage at nuclear plants to long-term storage in a deep geologic repository.
