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QUESTIONS
1. Explain how the chemical and physical properties of solid wastes have evolved over the
millennia. Keep in mind the specific sources that contributed to the waste stream of the
period.
2. What were the most common waste disposal methods of earlier societies? Approximately
when did these modes of ‘management’ change? What was (were) the root cause(s) for
the change?
3. Who were the first known individuals to associate improper waste disposal and adverse
health effects?
4. What was the first civilization to create an organized waste collection workforce? The
first ‘landfills’?
5. After the fall of the Roman Empire, how did waste management change? What specific-
factors were responsible for this change?
7. Explain how a society’s waste problems could actually compromise the security of a
community.
8. Explain how the Industrial Revolution changed both the quantity and composition of
solid wastes. How were human populations affected by the change in waste composition?
9. U.S. cities of the late 19th century experienced deplorable health conditions as a result
of improper waste management. What were some initiatives that drastically altered urban
waste management?
10. Discuss the efforts of George Waring on urban waste management. Were his efforts of
long-lasting benefit or only superficial?
11. What is the benefit of ‘controlled tipping’ of wastes, compared with prior land disposal
practices?
12. Discuss how landfills from 1920 to the mid-1970s were managed with regard to (a) sit-
ing, (b) day-to-day operations, (c) leachate collection and removal, (d) methane recovery,
and (e) closure.
13. “Routine open burning of municipal wastes, in the open landfill cell, serves effectively
as an expedient and cost-effective means of extending landfill lifetime.” Is this statement
accurate? Give reasons.
14. In the United States, the number of MSW landfills has dropped substantially in the past
30 years, despite the fact that there seems to be ample space available to construct new
landfills or expand existing ones. What are the primary reasons for this decline?
15. Discuss the evolution of MSW incineration from 19th century Europe to the present.
What factors were responsible for its decline in popularity in the early 20th century? Why
have incinerators increased in popularity today?
16. Search local historical records and old news articles to draft a chronology of waste man-
agement in your community. What were the specific events that catalyzed some of the
more important changes? Can you locate the long covered-over disposal sites in your
town or city? What is the current land use at these sites?