Hazardous Pollutants

Contents

What is a Hazardous Pollutant?

A hazardous pollutant is a pollutant material that can affect living organisms in a hazardous manner.

According to the WHO, health risks arise due to direct contact with toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, and chromium that leach from e-waste or by the inhalation of the toxic fumes, as well as from the accumulation of hazardous pollutants in soil, water, and food.

Read more questions on e-Waste in our previous post here.

Hazardous waste

What is Hazardous waste?

Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment.

Hazardous waste is a type of dangerous goods.

They usually have one or more of the following hazardous traits: ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, toxicity.

Listed hazardous wastes are materials specifically listed by regulatory authorities as hazardous wastes which are from non-specific sources, specific sources, or discarded chemical products.

Hazardous wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids.

Hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common means like other by-products of our everyday lives.

Depending on the physical state of the waste, treatment and solidification processes might be required.

Hazardous pollutants MCQs

Which of the hazardous pollutant occurs in plastic?
a) Lithium
b) PCBs
c) Lead
d) Copper

Answer: PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)

sources of PCB’s : Transformers, capacitors, softening agents for paint, glue, and plastic contains PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

What is the hazardous pollutant released from fax machines?
a) Lithium
b) Selenium
c) Lead
d) Copper

Answer: Selenium

sources of Selenium : Photoelectric cells, pigments, photocopiers, fax machines releases selenium into environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from LED’s?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Cobalt
d) Cadmium

Answer: Arsenic

sources of Arsenic : Semiconductors, diodes, microwaves, LED’s (Light-emitting diodes), solar cells releases arsenic into the environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from electron tubes?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Cobalt
d) Cadmium

Answer: Barium

sources of Barium: Electron tubes, filler for plastic and rubber, lubricant additives releases barium into the environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from LED’s?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Cobalt
d) Cadmium

Answer: Arsenic

sources of Arsenic: Semiconductors, diodes, microwaves, LED’s (Light-emitting diodes), solar cells releases arsenic into the environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from electron tubes?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Cobalt
d) Cadmium

Answer: Barium
sources of Barium: Electron tubes, filler for plastic and rubber, lubricant additives releases barium into the environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from batteries?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Cobalt
d) Cadmium

Answer: Cadmium

sources of cadmium : Batteries, pigments, solder, alloys, circuit boards, computer batteries, monitor cathode ray tubes (CRT) releases cadmium when handled improperly.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from inductive coils?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Cobalt
d) Copper

Answer: Copper

sources of copper : Conductor in cables, copper ribbons, coils, circuitry, and pigments releases copper pollutant into environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from circuit boards?
a) Arsenic
b) Barium
c) Lead
d) Copper

Answer: Lead

sources of Lead : Lead rechargeable batteries, solar, transistors, lithium batteries, PVC, (polyvinyl chloride) stabilizers, lasers, LED’s, thermoelectric elements, and circuit boards releases lead pollutant into environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from telephones?
a) Lithium
b) Barium
c) Lead
d) Copper

Answer: Lithium

sources of Lithium : Mobile telephones, photographic equipment, video equipment (batteries) releases lithium pollutant into environment.

What is the hazardous pollutant released from calculators?
a) Lithium
b) Mercury
c) Lead
d) Copper

Answer: Mercury

sources of Mercury : Components in copper machines and steam irons; batteries in clocks and pocket calculators, switches, LCDs release mercury into environment when improperly handled.