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Background A. What is HHW? Why do I need to know? Common household chemicals and substances that are no longer being used by their owners are called Household Hazardous Waste, or HHW for short. The average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds of HHW in the basement, garage, and storage closets. Special collection days and permanent collection sites for managing HHW arose in the 1980 s and continue to exist and multiply in number to this day. Household Hazardous Waste includes substances such as oil paint, motor oil, antifreeze, drain cleaners, fuel, poisons, pesticides, herbicides, batteries, fluorescent lamps, and even smoke detectors and consumer electronics (TV s, computers, cell phones). These chemicals and substances exhibit several dangerous characteristics, like ignitability and toxicity, found in heavily regulated hazardous wastes, but are not regulated by the EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). It is therefore important that members of a household be knowledgeable in the proper handling and disposal of potentially harmful waste as a matter of self-protection and for the safety of others. B. Types of Hazardous Waste Corrosive: Capable of chemically wearing substances away (corroding) or destroying them; Most acids are corrosive, and can eat through metal, burn human skin upon contact, and produce vapors that burn the eyes. Acids found in batteries are corrosive. Toxic: Toxic substances are poisonous to people and other organisms and have the capability to cause illness. Severe headaches, cancer, and even death may be a tragic effect of absorbing or swallowing toxic substances. Pesticides, weed killers, and many household cleaners are considered toxic. Ignitable: Capable of bursting into flames; Ignitable substances pose fire hazards and irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs. They may also produce harmful vapors. Gasoline, paint, and furniture polish are considered ignitable. Reactive: Capable of exploding or releasing poisonous gas when mixed with another substance or chemical; For example, chlorine bleach and ammonia are reactive because when they come into contact with one another, they produce a poisonous gas.
Background C. Where does hazardous waste go? Ideally, hazardous waste is reused or recycled. When this is not possible, hazardous waste is safely contained while it is stored, transported, and properly disposed of to prevent release into the environment. Typical methods of hazardous waste storage and disposal include surface impoundments (storing it in lined ponds), high temperature incineration (controlled burning), municipal and hazardous waste landfills (burying it in the ground), and deep well injection ( pumping it into underground wells). Household wastes that can be placed in the garbage include empty aerosol cans, fertilizers, shoe polish, and nail polish, glue, and latex and oil-based paints if they are dried out prior to being thrown away. Antifreezes, disinfectants, bleach, and ammonia-based cleaners can be flushed down the drain, while things like car batteries, mercury thermometers, motor oil and brake fluid need to be put out for community collection. D. Problems Facing Hazardous Waste Management Several things can go wrong in the process of containing hazardous waste. Inevitably, even the most technologically advanced landfills will leak one day. Tanks that store petroleum products and other chemicals are at risk of catching fire and leaking, and underground storage tanks weaken over time becoming more susceptible to leak. Transportation accidents including train crashes, overturned trucks, and ocean liner oil spills as in the case of Exxon-Mobil may occur. Unfortunately, not all problems facing hazardous waste management are accidental. There are cases of intentional dumping of hazardous waste in sewer systems, abandoned warehouses, or ditches in remote areas to avoid the costs and rules of safe disposal. E. How does hazardous waste affect us? When hazardous wastes are released in the water, air, or on the land, they can spread, contaminating even more of the environment and posing greater threats to our health. For example, when rain falls on soil at a waste site, it can carry hazardous waste deeper into the ground and the underlying groundwater. A hazardous substance can cause injury or death to a person, plant, or animal if a large amount is released at one time, if a small amount is released many times in the same location, if the substance does not become diluted, or if it is very toxic. Coming into contact with a substance is called exposure. Humans, plants, and animals can be exposed to hazardous substances through inhalation, ingestion, or dermal exposure. That is, by breathing in a substance, eating a substance, or coming into direct contact with a hazardous substance that can be absorbed by the skin.
1 What is HHW? Why is it Important? Objectives Students will learn: 1) What Household Hazardous Waste is; 2) Why it is important to know about HHW; 3) How to differentiate hazardous wastes from trash and recycling items Method Class discussion Preparation & Materials Be familiar with the Background section of the curriculum Bring pictures of household hazardous wastes If in a classroom, be able to point out things such as fluorescent light bulbs and computers as HHW Vocabulary EPA Hazardous Antifreeze Pesticide Procedure 1. Introduce the topic of Household Hazardous Waste and explain what it is 2. Show examples of household hazardous wastes 3. Ask students to share which wastes they have seen in their home 4. Ask students why they think it is important to know about household hazardous waste 5. Explain why it is important to know about HHW Assessment Have students recall substances and items that are household hazardous wastes and why they need to know about them. Show a series of pictures including photos of wastes that are hazardous and wastes that are not hazardous. Have students identify whether or not a waste is hazardous as its photograph is shown. Enrichment Have students go home and make a list of all the hazardous wastes they find in their house with the help of parents
2 Types of HHW & How They Affect Us Objectives Students will learn: 1) The particular dangers of different hazardous wastes; 2) How and why the wastes are dangerous Method Class discussion, supplementary worksheet, in-class game Preparation & Materials Be familiar with the Background section of this curriculum Copies of the worksheet Pencils 4 sets of the same photos of household hazardous wastes Chalkboard or 4 posterboards Tape Prizes Vocabulary Corrosive Toxic Ignitable Reactive Procedure 1. Ask students what they think corrosive, toxic, ignitable, and reactive, mean. 2. Ask students if they can think of any examples of substances with these properties 3. Define corrosive, toxic, ignitable, and reactive, and discuss examples of wastes that have each of these properties Assessment Distribute the supplementary worksheet and have students fill it out. Be sure to provide students with the correct answers after they have turned in the worksheets. Enrichment Create an in-class matching game. Divide students into 4 equal teams and provide each team with the same set of photos of household hazardous wastes. Have teams place the photos under corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive, sections divided on a chalkboard or a large posterboard. Encourage the students by offering a prize to the team that is first to correctly place all of the photos beneath their corresponding properties.
Toxic, Corrosive, Ignitable, or Reactive? Gasoline that powers a car can catch fire if a flame is around. Gasoline is. If a battery breaks open, the acid inside can eat through metal or burn human skin. Battery acid is. Chlorine bleach and ammonia produce a poisonous gas if they get mixed together. Chlorine bleach and ammonia are. Household cleaners can cause headaches, cancer, or even death when they are ingested. Weed killers and household cleaners are examples of substances. Paint and furniture polish are extremely dangerous around an open flame because they are. Weed killers can cause illness to humans and other organisms if they are swallowed or absorbed by the skin because they are. Answers: 1. Ignitable 2. Corrosive 3. Reactive 4. Toxic 5. Ignitable 6. Toxic
3 Where does HHW go? What should I do with my HHW? Objectives Students will learn: 1) Where hazardous waste is stored; 2) How to handle household hazardous waste; 3) When their community collection days are; 4) Where their permanent waste collection site is located Method Class discussion, word jumble Preparation & Materials Be familiar with the Background section of this curriculum Find out where the local permanent household hazardous waste storage site is located Find out when local community collection days are Copies of the community collection word jumble Copies of the community collection reminder sign OR blank sheets of paper Markers Vocabulary Surface impoundment Landfill Incineration Deep-well injection Procedure 1. Discuss where hazardous waste is stored 2. Ask students what they think they should do with their HHW 3. Discuss how to handle HHW (recycling, trash, pouring down the drain, or community collection), and answer any questions students may have 4. Write on the chalkboard the dates of community collection and the address of the permanent waste collection site 5. Distribute word jumble and allow students to work together to solve it Assessment Describe different situations involving the presence of household hazardous waste(s) and ask students to act out or describe a proper response to the situation Enrichment Have students fill in and decorate a reminder sign including the dates of community collection, the address of the permanent waste storage site, and the things in their home they have identified as hazardous waste that they may post on the refrigerator or somewhere else at home.
Answers: 1. Batteries 2. Glue 3. Spray 4. Fluid 5. Chemicals 6. Polish 7. Motor 8. Poison 9.Degreaser 10. Mercury 11. Balls 12. Shoe 13. Thinner 14. Antifreeze May 16 Community Co lection Some things a household needs to get rid of cannot be recycled, taken to a landfill, or dumped down the drain. Many communities hold special collection days for these wastes. See if you can unscramble the words below and find out what things should be put out for community pick-up! Car SEIRATTBE Solvent Based LUEG Bug PARYS Brake DULIF Unmixed MALISCECH Furniture SOLIPH OROTM Oil Rat & Insect SOONIP Engine REDASREEG EMRUCRY Thermometers Moth LABLS OHSE Polish Paint RINTHNE Car ZEERAFTIN
Community Collection Day My Community Collection Days are: My HHW Drop-Off Site is: These are the things I am going to save for community collection or take to the HHW drop-off site:
Hazardous Waste Symbols
Resources Additional information regarding household hazardous waste can be found at: http://epa.gov/garbage/hhw.htm http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/hhw/hhw.html For permanent HHW collection sites in Texas: http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/assistance/hhw/permanent_facilities.html http://cleanwaterways.org/hhw