ABSTRACT
A chemically complex and voluminous waste stream goes with the territory of being an industrialized country, and the sources of wastes are many and diverse. Hazardous wastes are generated in large quantities by households using over-the-counter cleaners, polishes, solvents, paint thinners, paint strippers, adhesives, herbicides, and pesticides. Enormous volumes of hazardous waste are produced during the refining of petroleum and the synthesis of industrial chemicals. The chapter outlines the more common chemicals which appear at hazardous waste sites. The chemicals are: Cadmium, mercury, chromium, zinc, barium, silver, beryllium, and nickel. Radioactive waste is generated from a variety of sources. Uranium was mined and milled for weapons, and then civilian nuclear power, at sites in the United States primarily located in the Four Corners region. Low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) is produced by hospitals, during reactor upkeep, and by scientific laboratories, as well as by the last steps in fuel reprocessing.
