AP Environmental Science Flashcards: Solid Waste Disposal
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 14 cards to help you master important concepts.
What is solid waste?
Solid waste is any discarded material that is not a liquid or gas, generated in domestic, industrial, business, and agricultural sectors.
Card 1 of 14
All Flashcards (14)
What is solid waste?
Solid waste is any discarded material that is not a liquid or gas, generated in domestic, industrial, business, and agricultural sectors.
What are two primary negative effects of using landfills for waste disposal?
Landfills can contaminate groundwater through leachate and release harmful gases like methane into the atmosphere.
An investigation finds that a local river has been contaminated by pollutants from a nearby landfill. Which component of the sanitary landfill most likely failed?
The bottom liner or the leachate collection system likely failed, allowing contaminated liquid to escape the landfill and enter the groundwater that feeds the river.
What is the main disadvantage of incinerating solid waste?
The main disadvantage of incineration is that the process releases air pollutants.
A municipality wants to reduce the amount of land used for waste disposal but is located in a valley where air quality is a major concern. Which disposal method presents a direct trade-off for their situation?
Incineration presents a trade-off, as it significantly reduces waste volume (using less land) but also releases air pollutants, which is a concern for the valley's air quality.
From which four sectors is solid waste generated?
Solid waste is generated from the domestic, industrial, business, and agricultural sectors.
What is the main advantage of incinerating solid waste?
The main advantage of incineration is that it significantly reduces the volume of solid waste.
How does a methane collection system in a landfill mitigate environmental harm?
A methane collection system captures harmful gases produced during decomposition, preventing them from being released into the atmosphere.
What is a leachate collection system?
A leachate collection system is a component of a sanitary landfill that gathers contaminated water (leachate) to prevent it from reaching groundwater.
What is incineration?
Incineration is a solid waste disposal method where waste is burned at high temperatures.
Identify the three methods of solid waste disposal described in the text.
The three disposal methods described are placing waste in landfills, incineration, and dumping waste into the ocean.
What is the most common disposal method for solid waste?
The most common disposal method for solid waste is placement in landfills.
Describe the environmental consequences of dumping solid waste in the ocean.
Dumping waste in the ocean creates large floating islands of trash, and wildlife can become entangled in the debris or ingest it.
List three components of a sanitary municipal landfill designed to control pollution.
Three key components are a bottom liner (to prevent leaks), a leachate collection system, and a methane collection system.