As you have learned in this first unit

Unit Assignments

 

Unit I Essay

As you have learned in this first unit, pollution is a worldwide issue that must be combatted. Read the scenarios provided below, and choose one to write about for your essay.

 

Option 1:

 

A consumer products company in a third-world country manufactures a cough medicine to be sold in the United States as an over-the-counter medicine in grocery stores and in pharmacies. At the manufacturing plant, the flavoring of the medicine is very volatile, and the smell permeates the plant. After the production run is completed, the mixing tanks are washed, and the contents are discharged into a trench that runs for a mile down to the local river. Filters used to remove any particles from the cough syrup are collected and discarded into a local trash pile located at the edge of the property.

 

• Identify the various environmental compartments that will be impacted by this manufacturing facility.
• If you were hired to be an environmental consultant at the facility, what would be your first steps in changing the manufacturing process (use the waste management hierarchy)?

 

Option 2:

 

A municipality is encouraging a furniture company to set up shop and to use local residents for their manufacturing operations. They have hired you as an advisor to identify the technology that the municipality should have in place to dispose of the non-hazardous waste that cannot be recycled or reused. There are two options: construct a new municipal landfill for the entire community or construct an incinerator. In these cases, the methane from the landfill will be burned to provide heat for the municipal buildings, or the heat from the combustion chamber of the incinerator will be used to provide heat the municipal buildings.

 

• Identify adverse impacts to human health or the environment for each of the two technologies
• Use the adverse effects you identified to make a recommendation to the city council.

 

Your response should be a minimum of one page in length, not including your title page and reference page. Any outside sources you choose to use should be scholarly sources. All sources used, including textbooks, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit II Scholarly Activity

 

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide form an acidic compound in the atmosphere when they react with the moisture

(humidity) in the air. These are transported in by the prevailing winds from coal-fired power plants in Ohio and are often rained out in the mountains of New England (e.g., New Hampshire and Vermont).The rains form runoff that travel to streams and eventually to lakes where the higher forms of life are eradicated.

 

• Locate a case where acid rain has adversely affected a lake in either Vermont or New Hampshire.
• Prepare the text of an e-mail that you would write to the EPA describing the damage, the cause, the fix, and the response, along with your recommendation describing how they should regulate coal-fired power plants in Ohio.

 

Your response should be a minimum of one page in length, not including your title page and reference page. Any outside sources you choose to use should be scholarly sources. All sources used, including textbooks, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit III Scholarly Activity

 

Chemical substances are all around us. Being aware of what is around you in the environment, your workplace, your home, and so on is essential if adverse effects are to be mitigated. Read the scenarios provided below, and choose one to write about for your essay.

 

Option 1:

 

Drinking water contains small levels of contaminants called micro-contaminants. These come from residues of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. and may require drinking water plants to install tertiary treatment link activated carbon and ozonation.

 

• Describe the types of water sources that municipalities use for drinking water.
• Describe the multiple sources of contamination for river water and in a table. Specify for each source two or more chemical ingredients that cause the river to be contaminated, and identify who is responsible for these contaminants being in the river.
• Make your case for determining who should pay for this treatment. Should it be the municipalities treating the water, the manufacturers of the consumer products, the farmers that allowed agricultural runoff to get into water bodies, the federal government that establishes drinking water standards, or others?

 

Option 2:

 

Study the Exxon Valdez disaster using your textbook and other scholarly sources. Complete the following four items regarding this disaster:

 

• Describe the background to the disaster and the factors leading up to the event.
• Identify parts of the environment were impacted and what were the adverse impacts and damage done to each area?
• What steps were taken to clean up the oil and the damage done to wildlife and the environment?
• From your review of how the government responded, assess what key regulatory changes the EPA made.

 

Your response should be a minimum of one page in length. Any outside sources you choose to use should be scholarly sources. All sources used, including textbooks, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit IV Research Paper

 

As you are seeing in this course, learning from past incidents can help prevent future ones from occurring. Read the two options provided below, and choose one to write about in your research paper.

 

Option 1:

 

Anniston, Alabama, is a location known for its contamination with PCBs. You may research more via the Internet or the CSU Online Library with search terms such as PCB and Anniston, Alabama. Compose a research paper that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 

 

Include the background of the contamination.

• Describe the current status in Anniston.
• Discuss the effects of PCB on human health and to the environment.
• Include past, current, and future remediation programs of Anniston.
• Discuss the impact this contamination has had on Anniston residents.
• Include your perspective of how this situation would be handled in other parts of the world where regulatory enforcement is weaker than in the U.S.

 

Option 2:

 

The Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls, New York, was contaminated by Hooker Chemical without the knowledge of the local citizens. You may research more via the Internet and the CSU Online Library using search terms such as Love Canal or Love Canal Tragedy. Compose a research paper that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 

• Include the background of the contamination.
• What are the effects of dioxin on human health and to the environment?
• What are some past remediation programs, and what is the current status of the Love Canal neighborhood?
• What was the health impact to Love Canal residents?
• Regulations that were passed and their purpose resulting from Love Canal
• Include your perspective of how this situation would be handled in other parts of the world where regulatory enforcement is weaker than in the U.S.

 

Your APA formatted research paper should be a minimum of three pages in length, not including your title page and reference page. You are required to use a minimum of two scholarly sources; one of your sources must come from the CSU Online Library.

 

Encyclopedias (online or print), message boards, or any sources that can be amended without educated review, such as

Wikipedia, are not considered appropriate. Failure to use appropriate resources or failure to use a resource available in CSU Online Library can lead to deductions. CSU librarians are available to help you with your research for this assignment if you need assistance.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit V Research Paper

 

Chemical substances are all around us. Being aware of what is around you in the environment, your workplace, your home, and so on could be vital. Read the three options below and choose one for this scholarly activity.

 

Option 1:

 

Access the U.S. OSHA website, www.osha.gov, and look up information about the GHS (Globally Harmonized System) for classifying chemical substances and formulated products.

 

You have a client who operates a machine tool shop, and one of the employees believes that one of the chemical products in the shop caused a red rash to form on his right arm. You suspect that the employee may have a skin sensitization to one of the chemicals in a product. You suspect one of the products contains methyl methacrylate (CAS# 80-62-6). The CAS# is the chemical abstract service number assigned to the identity of the chemical substance.

 

• As you check the label of the 55-gallon drum that contains this product, discuss what pictogram and hazard statement would you expect to see to confirm that the product is a skin sensitizer, and why.
• Explain what PPE (personal protective equipment) you would recommend that workers employ while the company seeks to identify an alternative chemical to use in their machine shop operations.

 

Option 2:

 

Your client operates a transmission repair shop, and you notice that one of the fluids used to clean parts contains

methylene chloride (CAS# 75-09-2). Your client is uncomfortable using it in his shop, and he has hired you to tell him what GHS human health hazards are associated with this chemical ingredient. You go out to the internet and research the health aspects of methylene chloride.

 

• Summarize the following in a table: Include the OSHA health hazards associated with this ingredient, target organs, its status as a potential carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive toxicant.

Also, include the PPE that you would advise employees to use to protect themselves if they continue to work with this chemical.

 

Option 3:

 

A container with a chemical substance has the GHS pictogram of a human torso with an exploding heart, all of which is inside of a red diamond.

 

• Explain the possible health hazards associated with this pictogram.
• Which of these hazards would cause the employees the most concern, and why?
• If one of the employees talks about experiencing breathing difficulties, what health hazard is indicated by this? Explain your recommendation to management concerning this employee.

 

Your final product should be a minimum of three pages in length, not including your title page and reference page, and should be in APA style. You are required to use a minimum two scholarly sources, which must be cited and referenced appropriately. Only one of your sources may be your textbook (or other assigned reading source).

 

Encyclopedias (online or print), message boards, or any sources that can be amended without educated review, such as Wikipedia, are not considered appropriate. Failure to use appropriate resources can lead to deductions. You are encouraged to use the CSU Online Library for scholarly sources. CSU librarians are available to help you with your research for this assignment if you need assistance.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit VI Essay

 

Background:

 

In 2002, a study was conducted on 139 streams in 30 states to look for micro-contaminants in waters that are used as sources of drinking water in the United States. In 80% of these streams, pharmaceutical active substances were identified, along with components used in personal care products (cosmetics) (Koplin et al., 2002). Further studies found that many of these chemical substance passed through municipal wastewater treatment plants without being degraded or removed. The result is that these compounds are being discharged into streams, and it is alleged that these compounds are responsible for exerting adverse effects on wildlife, including the feminization of male fish and inducing sluggish activity levels in fish; three legged amphibians have also been observed (Koplin et al., 2002).

 

With a focus on the residual pharmaceuticals in the environment (PIE), it is clear that these are a direct result of human excretion and direct disposal of medicines into the environment. In 2005, the State of Washington averaged 8.5 prescriptions per capita with a total of 53 million being filled by retail outlets (Koplin et al., 2002). This does not include institutional medicines prescribed in hospitals and nursing homes.

 

The PIE issue has nothing to do with the manufacture of pharmaceuticals as their waste is segregated with specialized treatments for hazardous wastes and for non-hazardous wastes. Hazardous wastes will mostly go to thermal oxidizers for destruction. Non-hazardous waste is regulated by pretreatment categorical standards and by wastewater discharge permits, holding the manufacturing facility to strict performance standards.

 

 

Reference

 

Kolpin, D.W., Furlong, E.T., Meyer, M.T., Thurman, E.M., Zaugg, S.D., Barber, L.B., & Buxton, H.T. (2002).

Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance. Environmental Science and Technology, 36(6), 1202-1211.

 

Assignment:

 

Using articles that you find in in your research, put the PIE issue into perspective. Do this by including relevant discussion and analysis on the following areas:

 

• Outline the political and societal concerns that are related to this issue.
• The sources and impacts of these pharmaceutical residuals (chemical substances) being discharged into streams
• Describe the recommendations and programs in the United States for disposing of unused medicines. Compare these to how medicines are disposed in Europe.

Make a recommendation to EPA on how unused medicines should be disposed. Make your case for who should pay for the disposal program: the patient, the manufacturer, or the government?

 

Regardless of which option you choose to write about, your final product should be a minimum of three pages in length, not including your title page and reference page, and should be in APA style. You are required to use a minimum two scholarly sources, which must be cited and referenced appropriately. Only one of your sources may be your textbook (or other assigned reading source).

 

Encyclopedias (online or print), message boards, or any sources that can be amended without educated review, such as Wikipedia, are not considered appropriate. Failure to use appropriate resources can lead to deductions. You are encouraged to use the CSU Online Library for scholarly sources. CSU librarians are available to help you with your research for this assignment if you need assistance.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit VII PowerPoint Presentation

 

Your client is a company that has been cited with a notice of violation for discharging toxic chemicals into the municipal sewer system. The regulatory authorities are requiring that the company develop a waste management plan to address the violations related to the manufacturing process. A preliminary assessment concludes that the toxic chemicals are necessary because of old and outdated equipment. Management wants to get back into compliance, spending as little capital as possible. They believe that adding additional pollution control at the end of the process is a reasonable solution. You believe that if the company spends additional capital, the equipment can be updated, eliminating the need for toxic chemicals. Neither solution yields a better quality product.

 

Prepare a 15-slide PowerPoint presentation to give to the executive committee of your client. Organize the presentation as follows:

 

• Slide 1: Summarize the situation and common goals so that the committee will understand that you are on the same page.
• Slide 2: Review the major ideas and intent behind the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). Summarize the key elements of the PPA in one slide that relate to this scenario.
• Slides 3-4: Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the solution that seeks to install additional pollution equipment at the end of the process.
• Slides 5-6: Summarize the strength and weaknesses of your solution to spend additional funds to upgrade the equipment used to manufacture the product.
• Slide 7: Set the stage for convincing the committee to adopt your recommendation by showing the key differences between the two options.
• Slides 8-9: Apply the key ideas of the PPA (slide 2) to each scenario.
• Slide 10: Ask the committee to make a decision, reminding them that customers and shareholders may evaluate their product brand and reputation based on the decisions that they make now to go in a green position.
• Slides 11-15. Provide additional detailed slides for the committee to read later as they consider your proposal. These slides should fill in the GAPS in your 10-slide presentation.

 

You are required to use a minimum two reputable sources, which must be cited and referenced appropriately. Only one of your sources may be your textbook (or other assigned reading source).

 

Encyclopedias (online or print), message boards, or any sources that can be amended without educated review, such as Wikipedia, are not considered appropriate. Failure to use appropriate resources can lead to deductions. You are encouraged to use the CSU Online Library for scholarly sources. CSU librarians are available to help you with your research for this assignment if you need assistance.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

 

Unit VIII Scholarly Activity

 

Obtain an annual report from a chemical company (e.g. DuPont, Eastman Kodak, Dow Chemical, Monsanto, Pfizer, etc.), or visit a company’s public website where they discuss sustainability and pollution prevention programs. These annual reports can often be found via an Internet search.

From your research, be able to address the following:

 

• Comment on the adequacy of the report in relation to pollution prevention principles and sustainability issues.
• What goals have the company set, and what is the time frame for completing these?
• How do these support the principles of P2 and sustainability?
• What is missing? What are the goals that the company did not adopt, and why do you think that they should have been adopted?

 

Your response should be a minimum of one page in length. All sources used, including textbooks, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

 

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.