 |
 |
Decomposition Rates
Name: Aalan
Status: Educator
Grade: 9-12
Location: CA
Country: United States
Date: August 2007
Question:
I am teaching environmental science to 11th graders
this Fall and would like some specific info regarding the
decomposition rate of garbage, in general, for instance:
plastic, Cellophane, Mylar (like the balloons that are so
popular), glass, aluminum, etc. If you do not have this
information, do you have a source I can tap?
Replies:
The "chemistry" of municipal solid waste is complicated --
very complicated. The rate of decomposition of various trash
components depends not only on what the component is, but what
other materials the component comes into contact. For example,
at neutral pH (~7) aluminum is very stable, but at low pH (~3)
or high pH (~9) it decomposes rapidly. Below are several web
sites, but I caution you that solid municipal waste (trash)
"chemistry" is very complicated, and full of surprises.
http://www.sfb477.tu-bs.de/english/tp_b6/tpb6.html
http://publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/pdf/SP1-438-TR-e-p.pdf
Vince Calder
Be aware that since many of today's land fills are sealed, decomposition
rates are very low due to the dry and essentially oxygen free conditions
in the land fills themselves. According to New Scientist Magazine,
plastic shopping bags are better in these conditions than paper. The
reasoning is that plastic takes up 1/10 the space of paper and the paper
takes so long to decompose that land fill volume is the critical
ecological factor.
A superb source fro all thinks trashy its the Tucson Garbage Project and
books and articles by William Rathje.
R. Avakian
Click here to return to the Environmental and Earth Science Archives
| |
Update: June 2012
|
|
