Vet track Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 HI all, I'm studying safety procedures with chemical substances as preparation for a lab, and my question is why copper salts can't end up in a landfill. I know they are highly toxic to living things and landfills have an effect on the environment around them, and that they are dangerous if untrained perssonnel are handling them, but is there more? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiot Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 Look at the water solubility of copper salts. Can they be carried by groundwater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vet track Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, studiot said: Look at the water solubility of copper salts. Can they be carried by groundwater? Yes? they are soluble in water. So if they were in a landfill, or going down a drain, does this mean the water would carry them too far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StringJunky Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, Vet track said: Yes? they are soluble in water. So if they were in a landfill, or going down a drain, does this mean the water would carry them too far? What would it do to decomposition organisms in landfill and what would be the effect of that on the landfill? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiot Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 If they are dissolved in the water, they will go where the water goes. When the water evaporates, they will deposit. By the way I don't think all copper salts are soluble but I know many are. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vet track Posted September 3, 2018 Author Share Posted September 3, 2018 3 minutes ago, StringJunky said: What would it do to decomposition organisms in landfill and what would be the effect of that on the landfill? Oh! I hadn't thought of that, It would kill any organisms working to break down waste at a landfill which would halt that process, and result in faster accumulation of waste. Thanks for the help StringJunky and studiot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StringJunky Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 4 minutes ago, Vet track said: Oh! I hadn't thought of that, It would kill any organisms working to break down waste at a landfill which would halt that process, and result in faster accumulation of waste. Thanks for the help StringJunky and studiot. Yes, the last thing you want in your landfill is antimicrobial agents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiot Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 1 minute ago, Vet track said: Oh! I hadn't thought of that, It would kill any organisms working to break down waste at a landfill which would halt that process, and result in faster accumulation of waste. Thanks for the help StringJunky and studiot. Perhaps, perhaps not. Copper increases the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), competing with aerobic organisms, thus favouring anaerobic ones. But the efect is low unless the copper is at high level because copper is not a particularly high level contaminent in normal landfill. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StringJunky Posted September 3, 2018 Share Posted September 3, 2018 (edited) 6 minutes ago, studiot said: Perhaps, perhaps not. Copper increases the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), competing with aerobic organisms, thus favouring anaerobic ones. But the efect is low unless the copper is at high level because copper is not a particularly high level contaminent in normal landfill. Does it matter that the amount is in practice low, but rather the principle of what the authorities consider toxic, which they expect us to comply with? Edited September 3, 2018 by StringJunky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cuthber Posted September 4, 2018 Share Posted September 4, 2018 Most food contains copper. It ends up in waste treatment / storage systems. They cope. The issue is, as always, the dose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now