Relate the law of conservation of matter and energy to the problems of air pollution and solid-waste disposal?

Answer 1

The laws are:

# Overall you end up with what you started with, but not as optimally arranged

# Left on their own things get worse # In the long run, you can never break even

In industrial processes you wan to make something out of another material. For this you need a supply of the original material and energy. You get some of what you want (product), other stuff you don't want (waste and byproducts) and energy degraded so it is of no further use to you.

The manufacturing systems are never perfect so you get less "good" than the ideal case would have you expect.

The waste and by products can be gaseous (carbon dioxide, SOx, NOx, fugitive VOCs), liquids (Heavy bunker oils, contaminated water etc.) or solids (sludges, fly ash, bottom ash, sediment). You also get energy waste - hot air and hot water. These components are lost to you forever.

Answer 2

The law of conservation of matter and energy states that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. In the context of air pollution and solid waste disposal, this means that pollutants generated from burning fossil fuels or improper waste disposal do not disappear but can be transformed into different forms that can impact our environment and health. To address these problems, it is crucial to consider the impact of these transformations and find ways to minimize negative consequences through proper waste management practices and transitioning to cleaner energy sources.