Thermal Pollution
Organisms and ecosystems survive within a finite range of environmental conditions. One of the key factors in these conditions is the temperature range. From a waste management perspective, heat is both a friend and foe. When properly designed and operated, incinerators and other thermal technologies reduce municipal and industrial wastes in volume and change their physical and chemical properties to make these wastes less toxic and more easily manageable. However, if not operated properly, these same technologies can form very toxic chemical compounds. Thermal pollutants can affect the environment in every phase and environmental media. Heat may be a water pollutant if its addition directly or indirectly harms the biota living in surface wards. Complete destruction of a toxic compound versus the release of even more toxic compounds in an incinerator can be determined by a relatively small temperature range. Adding heat to a stream or other ecosystem can completely alter its biological integrity. Food chains and the health of human populations are affected by direct heating or by the indirect effects of added heat. Thus, waste management must always devote attention to these and other possible impacts from heat in the design and operation of systems.
