Introduction - Principles of Chemical Separations with Environmental Applications - page 12

1.4 Based on the Pollution Prevention Hierarchy, what is the best approach to minimize
pollution?
1.5 Give two examples of (a) pollution prevention; (b) clean-up of existing pollution
problems.
1.6 Describe, in your own words, why you are interested in environmental applications.
1.7 What do you think is the future of separations for environmental applications?
1.8 List and describe three external stimuli that can cause movement of matter.
1.9 Which is more difficult to control and remediate, point-source or non-point-source
pollution? Why? What about mobile versus stationary sources?
1.10 Electric cars are recharged at night by electricity from local power plants. If local
power plants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels, why are electric cars more
environmentally sound than conventional gas (petrol)-burning cars?
1.11 Explaining the pollution cost of energy production and use from an environmental
point of view, why is nuclear generated power better than conventional power plants?
What waste products are generated by nuclear power?
1.12 Fifty years ago, pollution control was governed by the quote, “the solution to pollu-
tion is dilution.” Why is this no longer an acceptable practice?
1.13 Why is source reduction the best practice for pollution control?
1.14 Discuss the effects of population growth on the environment.
1.15 The adsorption step in a process sequence can be used to remove a contaminant from
a fluid stream by contact with a stationary solid adsorbent bed. Is this an example of
purification, concentration, or fractionation, and why?
1.16 Is it possible for a separation process used to control one form of pollution to create
another? Explain.