18-Env-A6 Solid Waste Engineering and Management
Worked solutions to 12 past sittings (2013–2019), 182 questions. Pick a sitting, or start from a topic below.
- December 2019
- December 2018
- December 2017
- May 2017
- December 2016
- May 2016
- May 2015
- December 2014
- May 2014
- December 2013
- May 2013
- Undated paper
Topics across the sittings
Topics that come up in more than one sitting, taken from the headings of our worked solutions. A topic counts once per sitting.
- Sanitary Landfill Cross Section (6 sittings): December 2019 Q2 · December 2018 Q3 · May 2017 Q5 · May 2015 Q11 · December 2013 Q9 · Undated paper Q5
- Variables Governing Landfill Gas Production (5 sittings): December 2017 Q11 · May 2017 Q13 · December 2016 Q13 · May 2016 Q4 · December 2013 Q16
- Composting Process (3 sittings): December 2019 Q3 · December 2018 Q2 · Undated paper Q2
- Landfill Mining (3 sittings): December 2017 Q7 · December 2016 Q11 · May 2016 Q16
- Leachate Treatment Processes (3 sittings): May 2017 Q2 · May 2016 Q2 · December 2013 Q4
- MSW Composition Analysis (3 sittings): December 2019 Q4 · December 2018 Q4 · Undated paper Q4
- Strategy to Extend Landfill Life (3 sittings): May 2017 Q8 · December 2016 Q9 · December 2013 Q11
- Composition (2 sittings): December 2017 Q13 · December 2013 Q13
- Composition Study (2 sittings): May 2016 Q13 · May 2015 Q3
- Density of MSW (2 sittings): May 2017 Q6 · May 2013 Q15
- Energy Content of Refuse (2 sittings): May 2017 Q14 · May 2013 Q1
- Factors Affecting Landfill Gas Production (2 sittings): December 2017 Q9 · May 2016 Q5
- Goal (2 sittings): December 2016 Q4 · December 2014 Q21
- Leachate Quantity (2 sittings): December 2013 Q15 · May 2013 Q14
- Long-Term Landfill Closure Plan (2 sittings): December 2017 Q6 · December 2016 Q10
Questions by sitting
December 2019
- Question 1: Key MSW Management Terms
- Question 2: Phase 3 Acid-Phase Biology and Sanitary Landfill Cross Section
- Question 3: Composting Process, Odour and Product Quality
- Question 4: Landfill Gas Composition Trend and MSW Composition Analysis
- Question 5: The Five Phases of a Landfill
December 2018
- Question 1: Description and Significance of Key MSW Management Terms
- Question 2: Composting Process, Odour and Product Quality
- Question 3: Sanitary Landfill Cross Section and Design Methods
- Question 4: Landfill Gas Composition and MSW Composition Analysis
- Question 5: The Five Phases of Landfill Decomposition
December 2017
- Question 1: GHG-Reduction Strategy for Solid Waste
- Question 2: Annual Landfill Area for a Population of 50,000
- Question 3: Hazards of Methane in Landfill Gas
- Question 4: Required Landfill Area for a Community of 31,000
- Question 5: Factors in Discharging Landfill Leachate to a WWTP
- Question 6: Long-Term Landfill Closure Plan
- Question 7: Landfill Mining
- Question 8: Extending the Life of a Community Landfill
- Question 9: Factors Affecting Landfill Gas Production
- Question 10: Public Meeting Strategy for Siting Opposition
- Question 11: Variables Governing Landfill Gas Production
- Question 12: General Concerns with Landfilling
- Question 13: Determining Solid Waste Generation Rates and Composition
- Question 14: Engineering Calculations for Performance Criteria
- Question 15: Waste Separation at Source
- Question 16: Determinants of MSW Moisture Content
- Question 17: Greatest Deterrent to Materials Reclamation
- Question 18: Post-Closure Care Factors
May 2017
- Question 1: Considerations for Collection System Design
- Question 2: Leachate Treatment Processes
- Question 3: Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Question 4: Source Separation vs. MRF Separation
- Question 5: Sanitary Landfill Cross Section
- Question 6: Moisture Content and Density of MSW
- Question 7: Hazards of Methane in Landfill Gas
- Question 8: Strategy to Extend Landfill Life
- Question 9: Life-Cycle Analysis of a Composting Facility
- Question 10: Issues in Implementing a Composting Facility
- Question 11: Steps in Composting
- Question 12: Factors Limiting Vegetation Growth on Landfills
- Question 13: Variables Governing Landfill Gas Production
- Question 14: Energy Content of Refuse
- Question 15: Risk Analysis for a Landfill Project
- Question 16: Advantages and Disadvantages of Sanitary Landfills
December 2016
- Question 1: Source Separation vs. Materials Recovery Facility
- Question 2: Generation Rate and Composition Survey
- Question 3: Physical Properties of MSW
- Question 4: Waste Characterization Study — Goal and Steps
- Question 5: Odor Development in On-Site Storage
- Question 6: Impact of Hazardous Waste in Solid Waste Facilities
- Question 7: Required Landfill Area
- Question 8: Discharging Landfill Leachate to a WWTP
- Question 9: Strategy to Extend Landfill Life
- Question 10: Long-Term Landfill Closure Plan
- Question 11: Landfill Mining
- Question 12: Public Meeting Strategy for a New Landfill
- Question 13: Variables Governing Landfill Gas Production
- Question 14: Factors Affecting LFG Production
- Question 15: Issues in Implementing MSW Combustion Facilities
- Question 16: Energy Content of a Refuse Mix
- Question 17: Issues in Implementing a Composting Facility
- Question 18: Aerobic Composting Parameter Effects
- Question 19: Composting Feasibility Report Index
- Question 20: Life Cycle Analysis of a Solid Waste Management Plan
May 2016
- Question 1: Definitions
- Question 2: Leachate Treatment Processes
- Question 3: Problems Associated with Landfilling
- Question 4: Variables Governing Landfill Gas Production
- Question 5: Factors Affecting Landfill Gas Production
- Question 6: Methods to Estimate Municipal Refuse Quantities
- Question 7: Hazards Posed by Methane Emissions from LFG
- Question 8: Post-Closure Plan Considerations
- Question 9: Waste-to-Energy Feasibility Assessment for an Industrial Park
- Question 10: Landfill Project Risk Analysis
- Question 11: Landfill Design and Operational Plan
- Question 12: When Source Separation Is Warranted
- Question 13: Waste Generation Rate and Composition Study
- Question 14: Steps in the Composting Operation
- Question 15: Key Process Inputs for Healthy Compost
- Question 16: Landfill Mining
- Question 17: Data Sources for a Seasonal Community's Waste Strategy
May 2015
- Question 1: Definitions
- Question 2: Design Criteria and Considerations
- Question 3: Waste Generation and Composition Study
- Question 4: Compacted Density
- Question 5: Clay Liner Thickness for Leachate Seepage Control
- Question 6: Aerobic Composting Design Considerations
- Question 7: Extending Landfill Life — Consulting Strategy
- Question 8: Role of Particle Size in Composting
- Question 9: Life Cycle Analysis of a Composting Operation
- Question 10: Landfill Site Selection Factors
- Question 11: Sanitary Landfill Cross Section
- Question 12: The Three T's of Incineration
December 2014
- Question 1: Elements of a Waste Management System
- Question 2: Integrated Solid Waste Management
- Question 3: Important Issues in System Operation
- Question 4: Future Challenges and Opportunities
- Question 5: Information-Gathering Strategy for a Solid Waste Management Plan
- Question 6: Determining MSW Composition in the Field
- Question 7: Materials Commonly Separated from MSW
- Question 8: Separate Collection of Yard Wastes
- Question 9: Impacts of Waste Diversion Programs on MSW Composition
- Question 10: Important Physical Properties of MSW
- Question 11: Properties Needed for Solid Waste as Fuel
- Question 12: Determining the Energy Content of Solid Waste Components
- Question 13: Purpose of Measuring Biodegradability of the Organic Fraction
- Question 14: Factors Causing Odour in On-Site Storage
- Question 15: Physical and Chemical Transformation Processes
- Question 16: Biological Transformation Processes — Advantages and Disadvantages
- Question 17: Impact of Hazardous Wastes in Solid Waste Management Facilities
- Question 18: Most Effective Way to Manage Hazardous Wastes in MSW
- Question 19: Estimating Waste Quantities
- Question 20: Factors Causing Waste Generation Rates to Differ Between Communities
- Question 21: Goal and Major Steps of a Waste Characterization Study
- Question 22: Role of Size Reduction as a Unit Operation
- Question 23: How Density Separation, Magnetic Separation and Densification Are Accomplished
- Question 24: Issues in Implementing Combustion Facilities for MSW
- Question 25: Concerns with Landfilling of Solid Wastes
- Question 26: Sketch and Label a Landfill
- Question 27: Leachate Management Options
- Question 28: Topics in a Long-Term Landfill Closure Plan
- Question 29: Environmental Impacts of Thermal Recovery Systems
May 2014
- Question 1: Definitions
- Question 2: Obstacles to Solid Waste Recycling
- Question 3: Federal Acts Relevant to Waste Management
- Question 4: Sanitary Landfill Site Features
- Question 5: Strategies for Managing Food Wastes
- Question 6: Risk Perception
- Question 7: Extending the Lifespan of an Existing Landfill
- Question 8: Investigating a Composting Odour Complaint
- Question 9: Managing Solid Waste from a Major Winter Sporting Event
- Question 10: Prerequisites to the Biological Process of Composting
- Question 11: Factors Affecting the Composting Process
- Question 12: Properties of Solid Waste as a Fuel
- Question 13: Design Factors for a Landfill Leachate Collection System
- Question 14: Considerations in Siting a New Landfill
- Question 15: Importance of Hydraulic Conductivity of Compacted Wastes
- Question 16: Definition Sketch for a Landfill Water Balance
- Question 17: Landfill Leachate Management Options
- Question 18: Maintaining an Outdoor Composting Facility During Winter
- Question 19: Eliminating Small Quantities of Hazardous Waste from MSW
- Question 20: Methods to Assess Solid Waste Quantities
- Question 21: Strategies to Derive Energy from Municipal Wastes
- Question 22: Unit Operations for Separation and Processing of Municipal Solid Wastes
December 2013
- Question 1: Definitions
- Question 2: Critical Considerations in Solid Waste Management
- Question 3: Design Considerations for a Collection System
- Question 4: Leachate Treatment Processes
- Question 5: Common Landfill Design Problems
- Question 6: Strategy to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Solid Waste
- Question 7: Annual Landfill Area for a Population of 50,000
- Question 8: Separation at Home vs. Separation at a Materials Recovery Facility
- Question 9: Sanitary Landfill Cross Section
- Question 10: Resource Recovery Plant Process Diagram
- Question 11: Strategy to Extend Landfill Life
- Question 12: Methods to Estimate Municipal Refuse Quantities
- Question 13: Estimating Generation Rates and Composition
- Question 14: Waste-to-Energy Feasibility Assessment
- Question 15: Leachate Quantity and Time to Saturation
- Question 16: Variables Governing Landfill Gas Production
May 2013
- Question 1: Energy Content of Refuse
- Question 2: Non-Economic Considerations in Solid Waste Management
- Question 3: Reducing Costs Beyond Collection
- Question 4: Disposal Options for Solid Waste
- Question 5: Problems with Landfilling
- Question 6: Key Considerations in Leachate Generation
- Question 7: Factors Influencing Landfill Gas Production
- Question 8: Integrated Waste Management
- Question 9: Leachate Treatment and Disposal Options
- Question 10: Life-Cycle Analysis of a Composting Solution
- Question 11: Definitions
- Question 12: Naming Lists
- Question 13: Landfill Gas for Home Heating
- Question 14: Leachate Quantity and Time to Saturation
- Question 15: Moisture Content and Density of MSW
- Question 16: Packer Truck Trips per Collection Day
- Question 17: Break-Even Price for Diverted Paper
Undated paper
- Question 1: Municipal Solid Waste Management Fundamentals
- Question 2: Composting Process, Odour Control and Compost Quality
- Question 3: Landfill Biological Phases and Design Construction Methods
- Question 4: Passive Landfill Gas Control and MSW Composition Analysis
- Question 5: Sanitary Landfill Cross Section and Cover Material