toxic waste

[ tok-sik weyst ]

noun

1. any hazardous waste that, when consumed or otherwise absorbed into the body, is harmful or fatal to people or other living organisms:

   Toxic waste containing lead and mercury had leached into their drinking water, and the number of poisoned residents was staggering.

toxic waste

1. A general term used to refer to chemical compounds produced by industry which, if they are ingested or breathed in by humans, can cause physiological damage. The disposal of toxic wastes is a major environmental problem in the United States.

Word History and Origins

Origin of toxic waste¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

In an earlier era, such spillovers would include air pollution, toxic wastes and greenhouse gases.

From Time

The auditor’s office looked into it and thinks the Industrial Wastewater Control Program is missing hundreds of businesses we didn’t know about that might leak toxic waste into the sewer — and subsequently into our future drinking water.

From Voice of San Diego

Part of the concern, San Diego officials told me, is that Mexico lacks a system to monitor whether businesses are dumping toxic waste into the sewer system.

From Voice of San Diego

It’s possible that the city of San Diego is not properly regulating hundreds of businesses that could be disposing toxic waste into the sewer system, an audit found Thursday.

From Voice of San Diego

Phillips, the Syracuse professor, offers a metaphor of the platforms as factories leaking toxic waste into our democracies.

From Time

“I warned them that this toxic waste would kill entire generations,” he told Mediaset.

From The Daily Beast

Trying to stop companies from dumping toxic waste in the river?

From The Daily Beast

Additionally, his Superfund law has led to the cleanup of dozens of toxic waste sites throughout the country.

From The Daily Beast

But 10 million children under 12 still live within four miles of a toxic waste dump.

From Project Gutenberg

Some say that the taxpayer should pick up the tab for toxic waste and let polluters who can afford to fix it off the hook.

From Project Gutenberg

In the last four years, we cleaned up 250 toxic waste sites, as many as in the previous 12.

From Project Gutenberg

Incidentally, it also serves as the EU's dumping grounds for anything from toxic waste to shoddy or outmoded products.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• poison
• pollution