Solid Waste Pollution
Solid Waste Pollution
Solid waste is that material which arises from various human activities and is
normally discarded as useless or unwanted. It consists of discarded materials
from the urban community as well as accumulation of agriculture, industrial, and
mining wastes. The quality of solid waste generated in some major cities of India
is very high. Thus crores of rupees are being spent on solid waste management.
Moreover, in some cases such as cans, bottles, plastic containers, tyres etc. are
considered cheaper to throw away than to reclaim. This has increased the
generation of solid waste many folds.
Classification:
Solid waste can be classified on the basis of content or moisture basis or on the
basis of heating value.
1. Garbage:
This is the putrescible solid waste produced during the preparation or
storage of meat, fruit, vegetables, etc. This waste has a moisture content
of about 70% and heating value of around 6 X 106 J/kg. It may contain
valuable minerals and nutrients.
2. Rubbish:
It is a non-putrescible solid waste. It can either be combustible (such as
paper, wood, rubber, etc.) or non-combustible (such as metals, glass,
ceramics, etc.) The water content is about 25% and the heating value of
the waste is around 15 X 106 J/kg.
3. Pathological waste:
Dead animals, humans etc constitute pathological waste. It has a moisture
content of 85% and a heating value of around 2.5 X 106 J/kg. The waste
may also include hospital waste which comprises of disposable syringes,
swabs, bandages, body fluids etc. This kind of waste is highly infectious.
4. Industrial waste:
The industrial waste includes the waste from industries. The industrial
wastes include waste from coal or ore mines, electroplating works, textiles
industries, paper industries, oil refineries etc. Industrial waste contains
inorganic or organic pollutants which may or may not be soluble.
5. Agricultural waste:
It includes animal manure, crop residue etc. Herbicides, fungicides, etc
also contribute to agricultural waste.
Sources:
The principle sources of solid waste are domestic, commercial and industrial and
agricultural activities. Sometimes domestic and commercial wastes are
considered together and called urban wastes. The composition of urban waste
remains similar throughout the world but the amount generated, ratio and the
density of the constituents vary widely from place to place.
On the other hand, agricultural wastes amount to around 2 kg per person per
day in India. Waste is referred to as trash, junk, refuse etc.
Several disposal methods are being used in various parts of the world and the
most prominent of these are discussed below:
1. Sanitary Landfills:
Historically landfills have been the main method used to dispose of solid
waste because of their convenience and low maintenance costs.
Landfills are generally located in urban areas where a large amount of
waste is generated and has to be dumped in common place. Unlike an
open dump, it is a pit that is dug in the ground. The garbage is dumped
and the pit is covered thus preventing the breeding of flies and rats. At the
end of each day, a layer of soil is scattered on the top of it and some
mechanism is used to compress the garbage forming a layered structure
which is usually called a cell. After the landfill is full, the area is covered
with a thick layer of mud and the site can thereafter be developed as
parking lot or park.
Landfills have many problems. All types of waste are dumped in landfills
and when water seeps through them, it gets contaminated and in turn
pollutes the surrounding area. This is known as leaching.
Sanitary landfill solves the problem of leaching to some extent. It is more
hygienic and built in methodical manner. These are lined with materials
that are impermeable such as plastics and clay, and are also built over
impermeable soil. The lining materials are called liners.
Drainage systems are setup around and beneath the liner to collect liquids
leaching from garbage and waste. Collected liquids are treated to make
them more environmentally safe.
The landfill operation is essentially a biological method of waste
treatment. The whole process takes place in five phases
• In the first phase aerobic bacteria deplete the available oxygen as a
result of aerobic respiration.
• In second phase anaerobic conditions prevail and H2 and CO2 are
evolved.
• In phase three and four methane forming bacteria decompose the
matter to methane and CO2. That is why escape vents for gases are
provided in the landfills.
• In phase five the methanogenic activity decreases, representing the
depletion of organic matter and ultimately the system returns to
aerobic conditions within the landfill.
Advantages:
Limitations:
Advantages:
Advantages:
HAZARDOUS WASTES:
Although the legal definition of hazardous waste is complex, the term generally
refers to the waste that could pose a threat to human health and the
environment, if managed improperly. It can be defined as ‘any waste which
because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious
characteristics may cause significant hazard to human health and environment
when improperly treated, stored, transported or disposed of.’
1. Reactivity:
Any waste which is not stable at normal conditions and hence can cause
explosive reactions or liberate toxic fumes, gases and vapours, reacts
violently when mixed with water. Example of reactive waste include,
sodium and potassium metal, dry picric acid, compounds that form
explosive peroxides, cyanide plating operations etc.
2. Ignitability:
Wastes which easily ignite and burn vigorously at or below 60⁰C are
considered hazardous. Examples include volatile liquids such as solvents.
3. Corrosivity:
Wastes which include liquids with pH less than 2 or greater than 12.5 and
those which are capable of corroding metal containers. These include
H2SO4, HCL, NaOH, OH, lime, battery acid etc.
4. Toxicity:
Toxic substances are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed. The
wastes which release toxic materials on leaching in excess of the
permissible concentration pose a substantial hazard to human health and
are termed as toxic. Examples are products that contain benzene,
cadmium, silver, chromium, rat poison and anti-freeze etc.
The hazardous wastes have been classified into the three categories:
1. Radiochemical Wastes:
Radioactivity arises naturally from the decay of particular forms of some
elements, called radioactive isotopes.
Effects:
Radiations damage the living organisms. The damage can be classified as:
i) Somatic Damage:
It is the damage to the organism itself, resulting in sickness and
death. The result may appear immediately or years later in form of
cancer.
ii) Genetic Damage:
It is the damage which passes from one generation to another. The
radiations affect the chromosomes causing mutations in the genes.
1. Biomedical Waste:
It is the waste that is generated by human or animal health care facilities,
medical or veterinary and teaching establishments, health care teaching
establishments, clinical testing laboratories etc. It includes:
i) Human anatomical waste that consists of tissues, organs or body
parts, but does not include teeth, hair and nails.
ii) Animal waste that consists of tissues, organs, body parts, fluid
blood and blood products etc.
iii) Microbiology laboratory waste that consists of laboratory cultures,
stocks for specimens of microorganisms, live or attenuated
vaccines, human or animal cell cultures used in research.
iv) Waste sharps that are clinical and laboratory materials consisting
of needles, syringes, blades capable of causing punctures or cuts.
Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies:
The following treatment processes are available for treatment of hazardous
wastes:
1. Physical Processes:
These include gravity separation, phase change systems, and various
filtering operations such as carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis etc.
1. Chemical Process:
In chemical treatment methods the hazardous waste is converted into a
less hazardous form and sometimes useful products are also formed.
In situ biodegradation:
In this process the bacteria are used to degrade organic compounds in the
soil and the groundwater on site itself. The advantage of in situ
biodegradation is that the soil and the groundwater do not have to be
removed and hence there is a less risk associated with hazardous waste
transportation.
A
nkit Khullar
BTech (C.S) 1st Year
Index
• Solid Waste Pollution
○ Classification
• Treatment and Disposal Methods
○ Sanitary Landfills
○ Incineration
○ Composting
○ Recycling and Reuse
• Hazardous Wastes
○ Radiochemical Waste
○ Biomedical Waste
○ Chemical Waste
• Hazardous Waste Treatment
○ Physical Processes
○ Chemical Processes
○ Biological Processes