GENERATION OF WASTE &THEIR TYPES.

What is WASTE ?-unwanted or unusable materials.-any substance which is discarded after primary use, or it is worthless, defective and of no use.-the United Nations environment program defines waste as “substance or objects, which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law”.

KINDS OF WASTESSolid wastes: wastes in solid forms,

domestic, commercial and industrial wastes

Examples: plastics, styrofoam containers,

bottles, cans, papers, scrap iron, and other trash

Liquid Wastes: wastes in liquid form

Examples: domestic washings, chemicals, oils, waste water from ponds, manufacturing industries and other sources

SOLID WASTE Any garbage or refuse (Municipal Solid

Waste)Sludge from a wastewater treatment

plant, water supply treatment plant, or air pollution control facility

Other discarded material Solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained

gaseous material from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities

LIQUID WASTELiquid waste includes sewage as well

as wastewater from industrial processes such as food and agricultural processing, and manufacturing.

Liquid waste can be subdivided into other waste types based on the nature of the liquid waste and the risks it poses.

For example, wastewater may contain organic substances and nutrients that are of value to agriculture, or may be hazardous due to the chemicals or pathogens it contains.

Classification of wasteBiodegradable waste- can be

degraded(paper,wood,fruits and others)

Non-biodegradable waste-cannot be degraded(plastics, bottles,old machines,cans etc.)

Hazardous wastesSubstances unsafe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or economically and have any of the following properties- ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity & toxicity.Non-hazardous Substances safe to use commercially, industrially, agriculturally, or economically and do not have any of those properties mentioned above. These substances usually create disposal problems.

Classification of waste occording to their origin(generation) and typeMunicipal Solid wastes: Solid wastes that

include household garbage, rubbish, construction & demolition debris, sanitation residues, packaging materials, trade refuges etc. are managed by any municipality.

Industrial wastes: Liquid and solid wastes that are generated by manufacturing & processing units of various industries like chemical, petroleum, coal, metal gas, sanitary & paper etc.

Agricultural wastes:Wastes generated from farming activities. These substances are mostly biodegradable.

Fishery wastes: Wastes generated due to fishery activities. These are extensively found in coastal & estuarine areas.

Radioactive wastes: Waste containing radioactive materials. Usually these are byproducts of nuclear processes. Sometimes industries that are not directly involved in nuclear activities, may also produce some radioactive wastes, e.g. radio-isotopes, chemical sludge etc.

E-wastes: Electronic wastes generated from any modern establishments. They may be described as discarded electrical or electronic devices. Some electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, may contain contaminants such as Pb, Cd, Be or brominated flame retardants.

Bio-medical wastes: Solid or liquid wastes including containers, intermediate or end products generated during diagnosis, treatment & research activities of medical sciences.

WASTE DISPOSALDilute and disperse(Attenuation): throw it

in the river/sea/burn it.Basically this involves spreading trash thinly

over a large area to minimize its impact.Works for sewage, some waste chemicals,

when land-disposal is not availableConcentrate and contain(isolation):waste

dumps/landfills.This is how mostly of the solid waste gets

treated.

USEFUL OPTIONSVermicomposting-the use of earthworms to convert

organic waste into fertilizer.Composting-nature's process of recycling decomposed

organic materials into a rich soil known as compostResource recoveryIncineration-the destruction of waste material by

burning.Pyrolysis-decomposition brought about by high

temperatures.GasificationEnergy recoveryBio methanation-process to convert waste into biogas

with the help of anaerobic microorganism like bacteria.

Impacts of waste on healthChemical poisoning through chemical

inhalationUncollected waste can obstruct the storm

water runoff resulting in flood Low birth weightCancerCongenital malformationsNeurological diseaseNausea and vomitingIncrease in hospitalization of diabetic

residents living near hazard waste sites.Mercury toxicity from eating fish with high

levels of mercury.

Effects of waste on animals and aquatics life

Increase in mercury level in fish due to disposal of mercury in the rivers.

Plastic found in oceans is ingested by birds.

Resulted in high algal population in rivers and sea.

Degrades water and soil quality.

Impacts of waste on Environment

Waste breaks down in landfills to form methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Change in climate and destruction of ozone layer due to waste biodegradable.

Incinerating waste also causes problems, because plastics tend to produce toxic substances, such as dioxins, when they are burn.

Gases from incineration may cause air pollution and contribute to acid rain, while the ash from incinerators may contain heavy metals and other toxins.

THE 3 R’s OF WASTE MANAGEMENT

REDUCEThe best way to manage waste is to not produce it. • Avoid disposable goods, such as paper plates,

cups, napkins, razors, and lighters. • Avoid over-packaged goods, especially ones

packed with several materials such as foil, paper, and plastic. They are difficult to recycle

• Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.• Use a dish cloth instead of paper towels.

RE-USEIt makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products.

Reuse products for the same purpose. Save paper and plastic bags, and repair broken appliances, furniture and toys.

Sell old clothes, appliances, toys, and furniture in garage sales or ads, or donate them to charities.

Use resealable containers rather than plastic wrap.Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of paper cups.Reuse grocery bags or bring your own cloth bags to

the store. Do not take a bag from the store unless you need one.

RE-CYCLERecycling is a series of steps that takes a used material and processes, remanufactures, and sells it as a new product.• Buy products made from recycled material. Look for the

recycling symbol or ask store managers or salesmen• Use recycled paper for letterhead, copier paper and

newsletters.• Check collection centers and curbside pickup services to

see what they accept, and begin collecting those materials. These can include metal cans, newspapers, paper products, glass, plastics and oil.

• Buy products made from material that is collected for recycling in your community.

Few other things that can be done

Donate/exchange old books,clothes,computers,excess building material,old quipment to local organizations

Employee education-education campaign on waste management that includes an extensive internal web site, quarterly newsletters, daily bulletins, promotional signs and helpful reference labels within the campus of an institution.

Conduct outreach program adopting an ecologically sound waste management system which includes:

waste reductionsegregation at sourcecompostingrecycling and re-usemore efficient collectionmore environmentally sound disposal

REFERENCESwww.wikipedia.comEnvironmental Science-G Tyler

MillerEnvironmental Studies-Erach

Bharuchawww.google.com/images