WASTE MANAGEMENT

Any substance which is no longer useful and is discarded is called ‘waste’.

Solid waste: vegetable peels, cans, wrappers

Liquid waste: sewage, oilspills
Gaseous waste: carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide

Biodegradable waste: easily decomposed by microbes. E.g. kitchen waste, garden waste
Non- biodegradable waste: cannot be degraded by microbes or take hundreds of years to degrade.
E.g. cans, glass, plastics

Toxic and hazardous waste: wastes which are poisonous and pose a serious threat to health and
environment. Eg pesticides, chemicals like mercury and lead
Non-toxic wastes: vegetable peels, food leftovers

Sources of toxic wastes:

Lead – paints, storage batteries
Cadmium – refining of metals, tobacco smoke
Nickel – combustion of coal and diesel
Mercury – paints, pharmaceuticals
Asbestos – vehicle brakes, asbestos industries

Sources of Waste:

1. Domestic Waste: Kitchen scrap, garden waste, paper, glass, plastic, rags, wrappers, sewage, cans.

2. Industrial Waste:
a. Mining Waste: They include slag heaps, debris and some chemicals. Mining also causes
leaching of metals, thus contaminating groundwater.
b. Cement industry: It produces dust.
c. Oil Refineries: Their wastes include inorganic sulphur compounds, hydrocarbons and organic
acids.
d. Construction sites: Waste generated is rubble including pieces of bricks, pipes, plastic, and
asbestos.
Other industries which create a lot of wastes are paper, textile, chemical, food processing and
tanneries.
Industries use fossil fuels for energy which releases greenhouse gases.

3. Municipal Waste: It includes commercial wastes from hotels, restaurants, streets, markets and
other public places and household wastes.
They include:
• Biodegradable waste- green waste, food& kitchen wastes.
• Recyclable waste- bottles, cans, glasses, plastic, paper
• Composite waste- that goes to landfills- tetra paks, waste plastic etc.
• Hazardous waste- paints, chemicals, tubes, bulbs, spray cans, used battery cells.
• E-Waste-They include electronic goods like washing machine, TV, refrigerators, hair dryers,
toasters and computer parts. C monitor, CPU, Keyboard, Mouse)

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4. Agricultural Waste: They include –
• Plant remains and crop residues-
a. Field residues: material left behind after harvesting like straw, stalks, leaves
b. Process residues: material left after processing of crop like seeds, husk, bagasse
• Animal waste and animal carcasses
• Processing waste like press mud
• Chemical fertilizers
• Pesticides and insecticides like DDT and aldrin

5. Biomedical Waste: It is generated from clinics, hospitals and pathological laboratories.

• Pathological waste- organs, tissues, blood, urine
• Radioactive waste- anything contaminated with radioactivity.
• Infectious waste- needles, syringes, cotton swabs, linens, buds, dressings.
• Medicines- Outdated drugs and chemicals.

6. Nuclear Waste (Radioactive Waste): It is generated from leakages of nuclear radiations from
nuclear reactors and nuclear research laboratories. X ray machines in hospitals and airports,
radiotherapy, naturally occurring radioactive materials like uranium, thorium, plutonium.

Impact of Waste Accumulation:

A. Land Degradation/ Land Degeneration
B. Pollution
C. Health Problems
D. Loss of terrestrial and aquatic life

A. Land Degradation/ Land Degeneration (Spoilage of Landscape)

i. Solid wastes dumped on the outskirts of settlements (open dumps and landfills) become
breeding grounds for insects and foster diseases. They emanate foul smell and spoil the
scenery.
ii. Many lakes and Wetlands are choked due to algae formation from contamination of
nitrate fertilizers and detergents.
iii. Mining activities leave behind a desert like landscape where the surface soil is stripped
off.
iv. Acid rain scars buildings and discolours monuments and statues.

B. Pollution:
Pollution refers to a deterioration of the environment due to contamination by certain
harmful and unwanted elements that affect the ecological balance.

Sources of Pollution: ( 4 main sectors)

a. Industries- emission of greenhouse gases, toxic effluents in water and acid rain.
b. Agriculture- chemical fertilizers, pesticides, contaminate groundwater, soil and rivers.
c. Urban cities- disposal of sewage in rivers, vehicular pollution, slum areas leading to poor
sanitation.
d. Oil spills- through leakage or accidents of ocean liners, pipelines, offshore oil mining,
dumping of hazardous wastes in the oceans.

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 Types of Pollution:

1) Air pollution: It is the contamination of air by pollutants like dust, smoke and harmful gases
which have an adverse effect on living things and environment.

Major Pollutants: Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
methane, ozone, dust, soot, flyash, CFC (aerosols).

Sources of the Pollutants:

a) Carbon dioxide: CO 2 levels in the atmosphere increase due to deforestation, burning of

fossil fuels, burning of garbage and effluents from industries.
b) Carbon Monoxide: released from automobiles, locomotives and aircraft.
c) Sulphur dioxide: burning of garbage, forest fires, nitrogenous fertilizers, supersonic jet
planes
d) Methane: from swamps, cattle sheds, decomposition of vegetative matter.
e) CFC: It is released from aerosols, solvents, air conditioners and refrigerators.
f) Soot, Dust, Flyash, Smoke: from brick kilns, burning of fossil fuels, emission from factories,
cement industry, construction industry.

Impact of the Air Pollutants:

a. Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen dioxide are greenhouse gases.

Greenhouse effect: An increase in global temperature due to the concentration of
greenhouse gases is known as greenhouse effect.
They cause global warming leading to:
i. Melting of icecaps leading to submergence of low lying areas.
ii. Change in the rainfall pattern and climate
iii. Increase in insects and diseases
iv. Increasing temperature will lead to rise in evaporation and transpiration, which
will affect groundwater level and lead to shortage of fresh water.

b. Depletion of Ozone Layer- is caused by CFC. There is a hole observed over Antarctica. This
hole allows the ultra violet rays of the sun to reach the Earth without filtration.
o This causes skin cancer and cataract.
o It also leads to genetic disorders
o It affects vegetables.
o It affects the ecological balance in the marine ecosystem. Green algae, fish and larvae
get affected.
o It makes plastic brittle.

c. Acid Rain - Pollutants like sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide mix with
rain water to form acids like sulphuric acid, carbonic acid and nitric acid. These come
down as acid rain.
i. Acid rains are ‘lake killers’. They kill the living organisms in the lake.
ii. They corrode metal.
iii. They scar buildings and discolour monuments. (e.g. Taj Mahal)
iv. They turn the soil acidic and affect the vegetation.
v. Plant leaves get burnt and dry. Plant growth is affected.

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 vi. Causes neurological diseases in humans.

d. Sulphur dioxide makes paper brittle, leather disintegrates, causes breathing problems
and redness of eye.

e. Carbon monoxide in the air can cause asphyxiation and weakness.

f. Smog (Dust Domes) - Increased industrial activities and vehicular emissions have led to a
phenomenal increase in air pollution in cities like Delhi and Kolkata. (SPM-Suspended
Particulate Matter)
These cause damage to painted surfaces, fabrics and buildings. In humans they cause
pulmonary diseases like asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.

g. Ozone can cause pulmonary hemorrhage or edema. It discolours or reduces the strength
of textiles.

h. Nitrogen dioxide - pulmonary hemorrhage

Bhopal Gas Tragedy

There was a sudden leakage of the methyl isocynate - a deadly gas, from the Union Carbide
factory in Bhopal in 1984. This gas killed thousands of people, maimed thousands and caused
genetic defects.

Chernobyl Disaster:
This was a radioactive accident that took place in 1986 in Chernobyl in the Ukraine. A reactor
at the nuclear power complex exploded. The core of the reactor combined with water to
produce hydrogen which exploded blowing toxic radioactive gases into the air.
 Whole of western USSR and other European countries were contaminated with radiation
deposited in the soil.
 Meat and dairy products were also contaminated.
 There was high radioactive fallout in Poland, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Italy
and France.
 About 700,000 people became exposed to the radiation
 Many areas in Europe are likely to remain contaminated well into the 22nd century.

2) Water Pollution:
Water pollution means contamination of water, making it unsuitable for designated user.

Major Water Pollutants: Sewage, oil spills, pesticides, industrial wastes, toxic chemicals and
heavy metals and nitrogenous fertilizers and detergents.

Sources and Impact of Water Pollutants:

a) Sewage: from domestic sector and offices. It contains pathogens and may cause water-
borne diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, gastroenteritis.
b) Chemical fertilizers and detergents: from agricultural run offs, sewage from domestic
sector and effluents from industries cause eutrophication.

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 Eutrophication: it is the process of depletion of oxygen from the water bodies.
The agricultural runoffs, sewage from domestic sector and effluents from industries,
contain phosphates and nitrates which cause algae to bloom over local water bodies.
These algae cut off the oxygen and sunlight. Hence marine organisms are affected due to
reduced O 2 . (The algae die and settle at the bottom. The bacteria decompose them and
use up all the oxygen in the water body. Thus all aquatic organisms die due to
suffocation.)

c) Thermal Pollution: Thermal water discharge from thermal power plants kill the cold
water fish.

d) Groundwater Pollution can be caused by :

o Leaching of nitrates, insecticides and chemicals in agricultural fields
o Leaching of pollutants from garbage dumps and landfills
o Leaching from septic tanks
o Salt water intrusions in coastal areas making ground water salty.

e) Oil spills: Leakage from underwater pipelines accidents of ocean liners carrying oil,
offshore oil mining, discharge when ships clean tanks and flush the refuse.
Impact:
o Damage to coral reefs.
o Kills marine life by cutting off sunlight and oxygen.
o Affects respiration of fish.
o Sticks to wings of birds and prevents them from flying.
o Affects fishing and tourism industry making beaches black.
f) Pesticides: Overuse of chemical pesticides in agricultural fields can cause run offs to the
water bodies to contain toxic chemicals. They cause cancer, blindness and retarded
mental growth.

g) Heavy Metals from Industries: They are hazardous and toxic.

o ‘Minamata’ disease is caused by mercury poisoning. It causes nerve and brain damage
and kidney damage
o Biomagnification by which toxic material increases with increasing trophic level of the
food chain.
o Lead poisoning leads to brain damage.
o Cadmium causes cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and kidney damage

Health Hazards due to Wastes:

i. Sewage from domestic sector and offices contains pathogens and may cause water-borne
diseases like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, gastroenteritis.
ii. Unattended waste dumped in the open attracts flies, rats and insects that spread diseases.
iii. Untreated effluents directly dumped into waterbodies causes accumulation of toxic material
in the food chain. (biomagnification) e.g. ‘Minamata’ disease is caused by mercury poisoning.
iv. Choking of drains by solid wastes leads to water-logging and breading of mosquitoes leading
to diseases like malaria and chikungunya.

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 v. Toxic wastes from industries cause following damages:
Lead brain damage
Mercury nerve and brain damage and kidney damage
Cadmium cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and kidney damage
Nickel Respiratory problems, lung cancer
Beryllium Berylliosis, shortness of breath, weight loss and lung cancer
Asbestos Asbestosis, shortness of breath and lung cancer
Arsenic cancer

vi. Ozone depletion causes skin cancer cataract and genetic disorders.
vii. Smog causes asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.
viii. Carbon monoxide in the air can cause asphyxiation and weakness
ix. Ozone in the air can cause pulmonary hemorrhage or edema.
x. Sulphur dioxide can cause breathing problems and redness of the eye.
xi. Nitrogen dioxide - pulmonary hemorrhage
xii. Acid rain causes neurological diseases
xiii. Harmful Effects of Radioactive Pollution: Exposure to small doses of radiation can cause one
or the other diseases as described below, while exposure for a longer period can cause death.
• Radioactive radiation destroys living tissues and blood cells.
• These radiations adversely affect cell membrane and the functioning of cell enzymes.
• These radiations bring about mutation leading to cancer or leukaemia.
• Radioactive rays are a potential danger to the foetus in a pregnant mother, causing
functional abnormalities in the offsprings.

Effect of Pollution on Terrestrial Plants and Animals:

i. Depletion of ozone layer affects vegetables.

ii. Acid rain turns the soil acidic and affects the vegetation. Plant leaves get burnt and dry. Plant
growth is affected
iii. Reduces the rate of photosynthesis
iv. Dust deposition on the stomata of leaves decreases the rate of transpiration.
v. Loss of species and extinction
vi. Scavengers and stray animals (like dogs, cats, mice and cows) feed on waste and consume
plastic carry-bags and die due to choking.
vii. Vultures are scavengers. They are facing extinction due to biomagnifications.
viii. Birds feeding on agricultural waste suffer from defective egg shells and increased mortality.
ix. Ozone causes pulmonary diseases, edema and hemorrhage in dogs and cats.
x. Oil spill sticks to the feathers of birds and prevents them from flying and chokes them when
they try to clean with their beak.
xi. Sea birds ingesting plastic waste from coastal waters suffer from gastrointestinal disorders.
xii. Nuclear radiations from the Chernobyl disaster proved fatal for animals.
xiii. Animals suffer health problems due to radiation like hemorrhage, bone disorder, ulcer and
cancer.

Effect of Pollution on Aquatic life:

i. Hazardous wastes make ocean water acidic which leads to death of aquatic life.

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 ii. Oil spills prevent oxygen diffusion in water and affects respiration. It also chokes the gills of
fishes.
iii. Oil spills also prevents the penetration of light affecting photosynthesis in sea plants.
iv. Oil from an oil spill is pushed to the shore by currents and this oil affects crabs, egg-laying
turtles, snails, oysters and seabirds.
v. DDT used as a pesticide reaches a water body affecting all aquatic life. The fish eating birds
are affected most.
vi. Thermal waste water when released in a water body heats it up and reduces its oxygen
content, resulting in killing of aquatic life.

vii. Biomagnification: (bio-accumulation) It is the process by which toxic material increases with
increasing trophic level of the food chain. Hazardous waste is consumed by plankton which in
turn are consumed by shell fish, small fish & larger fish, ducks affecting them the most.
Minamata Tragedy:
Minamata is a coastal town in Japan. It had a factory of Vinyl Chloride in 1952, which used to
discharge effluents with methyl mercury into the sea. In 1953, fishermen fell ill and this was due
to consuming fish from Minamata Bay. Fishing was banned there. The mercury also killed the sea-
birds feeding on the fish.
Need for Waste Management:

• Our pattern of consumption is generating huge quantities of persistent wastes.

• In towns and cities, with pressure on land, abandoned pits or unproductive sites are difficult to
find for dumping wastes.
• Those wastes dumped into the rivers were so tremendous that the natural carrying and cleaning
capacity of rivers failed and today rivers have become drains.
• Health and quality of life has deteriorated.
• Oceans and aquatic life are affected sue to dumping of wastes and untreated water.
• Air quality is very poor due to vehicular and industrial pollution.

Methods of Safe disposal of Waste:

I. Disposal of Solid Waste:

a. Segregation
b. Sanitary Landfills
c. Composting
d. Incineration

a) Segregation: (Domestic waste)

Solid domestic waste is collected in different bins. The bins are separately labeled. The waste is
divided into:
i. Biodegradable: kitchen waste and paper.
ii. Non biodegradable: glass, metal and plastic
This is further segregated into:
• Dry Waste: this is recycled and reused. E.g. paper, metals, plastic
• Wet waste: this is sent to landfills or compost pits.

b) Sanitary Landfills: (Municipal waste)

This is used to dispose solid municipal waste. They must be located in places with impermeable
soil and low water table to avoid percolation of leachate and contamination of ground water.
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 A pit is dug which is lined with clay backed by plastic to avoid seepage. A leachate collecting
system is installed. After layers of waste deposition, it is compacted by bull-dozer and covered
with 20 cm of soil. This prevents foul smell and spread of diseases. After waste decomposes, the
area can be converted to a garden or nature park.

c) Composting: (Kitchen waste and sweepings from gardens can be composted.)

It is a process of decomposition of organic waste. It can be done by aerobic or anaerobic bacteria.
Composting reduces the size of waste and produces biogas used as energy. The residue is a fertile
manure.
Vermicomposting is a little expensive as worms are costly decomposing waste.

d) Incineration: (hospital waste and domestic waste from group housings)

This is the best method for getting rid of biomedical waste which may be infectious. E.g. blood
swabs, bandages, infectious organs.
Burning reduces the volume by 20 to 30%. The ash must be reused in building material. The
smoke is another pollutant which must be managed by attaching devices to the incinerator to
reduce the air pollution.

II. Disposal of Liquid Waste:

Drainage: A good drainage system:
• Prevents water logging
• Removes stench of waste water collection
• Prevents spread of disease causing germs
• Prevents soil erosion
• Maintains a clean and healthy environment.

A. Urban Drainage System:

In a city there are storm water drains to carry surface run off. These drains empty into an
adjacent river or lake.
There is also a sewage system to carry sewage from buildings. These sewer drains go to the
sewage treatment plant. The clean water is either used for irrigating city gardens or taken to
the river.
Maintenance of the above drains is very necessary to avoid clogging. Drain water may be full of
hazardous waste, construction waste and silt. Therefore the drains need to be cleaned from
time to time and solid waste segregated to prevent choking.
In modern times it is essential to install rain water harvesting system for gardening and
washing, and green roofs for site waste management.

B. Drainage in Agricultural areas:

There should be a number of big and small channels to carry excess water from fields. The
purpose is to avoid water logging and prevent soil erosion.

C. Drainage in Hilly areas:

In hilly areas disposal of rain water and sewage water needs to be done through channels.
Upstream rivers should be diverted from landslide areas. Underground drainage for small
channels and streams will enable safe drainage without flooding and minimize soil erosion.

Organic farming: It is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green
manure, compost and biological pest control. No synthetic chemicals used.
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 Effluent Treatment:
It undergoes 3 processes:
1) Primary Treatment
2) Secondary Treatment
3) Tertiary Treatment

1) Primary Treatment: It separates solid particles from the effluent by mechanical processes.
(It includes: Screening, Grinding, Flocculation, Sedimentation)

2) Secondary Treatment: It is a biological treatment for organic waste.

(It involves: Trickling filters, Activated Sludge)

3) Tertiary Treatment: Advanced biological, chemical and physical processes to get clean water.
(The methods include: Chemical coagulation and filteration, Absorption, Chemical Oxidation,
Desalination, Oxidation ponds)

III. Treatment of Gaseous Waste: Through mechanical devices

1. Electrostatic Precipitator:
It has 2 electrodes which are oppositely charged. The dust particles emitted through a
chimney are already charged and therefore get attracted to them. Clean air passes through
while dust drops down in a collector. This is a costly device but allows clean air emission.
2. Wet Scrubber:
It cleans the air by wetting the particulate matter with a spray of water. The wet particles
being heavy settle down and clean air passes out.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

Reduce:
i. Each individual must avoid littering. They must reduce the use of polythene bags and
Styrofoam containers and use cloth bags and glass metal containers.
ii. Composting and incineration can reduce waste considerably.
iii. Waste can be reduced by changing the process in order to make best use of raw materials.
iv. Govt can reduce waste by introducing new eco friendly technologies. E.g. CNG was used in
automobiles, taxis and buses instead of diesel and petrol.

Reuse:
i. Reuse plastic and glass containers for storing.
ii. Newspapers can be reused for covering or packing and making packets.
iii. Old clothes can be given to the poor.
iv. Waste material can be re-used to make other articles. E.g. Old types can be used for making
chappal soles.
v. Flyash from factories can be used to make bricks and building material.

Recycle:
i. Segregate and recycle paper, metal, tin cans, plastic.
ii. Bagasse is used to make paper
iii. Pieces of wood from furniture industry are also recycled to make paper.

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 iv. Sewage treatment plant recycles water which can be used for irrigating gardens and for
washing.

Individual Initiatives to manage waste:

1. Each individual must avoid littering. They must reduce the use if polythene bags and use cloth
bags instead.
2. Use CFC free refrigerators and deodorants.
3. Those houses that have a backyard can build a compost pit.
4. Plastic and glass containers must be reused for storing.
5. Newspapers can be reused for covering and packing.
6. Paper, Metals and plastic must be given for recycling.
7. Use public transport or bicycles.
8. Electricity must not be wasted. Switch off the gadgets when not in use.
9. Save water- Repair leaking taps immediately.

Social Initiatives:
1. Creating awareness regarding segregation of waste in locality.
2. Install rainwater harvesting system in buildings
3. Where group housings exist, compost pits can be dug and incinerators can be maintained to
reduce waste.
4. Travel by car pools.
5. People must be made sensitive to use of resources. E.g. Save water, reduce use of electricity, do
not litter.
6. If air and water in an area are unfit, contact responsible agencies to take action. If action is not
forthcoming, file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to solve the problem.

Government Initiatives:
1. Govt. can reduce waste by introducing new eco-friendly technologies. E.g. CNG was used in taxis
and buses instead of diesel and petrol.
2. Efficiency of existing technology can be improved to use resources in a better way and reduce
waste.
3. Developmental projects like construction of dams have a lot of adverse effects. They submerge
large forested areas and displace people. They also increase the risk of earthquakes. The Govt.
has to ensure that the environmental standards are strictly followed to prevent damage to
environment by construction of dams.
The Govt. must also ensure that an Environment Impact Assessment is carried out before any
project like railways, flyovers, roads, canals, and highways is started. A clearance is granted only
after stipulating environment management plans, which must be strictly monitored.
4. Govt. declares certain areas as Biosphere reserves and National parks to protect them.
5. Govt. makes laws & Acts for environment protection. E.g. The Environment Protection Act. 1986.

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