Aarhat Multidisciplinary International Education Research Journal (AMIERJ)

A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Journal UGC Approved Journal No 48178, 48818

Impact Factor 5.18 ISSN 2278-5655

IMPACT OF SOLID WASTE ON HUMAN HEALTH AND

ENVIRONMENT IN INDIA – AN OVERVIEW

Dr. B. Gangadhar Dr. G. Ramakrishna

Post Doctoral Fellow Naidu
Dr. V. Ravi
(UGC) Professor Emeritus
Environmental Engineer
Department of Department of
Rayachoty Municipality
Environmental Sciences Environmental Sciences
Rayachoty, Cuddapah,
S.V. University, S.V. University,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Tirupati - 517 502 Tirupati - 517 502
Andhra Pradesh, India Andhra Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT
Globalization, Urbanization and Population growth are the main reasons and
sole responsible for the ever high increasing rate of solid waste worldwide. Proper
management of solid wastes is a major problem of the Municipal Corporation’s and
Municipalities. Improper Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal and management
causes all types of pollution: air, water and soil. Indiscriminate dumping of solid
wastes contaminates surface and ground water supplies. Green house gases are
generated from the decomposition of organic wastes in landfills. Uncontrolled
burning of MSW and improper incineration contributes significantly to urban Air
pollution. The impacts of solid wastes are not only confined to environment but also
affects human health. Insect and rodent vectors are attracted to the waste and
can spread diseases such as cholera and dengue fever. Using water polluted by
MSW for bathing, food irrigation and drinking water can also expose individuals to
disease organisms and other contaminants. Open dumping, open burning and un-
engineered sanitary landfills are common practice in many of the countries in the
world. Due to improper solid waste disposal and collection systems dwellers

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are facing serious negative environmental and health impacts in developing

countries. This paper highlights the MSW generation and management in India and
major impacts associated with MSW on human health and environment.
KEYWORDS: Solid waste, Municipal Solid waste management, Human Health
and Environment.
1. INTRODUCTION
Solid waste is the unwanted or useless or abandoned solid materials generated
from various sources such as residential, industrial and commercial activities in a
given or specified area. It may be categorized according to its origin (domestic,
industrial, commercial, construction or institutional); according to its contents
(organic material, glass,metal, plastic paper etc); or according to hazard potential
(toxic, non-toxic, flammable, radioactive, infectious etc) [1]Population explosion,
urbanization coupled with improved life style of people, results in increased
generation of solid wastes in urban as well as rural areas of the country. At
present, the municipal solidwaste disposal methods followed in many of the
cities and towns are unsystematic and unscientific. Most of the dumping sites are
in low-lying areas. Most of the disposal sites are just uncontrolled dumps
where a mixture of domestic, commercial, industrial and hospital wastes is
‗thrown away‘ atthe dumping sites. Apart from creating air pollution, ground water
contamination & soil contamination, open dumping of wastes generally
becomes breeding ground for various dreadful disease causing pathogens and
vectors, particularly in the vicinity of the disposal sites. Further, with
increasing awareness of public on environmental and health issues, there is a
general opinion that the standard of services with respect to collection and disposal
of municipal solid waste is progressively declining. It is also factualthat in many
cities and towns as half of the solid waste generated remains unattended [2].
Management of solid waste reduces or eliminates adverse impacts on the
environment and human health and supports economic development and

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 Aarhat Multidisciplinary International Education Research Journal (AMIERJ)
A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Journal UGC Approved Journal No 48178, 48818
EduIndex Impact Factor 5.18 ISSN 2278-5655

improved quality of life. A number of processes are involved in effectively

managing waste for a municipality. These include monitoring, collection,
transport, processing, recycling and disposal [1].
Improper Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) disposal and management causes
various types of pollution: air, soil, and water. Indiscriminatedumping of hazardous
and toxic wastes contaminates surface and groundwater supplies. In urban areas,
MSW clogs drains,creating stagnant water for insect breeding and floodsduring
rainy seasons. Uncontrolled burning of MSWand improper incineration contributes
significantly tourban air pollution. Greenhouse gases are generatedfrom the
decomposition of organic wastes in landfills,and untreated leachate pollutes
surrounding soil andwater bodies. Health and safety issues also arise fromimproper
Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM). Insect and rodent vectors
areattracted to the waste and can spread diseases such ascholera and dengue fever.
Using water polluted byMSW for bathing, food irrigation and drinking watercan also
expose individuals to disease organisms andother contaminants [3].

Fig. 1.Various categories of Solid wastes.

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Most of the times open dumping of urban MSW can be seen throughout the
country and all most all unused public property and sometimes even private property
in urban areas become convenient dumps for neighboring wastes. The known fact is
that SWM is one of the most neglected aspects, especially in urban areas. In most of
the cities and towns these waste dumps create a major problem to the people and
even the issues of traffic some times. All the departments like finance, engineering,
technical, environment, management and intellectual should coordinate and make
necessary action for the improvement of MSW.
2.Generation of Solid wastes in India
India is growing and so arethe mountains of wasteits cities and villages
areproducing. The compositionof waste is also witnessinga major shift as the use
ofplastics and paper grow withthe rise of the middle classand a consumerist culture.
India (urban) produced 48 milliantonnes of municipal solid wastes (MSW) annually
as per the Comptroller and Auditor General‘s (CAG) report 2009, calculated at 0.4
kg per capita per day. In 2011, Delhiproduced6,800 tonnesper day (TPD),Mumbai
6,500TPD, Chennai4,500 TPD,Hyderabad4,200 TPD andKolkata 3,670TPD of
waste. Accordingto a latest Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report, in 2016,
India produced some 52 million tonnes of wasteeach year, or roughly 0.144 million
tonnesper day, of which roughly 23 per cent isprocessed—taken to landfills or
disposed off using other technologies.
The issue with the data on waste generation in India is that all the figures
areextrapolated values taken from the report produced by CPCB. The CBCB with
the assistance ofNagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI)in 2004–05 estimated the generation of wastes in 59 cities (35
metro cities and 24 state capitals). This was the lastreport having real time data and
estimates on waste generation with in the country. Since then, data on generation of

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 Aarhat Multidisciplinary International Education Research Journal (AMIERJ)
A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Journal UGC Approved Journal No 48178, 48818
EduIndex Impact Factor 5.18 ISSN 2278-5655

solid waste is calculated by multiplying theurban population by the amount of waste

generated per capita per day. This makesestimates of solid waste generated in the
country pretty much a guesstimate which,in turn, confounds management. However,
what the estimates do demonstrate isthe fact that bigger and richer cities produce
more waste than poorer cities. This isnot only due to their larger population, but also
because their residents are moreaffluent and bigger generators of waste [4].Thesolid
waste generation within the cities has increased at a rapid rate especially from the
household sector.Among all the sources, households generate the largest amount of
waste and largest increase from thissource is therefore a point to be noted. The main
reason for the increase of house hold waste is increase in the population drastically
within the cities respectively [5].
2.1. Environmental Importance
Estimated quantityof wastes generation globally was about more than 12
billion tonnes in the year 2002of which 11 billion tonnes were industrial wastes and
1.6billion tonnes were municipal solid wastes (MSW). About19 billion tonnes of
solid wastes are expected to begenerated annually by the year 2025. Population
growth, increasing urbanization, changes in the standards of living due to
technological innovations and advancements are contributing a lot in the increase of
both quantity and variety of solid wastes generated by industrial, mining,
agricultural, commercial and domestic activities [6]. According to an estimate by the
year 2047, MSW generation in India, is expected to reach 300 MT. The land
requirement for the disposal of this MSW would be 169.6 km2 as against which only
20.2 km2 were occupied in 1997 for management of 48 MT [7]. Ultimately all the
wastes that are generated from various sources degrade the environment. With
strategic MSW we have to effectively utilize all thesesolid wastes by recycling
process or by other means to achieve environmentally soundmanagement.

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2.2. Municipal Solid Waste management in India

The MSWM in India has surfaced or continued tobe a very severe problem
not only because of environmental and aesthetic concernsbut also because of the
enormous quantities of the various wastes generated every day. Even thoughonly
31% of Indian population resides in urban areas, this population of 377million
(Census of India, 2011) generates a gigantic 1,43,449 metric tonesper day of
municipal solid waste, as per the Central Pollution Control Board(CPCB), 2014-15
and these fgures increase every day with an increase inpopulation.
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the country manages municipal solid waste
and it is one of the main functions of ULBs. All ULBs are required
tometiculouslyplan, implement and monitor all systems of urban service delivery
especiallythat of municipal solid waste. With limited financial resources,
technicalcapacities and land availability, urban local bodies are constantly striving to
meet this challenge.
Government of India , launched the program Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014
that aims to provide basic infrastructural andservice delivery with respect to
sanitation facilities to every family, includingtoilets and adopting the scientific
methods to collect, process and disposalof municipal solid waste. The mission
focuses on quality and sustainabilityof the service provision as well as emphasising
on the commitment on everystakeholder to bring about a visible change in society.

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 Aarhat Multidisciplinary International Education Research Journal (AMIERJ)
A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Journal UGC Approved Journal No 48178, 48818
EduIndex Impact Factor 5.18 ISSN 2278-5655

Source: Swachh Bharat Mission, MSWM Manual.

Fig. 2. Integrated Solid Waste Management Hierarchy
The Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) proposes a
wastemanagement hierarchy with the aim to reduce the amount of waste
beingdisposed, while maximizing resource conservation and resource efficiency.The
ISWM hierarchy ranks waste management operations according to
theirenvironmental, economic, and energy impacts. Source reduction or waste
prevention,which includes reuse, is considered the best approach (tier 1); followed
by recycling (tier2); and composting of organic matter of waste, resulting in
recovery of material (tier 3).The components of waste that cannot be prevented or
recycled can be processed forenergy recovery (tier 4). Tier 5 is disposal of waste in
sanitary landfill, which is the leastpreferred option. Based on this waste management
hierarchy and local conditions, anappropriate system and technology should be
selected in the MSWM plan. For example,if the land for composting organic
material is close to habitation, biomethanation maybe a preferred choice despite the
lower ranking and higher cost as compared to thecomposting in the ISWM hierarchy
[8].ISWM is closely linked to the 3R approach (reduce, reuse, andrecycle), which

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also preliminarily emphasises the importance of wastereduction, reuse, and recycling

over other forms of waste processing ormanagement [8].
2.3. Health Impacts of Solid waste

Fig. 2.Impacts of Solid Wastes on Human Health

There are potential risks associated with municipal solid wastes to human
health, mainly with improper handling and not following scientific methods of waste
management.Mainly the workers working in the fields and the rag pickers are posed
to direct health risks, who need to be protected as far as possible from the direct
contact with various toxic and hazardous wastes. For the general public the main
risks to health are indirect and arise from the breeding of disease vectors, primarily
flies and rats. Populations in areas where there is no proper waste treatment method,
Children, Workers working under waste management, Populations living very close
to the waste dumps and animals are more vulnerable to the adverse impacts
associated with the solid wastes. Uncontrolled and untreated hazardous wastes

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 Aarhat Multidisciplinary International Education Research Journal (AMIERJ)
A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Journal UGC Approved Journal No 48178, 48818
EduIndex Impact Factor 5.18 ISSN 2278-5655

generating from various industries are mixing up with the municipal wastes and
creating high potential risks to human health. There is specific danger of higher
concentration of heavy metals entering in the food chain, one of the problem that
illustrates the relationship between municipal solid wastes and liquid industrial
effluents containing heavy metals discharged to a drainage/sewerage system and /or
open dumping sites of municipal solid wastes and the wastes discharged thereby
maintains a vicious cycle [9]. In developing urban cities open dumpsites involve
indiscriminate disposal of solid waste. They are totally uncontrolled and therefore
pose major health threats which affect the landscape of urban cities [10]. The
UNEPA stated that wastes that are not managed properly, especially solid
waste from households and the community, are a serious health hazard and lead to
the spread of infectious diseases [11].
2.4. Impacts of Solid Waste on Environment
The decomposition of solid wastes in to other chemical constituents is one of
the major problem and leads to the local environmental pollution. Another
majorenvironmental concern is gas release by decomposinggarbage. These problems
are acute in developing nations.One of the major problems with landfills is the
release of methane and other gases. Methane is a by-product of the
anaerobicrespiration of bacteria. These bacteria thrive inlandfills with high amounts
of moisture. Methaneconcentrations can reach up to 50% of thecomposition of
landfill gas at maximum anaerobicdecomposition. Gasses released from landfills
contribute to theenhanced greenhouse effect and climate change. Liquid leachate is
one of the problems with landfills. Leachate posesa threat to local surface and
ground water systems. Burning of solid wastes in open dumps or in improperly (non
scientific) designed incinerators emit pollutants (both gaseousand particulate
matter). Emissions include particulate matter, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides,
hydrogen chloride, carbon monoxide, lead and mercury [3].

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Fig. 3.Land fill leachate contaminating ground water table

Fig.4. Impacts of Solid Waste on Environment

3. CONCLUSIONS
There are many impacts associated with municipal solid wastes where the
impacts on environment and human health are to be considered most as these two
aspects are not ignored at any cost. Any municipal solid waste management systems
should focus on these issues and reduce the impacts, thus we can protect

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 Aarhat Multidisciplinary International Education Research Journal (AMIERJ)
A Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Journal UGC Approved Journal No 48178, 48818
EduIndex Impact Factor 5.18 ISSN 2278-5655

environment and human health. The following are some of the suggestions and
recommendations for the effective management of the solid wastes.
 Landfills and Dumpsites should be properly located using scientific
methods and effectively managed to minimize their effects on the
environment.
 The government and municipalities should revise laws and legislations
regarding the locations of dumpsites. These laws should include properly
managed sites, which are well fenced in and away from human settlements.
 The government should annex laws which should see that dumpsites are
located properly and if it is not then action should be taken according
to the law.
 There should be a follow up in the functioning of the dumpsites to avoid
environment pollution and health hazards.
 Municipalities should open dumpsites on remote areas with no residents closer
to them to avoid the effect of the dumpsite on the nearby residents andmonitor
the dumpsite properly. They also have to control the litter and monitor their
volume.
 People need to be educated by health motivators about the effects of
dumpsites on their health. This will limit the effect of the dumpsite on
the residents. There should also be a follow-up to make sure that what they
teach the residents.
 Plastic waste, E-waste and hazardous waste to be handled properly with
scientific methods by following safety measures[12].
Acknowledgements
Dr. BGR is thankful to UGC for the award of Post Doctoral Fellowship, File No.
F./PDFSS-2014-15-SC-AND-7541.

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