SOLID WASTE AND IT'S IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT

SOLID WASTE AND IT'S IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT  

Introduction:

Any unwanted or discarded material from residential commercial, industrial, mining and agricultural activities that causes environmental problems may be termed as solid waste.
Solid waste encompasses the highly heterogeneous mass
discarded materials or throwaway from the urban community
as well as the more homogenous accumulation of wastes
generated by agriculture and industrial activities.

CHARACTERIZATION OF WASTES

Solid waste are characterize on the basis of following
parameters
• Their sources
• By the types of wastes produced
• By generation rates and composition.
Accurate information in these areas is necessary in order to
monitor and control existing waste management systems and
to make regulatory, financial and institutional decisions.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SOLID WASTES

• Corrosive: these are wastes that include acids or bases that
are capable of corroding mental containers, e.g. tanks• Ignitability: this is waste that can create fires under certain
condition, e.g. waste oils and solvents
• Reactive: these are unstable in nature, they cause explosions,
toxic fumes when heated.
• Toxicity: waste which are harmful or fatal when ingested or
absorb.

Classification of Solid Wastes:

Solid wastes can be classified into the following categories:
i.
Garbage or Food-Wastes
These are meat, fruit or vegetable residues which decompose
rapidly (putrescible) especially in warm weather.
ii.
Rubbish:
These do not decompose rapidly.
iii.
Agricultural Wastes:
These include crop residues from agricultural fields, farm
manure etc.
iv.
Industrial Wastes:
These arise from industrial activities.
v.
Hazardous Wastes:
Those wastes which adversely affect human, plant or animal
life.
vi.
Pathological Wastes:Examples:
Carcass of animals slaughter house wastes (blood, pieces of
meat, hair, fat, bone chippings, hides, skin excretions etc.
vii. Demolition and Construction Wastes:
Demolition, construction and repair of residential, commercial
and industrial buildings generate plenty of solid wastes.
viii. Aquatic Weeds:
These are a menace because of their prolific growth. They
increase water borne diseases, hinder traffic and fishing and
cause eutrophication.
ix.
Miscellaneous Wastes:
Wastes not included in any of the above categories.
Examples:
Street sweepings, Roadside litter, dead stray animals,
abandoned vehicles etc.
x.
Municipal Solid Wastes (MSW):
MSW include garbage and rubbish from households, hotels,
offices, markets etc. Garbage denotes biodegradable food
wastes while rubbish is used for non-biodegradable wastes
which may be combustible (e.g., paper, plastic, tyres) or non-
combustible (e.g., glass, metals, used containers etc.)The annual solid waste production in India is: Domestic and
trade (8.5%), industries (15.2%), thermal power stations (7.3%),
mining (67%) and construction (2%).

CAUSES OF INCREASE IN SOLID WASTE

• Population growth
• Increase in industrials manufacturing
• Urbanization
• Modernization
Modernization, technological advancement and increase in
global population created rising in demand for food and other
essentials. This has resulted to rise in the amount of waste
being generated daily by each household.

Effect of Solid Waste Pollution

Solid waste can pollute air, water and soil, and leave various
environmental impacts, and cause health hazard, due to
improper handling and transportation .These adverse effects
are seen on health and environment, some of them are as
follows:
Environmental impacts
1. Leachates from refuge dumps percolates into the soil and
contaminate underground water.2. Scavengers and stray animals invade the roadside garbage
and litter the waste over large area causing much aesthetic
damage to the atmosphere.
3. Waste products when burnt like plastic and rubber pollute
the atmosphere with noxious fumes.
4. Organic solid wastes emits obnoxious odor on their
decomposition and make the environment polluted.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR REDUCTION OF ADVERSEIMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN

• Generation of waste should be decreased
• Promoting the production of goods which minimize waste
generation after use
• Material recycling and recovery should be increased
• Promoting the use of plastic recycling identification codes and
labels in order to make sorting and recycling of plastic
packaging easier
• Municipalities increasing their level of service to the public
regarding sorting of waste.
• Education of producers, the public and people who work in
the waste sector should be increased
• Promoting the use of less hazardous alternatives to hazardous
chemicals during production of goods.• Legislation in the waste sector should be improved
• Collection of hazardous waste at collection points shall be
safe, secure and performed in an environmentally sound
manner.

CONCLUSION

The focus of the study was on impact of Solid waste due to non
engineering and non scientific disposal. It is found that with
increase in the global population and the rising demand for
food and other essentials, there has been a rise in the amount
of waste being generated daily by each household. Waste that
is not properly managed, especially excreta and other liquid
and solid waste from households and the community, are a
serious health hazard and lead to the spread of infectious
diseases.