E.S. - Definition, scope & importance, need for public awareness

DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

The word environment is derived from the french word 'environ' meaning surroundings. Hence,

everything surrounding us is called "ENVIRONMENT".

Every organism is surrounded by materials and forces that constitute its environment. It is the

environment from where every organism must derive its requirement. The environment creates favourable

conditions for the existence and development of living organisms.

The survival of any organism requires a steady supply of materials and removal of wate products from its

environment.

The degradation of the environment has become a serious problem for the existence of human beings.

Pollution of soil, water and air causes harm to living organisms as well as loss to valuable natural

resources.

Environmental studies involves educating the people for preserving the quality of environment.

The scope of environmental studies include:

1. Developing an awareness and sensitivity to the total environment and its related problems

2. Motivating people for active participation in environmental protection and improvement

3. Developing skills for active identification and development of solutions to environmental problems

4. Imbibe and inculcate the necessity for conservation of natural resources

5. Evaluation of environmental programmes in terms of social, economic, ecological and aesthetic factors.

IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES In the industrialized era that we live today, every component that we intake - be it, air, water or food

are contaminated by industrial activities. THERE IS NO ZERO POLLUTION. To minimize this problem,

knowledge of environmental studies is essential. An in-dept study of environmental studies will help us in

the following ways:

1. We will begin to appreciate and adopt the idea of "DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT DESTRUCTION OF

THE ENVIRONMENT"

2. Knowledge about "VARIOUS TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS & DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL

HAZARDS"

3. Playing an effective role in protecting the environment by "DEMANDING CHANGES IN LAW AND

ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS".

4. Having a "POSITIVE IMPACT" on "QUALITY OF LIFE".

5. Creating a "CONCERN AND RESPECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT".

NEED FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS: Increasing population, Urbanization  and poverty have generated pressure on the natural resources

and lead to a degradation of the environment. TO PREVENT THE ENVIRONMENT FROM FURTHER

DEGRADATION, the supreme court has ordered and initiated environmental protection awareness

through government and non-government agencies to take part in protecting our environment.

Environmental pollution cannot prevented by laws alone. Public participation is equally important with

regard to environmental protection.

Environmental Education (EE) is a process of learning by giving an overall perspective of knowledge and

awareness of the environment. It sensitizes the society about environmental issues and challenges

interested individuals to develop skills and expertise thereby providing appropriate solutions.

Climate change, loss of biodiversity, declining fisheries, ozone layer depletion, illegal trade of

endangered species, destruction of habitats, land degradation, depleting ground water supplies,

introduction of alien species, environmental pollution, solid waste disposal, storm water and sewage

disposal pose a serious threat to ecosystems in forest, rural, urban and marine ecosystems.

Both formal and informal education on the environment will give the interested individual the knowledge,

values, skills and tools needed to face the environmental challenges on a local and global level.

Ecology (from Greek: οἶκος, "house" or "living relations"; -λογία, "study of") is the scientific

study of the distributions, abundance and relations of organisms and their interactions with

the environment.[1] Ecology includes the study of plant and animal populations, plant and

animal communities and ecosystems. Ecosystems describe the web or network of relations

among organisms at different scales of organization. Since ecology refers to any form

of biodiversity, ecologists research everything from tiny bacteria's role in nutrient recycling to

the effects of tropical rain forest on the Earth's atmosphere. The discipline of ecology emerged

from the natural sciences in the late 19th century. Ecology is not synonymous with environment,

environmentalism, or environmental science.[1] [2] [3]  Ecology is closely related to the

disciplines of physiology, evolution, genetics and behavior.[4]

Like many of the natural sciences, a conceptual understanding of ecology is found in the broader details

of study, including:

life processes explaining adaptations

distribution and abundance of organisms

the movement of materials and energy through living communities

the successional development of ecosystems, and

the abundance and distribution of biodiversity in context of the environment. Ecology is distinguished

from natural history, which deals primarily with the descriptive study of organisms. It is a sub-discipline

of biology, which is the study of life.

There are many practical applications of ecology in conservation biology, wetland management, natural

resource management (agriculture, forestry, fisheries), city planning (urban ecology), community health,

economics, basic & applied science and it provides a conceptual framework for understanding and

researching human social interaction (human ecology)

What is biodiversity?

The source document for this Digest states:

Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and

other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this

includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Biodiversity forms the foundation of the vast array of ecosystem servicesthat critically contribute to human well-being.

Biodiversity is important in human-managed as well as natural ecosystems.

Decisions humans make that influence biodiversity affect the well-being of themselves and others.

Biodiversity is the foundation of ecosystem services to which human well-being is intimately linked. No

feature of Earth is more complex, dynamic, and varied than the layer of living organisms that occupy its

surfaces and its seas, and no feature is experiencing more dramatic change at the hands of humans than

this extraordinary, singularly unique feature of Earth. This layer of living organisms—the biosphere—

through the collective metabolic activities of its innumerable plants, animals, and microbes physically and

chemically unites the atmosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere into one environmental system within

which millions of species, including humans, have thrived. Breathable air, potable water, fertile soils,

productive lands, bountiful seas, the equitable climate of Earth’s recent history, and other ecosystem

services (see Box 1.1 and Key Question 2) are manifestations of the workings of life. It follows that large-

scale human influences over this biota have tremendous impacts on human well-being. It also follows that

the nature of these impacts, good or bad, is within the power of humans to influence 

eco system and sustainable development

What is an Ecosystem?

An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given area, interacting

with each other, and also with their non-living environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate,

atmosphere). Ecosystems are the foundations of the Biosphere and they determine the health of the

entire earth system.

In an ecosystem, each organism has its own niche or role to play.

Consider a small puddle at the back of your home. In it, you may find all sorts of living things, from

microorganisms to insects and plants. These may depend on non-living things like water, sunlight,

turbulence in the puddle, temperature, atmospheric pressure and even nutrients in the water for life.

This very complex, wonderful interaction of living things and their environment, has been the foundations

of energy flow and recycle of carbon and nitrogen.

Anytime a ‘stranger’ (living thing(s) or external factor such as rise in temperature) is introduced to an

ecosystem, it can be disastrous to that ecosystem. This is because the new organism (or factor) can distort

the natural balance of the interaction and potentially harm or destroy the ecosystem. 

sustainable development

What is Environmental Sustainability?

The goal of environmental sustainability is to conserve natural resources and to develop alternate

sources of power while reducing pollution and harm to the environment. For environmental sustainability,

the state of the future – as measured in 50, 100 and 1,000 years is the guiding principle. Many of the

projects that are rooted in environmental sustainability will involve replanting forests, preserving

wetlands and protecting natural areas from resource harvesting. The biggest criticism of environmental

sustainability initiatives is that their priorities can be at odds with the needs of a growing industrialized

society.

What is Sustainable Development?

Sustainable development is the practice of developing land and construction projects in a manner that

reduces their impact on the environment by allowing them to create energy efficient models of self-

sufficiency. This can take the form of installing solar panels or wind generators on factory sites, using

geothermal heating techniques or even participating in cap and trade agreements. The biggest criticism of

sustainable development is that it does not do enough to conserve the environment in the present and is

based on the belief that the harm done in one area of the world can be counter balanced by

creating environmental protections in the other.

According to Brundtland Commission in its 1987 report “Our Common Future”,

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainable development has 3 goals: to minimize the depletion of natural resources, to promote

development without causing harm to the environment and to make use of environmentally friendly

practices.

Human made Pollution

We all know that harmful emissions really stepped up their game as a consequence of the Industrial

Revolution in the 18th century. What you may not know, however, is that manmade pollution stretches

back far farther than that – even as far back as prehistoric times.

How we do know? Well, discovery of a remarkably well-preserved set of teeth in Tel Aviv, Israel last

year contained traces of plaque on them. Since we are all so familiar with the word plaque these days

from our frequent trips to the dentist, this might not sound significant; but in fact, the plaque points to the

idea that the cavemen to whom the teeth belonged used to prepare the meat he had caught by roasting it

inside his cave/shelter. As a result, the smoky fumes from the primitive barbecue blackened his teeth and

gave us what could be considered the first known case of manmade pollution.

Of course, these days, manmade pollution has escalated rapidly out of control. As well as the air pollution

caused by cars and factories mentioned above, we are also contaminating our water supplies with

wastewater effluent, run-off, oil spills and other careless methods of waste disposal. We’re ruining our

soil with pesticides and fertilisers; we’re sterilising whole towns and cities through nuclear accidents;

we’re damaging our own hearing and disrupting animal breeding and foraging patterns with undue noise

pollution patterns. To be frank, we’re causing an incredible amount of pollution on a daily basis… and

it’s only getting worse.

Natural Pollution

However, pollution has been around for much longer than even that prehistoric cavemen and his

dentures. Volcanoes erupt, spitting sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere and sometimes even the

stratosphere. Naturally-occurring forest fires can deplete sources of oxygen and emit vast levels of smoke,

soot and other harmful gases in the process, thus significantly affecting air quality (of course, forest fires

can be started by humans, too). Strong winds can cause erosion and lift up particulate matter, depositing it

sometimes thousands of miles away. The decay of organic material leads to the creation of methane, the

principal guilty party when it comes to global warming and climate change. Even the defecation, death

and decay of animals can compromise water sources.

Obviously, all of these contributions to pollution pale in the face of the human impact on our

environment. For one thing, they have been around for millennia and the Earth seems to have survived

just fine in that time; for another, they emit miniscule amounts of pollution in comparison to our own

sterling efforts.

Therefore, although Mother Nature is not free from blame when it comes to pollution, she can’t hold a

candle to (and can’t be blamed for) our own scandalously high effect.

effects and control measures of pollution

Causes of Environmental Pollution

Pollution from cars, trucks, and other vehicles is and has been our major environmental pollution

issue for almost a century now. The problem is we did not realize this until the problem had manifested to

monumental proportions.

Fossil fuel emissions from power plants which burn coal as fuel contributed heavily, along with vehicles

burning fossil fuels, to the production of smog. Smog is the result of fossil fuel combustion combined

with sunlight and heat. The result is a toxic gas which now surrounds our once pristine planet. This is

known as “ozone smog” and means we have more problems down here than we do in the sky.

Carbon dioxide is another product from all of the vehicles on the planet as well as unreformed power

plants and other industrial facilities. A continually growing population of humans and clear cutting of

forests has exacerbated this problem so natural defenses are no longer present and carbon dioxide levels

are on the rise.

Water pollution is a major issue. Many industries dump wastes into rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams in

an attempt to hide wastes from EPA inspectors.

Solutions to Environmental Pollution

Gas emission pollution is being mitigated in a variety of ways with car emission control,  electric and

hybrid vehicles and public transportation systems. Not all major cities have successful implementation

and decent public transportation in place, but the world is working on this issue constantly and

we have managed to reduce emissions profoundly over the last decade. There is much catching

up to do.

The cost of radioactive power plants is becoming apparent and the days of coal power plants are

nearly dead. The radiation is a serious issue. Radioactive leakage from power plants and nuclear

testing have already contaminated oceanic life to such a degree that it will take hundreds of years

to return to normal. More radiation solutions are in the works with various ecologically friendly

power technologiesbeing built every day.

Solar power is a fantastic solution. Now that solar radiation is at a climactic peak, we can reap

power from the sun using solar panel systems. These range from home systems to larger scale

systems powering entire communities and cities.

Wind power is coming into play. This may not seem like much at first, but when you get about

100 feet off the ground, there is a great deal of wind up there. By building wind turbines to

harvest natural wind energy, electricity is produced. Wind turbine power and solar power are

both powerful forces against fossil fuel power and radioactive power. The one problem here is

power companies. They want to stay with radioactive power plants because they actually can’t be

removed. It has become the crusades of many individuals and small corporations to make the switch and

there are plenty of people following this as populations cry out for help.

Electromagnetic radiation (ER) reduction. Once major manufacturers of computers and

electronic devices realized the blatant potential for huge ER emissions directly into the eyes and

brains of users, they started to implement hardware protocols to minimize risks and reduce ER

production significantly. Newer devices are in the lead to knock this problem out and,

fortunately, this is working.

Also, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is well aware of all leaks and tricks industries

are using to dump wastes. This agency now has extremely strict protocols and testing procedures

implemented against such facilities so populations are not affected. Additionally, the EPA is

measuring air pollution and implementing regulatory procedures for vehicle emissions. They also

monitor pollen issues and, with the help of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they

implement solutions to reduce pollen in the air.

Dropping pollen counts is a major focus for EPA and CDC activities. Asthma and other allergic

conditions are flooding medical care facilities and pharmaceutical companies with serious public

health problems. The response has been swift and various methods to control emissions and

reduce pollen counts are in the works. Children and elderly people are at the highest risk for

environmental pollution related health problems. The good news is we are directly on the horizon

to cut down the causes and risks while providing practical health solutions for the general public

throughout the world.

These water sources feed major crops and food becomes contaminated with a variety of

chemicals and bacteria, causing rampant health problems.

Radiation comes into play as well. This is an exceedingly nasty pollution issue and requires

extensive description. Primarily, there is radiation from the sun. As the natural ozone layer

around the Earth has become depleted. The sun is wonderful, but the only reason we are able to

survive on this planet so close to the sun is due to the fact of natural shielding against solar

radiation. As the protective ozone layer around the planet has become thinner, ultraviolet

radiation has risen significantly, causing increases in skin cancers and other types of cancer in all

countries, killing millions of people every year.

More radiation is a problem. The sun shining brightly on a naked planet is not the only source of

radiation we are exposed to. Electromagnetic radiation is another insidious culprit. Once upon a

time, the major concern around this type of radiation was due to high tension wires which carry

huge amounts of electricity to cities. Now, we even carry sources of this radiation with us as cell

phones, laptops, tablets and other wireless devices.

Units of measurement

Air quality measurement are commonly reported in terms of:

micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3)

parts per million (ppm) or parts per billion (ppb)

For particulate matter, sizes are expressed in micron or micrometer.

ppm is a volume-to-volume ratio, which makes it independent of local temperature and pressure.

Unit conversions

Under standard conditions (0° Centigrade, 101.325 kPa), one mole of an ideal gas occupies 22.414 liters. The mass of a pollutant p, Mp in grams can therefor be converted to its equivalent volume Vp in liters:

Vp = Mp/gMW * 22.414 l/g

with MW the molecular weight of the pollutant. For measurements at pressure and temperature other than the standard conditions, corrections to the standard volume must be applied, based on the ideal gas law:

22.414 l/g * (T/273.15K) * (101.325 kPa/P)

where T and P are the ambient temperature and pressure at the time of measurement, respectively.

Therefore,

ppm = Vp/Va

where Va and Vp are the air and pollutant volume, respectiviely. Combining the equations gives the conversion formula:

ppm = [Mp/gMW * 22.414 * T/273.15K * 101.325kPa/P] / Va * 1,000 l/m3

with the pollutant mass in µg (microgram).

As an example, consider the following conversions:

Substance Mass formula Mol.weight µg/m3 ppm ppb

Nitrogen Dioxide NO2 46 1 0.00050 0.50

Nitrogen Oxide NO 30 1 0.00077 0.77

Sulphur Dioxide SO2 64 1 0.00037 0.37

Ozone O3 48 1 0.00048 0.48

Solid waste managementWhat is Solid Waste Management?

Solid waste management is a term that is used to refer to the process of collecting and treating

solid wastes. It also offers solutions for recycling items that do not belong to garbage or trash. As

long as people have been living in settlements and residential areas, garbage or solid waste has

been an issue. Waste management is all about how solid waste can be changed and used as a

valuable resource. Solid waste management should be embraced by each and every household

including the business owners across the world. Industrialization has brought a lot of good things

and bad things as well. One of the negative effects of industrialization is the creation of solid

waste.

According to Britannica, “Solid-waste management, the collecting, treating, and disposing of

solid material that is discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful. Improper

disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions, and these conditions in turn

can lead to pollution of the environment and to outbreaks of vector-borne disease—that is,

diseases spread by rodents and insects.”

Various Sources of Solid Waste

Everyday, tonnes of solid waste is disposed off at various landfill sites. This waste comes from

homes, offices, industries and various other agricultural related activities. These landfill sites

produce foul smell if waste is not stored and treated properly. It can pollute the surrounding

air and can seriously affect the health of humans, wildlife and our environment. The following

are major sources of solid waste:

Residential

Residences and homes where people live are some of the major sources of solid waste. Garbage

from these places include food wastes, plastics, paper, glass, leather, cardboard, metals, yard

wastes, ashes and special wastes like bulky household items like electronics, tires, batteries, old

mattresses and used oil. Most homes have garbage bins where they can throw away their solid

wastes in and later the bin is emptied by a garbage collecting firm or person for treatment.

Industrial

Industries are known to be one of the biggest contributors of solid waste. They include light and

heavy manufacturing industries, construction sites, fabrication plants, canning plants, power and

chemical plants. These industries produce solid waste in form of housekeeping wastes, food

wastes, packaging wastes, ashes, construction and demolition materials, special wastes, medical

wastes as well as other hazardous wastes.

Commercial

Commercial facilities and buildings are yet another source of solid waste today. Commercial

buildings and facilities in this case refer to hotels, markets, restaurants, go downs, stores and

office buildings. Some of the solid wastes generated from these places include plastics, food

wastes, metals, paper, glass, wood, cardboard materials, special wastes and other hazardous

wastes.

Institutional

The institutional centers like schools, colleges, prisons, military barracks and other government

centers also produce solid waste. Some of the common solid wastes obtained from these places

include glass, rubber waste, plastics, food wastes, wood, paper, metals, cardboard materials,

electronics as well as various hazardous wastes.

Construction and Demolition Areas

Construction sites and demolition sites also contribute to the solid waste problem. Construction

sites include new construction sites for buildings and roads, road repair sites, building renovation

sites and building demolition sites. Some of the solid wastes produced in these places include

steel materials, concrete, wood, plastics, rubber, copper wires, dirt and glass.

Municipal services

The urban centers also contribute immensely to the solid waste crisis in most countries today.

Some of the solid waste brought about by the municipal services include, street cleaning, wastes

from parks and beaches, wastewater treatment plants, landscaping wastes and wastes from

recreational areas including sludge.

Treatment Plants and Sites

Heavy and light manufacturing plants also produce solid waste. They include refineries, power

plants, processing plants, mineral extraction plants and chemicals plants. Among the wastes

produced by these plants include, industrial process wastes, unwanted specification products,

plastics, metal parts just to mention but a few.

Agriculture

Crop farms, orchards, dairies, vineyards and feedlots are also sources of solid wastes. Among the

wastes they produce include agricultural wastes, spoiled food, pesticide containers and other

hazardous materials.

Biomedical

This refers to hospitals and biomedical equipment and chemical manufacturing firms. In

hospitals there are different types of solid wastes produced. Some of these solid wastes include

syringes, bandages, used gloves, drugs, paper, plastics, food wastes and chemicals. All these

require proper disposal or else they will cause a huge problem to the environment and the people

in these facilities.

Effects of Poor Solid Waste Management

Due to improper waste disposal systems particularly by municipal waste management teams,

wastes heap up and become a problem. People clean their homes and places of work and litter

their surroundings which affects the environment and the community.

This type of dumping of waste materials forces biodegradable materials to rot and decompose

under improper, unhygienic and uncontrolled conditions. After a few days of decomposition, a

foul smell is produced and it becomes a breeding ground for different types of disease causing

insects as well as infectious organisms. On top of that, it also spoils the aesthetic value of the

area.

Solid wastes from industries are a source of toxic metals, hazardous wastes, and chemicals.

When released to the environment, the solid wastes can cause biological and

physicochemical problems to the environment and may affect or alter the productivity of the

soils in that particular area.

Toxic materials and chemicals may seep into the soil and pollute the ground water. During the

process of collecting solid waste, the hazardous wastes usually mix with ordinary garbage and

other flammable wastes making the disposal process even harder and risky.

When hazardous wastes like pesticides, batteries containing lead, mercury or zinc, cleaning

solvents, radioactive materials, e-waste and plastics are mixed up with paper and other scraps are

burned they produce dioxins and gasses. These toxic gases have a potential of causing various

diseases including cancer.

Control measures of urban and industrial wastes

An integrated waste management strategy includes three main components

1. Source reduction

2. Recycling

3. Disposal

            Source reduction is one of the fundamental ways to reduce waste. This can be done by

using less material when making a product, reuse of products on site, designing products or

packaging to reduce their quantity. On an individual level we can reduce the use of unnecessary

items while shopping, buy items with minimal packaging, avoid buying disposable items and

also avoid asking for plastic carry bags.

            Recycling is reusing some components of the waste that may have some economic value.

Recycling has readily visible benefits such as conservation of resources reduction in energy used

during manufacture and reducing pollution levels. Some materials such as aluminum and steel

can be recycled many times. Metal, paper, glass and plastics are recyclable. Mining of new

aluminum is expensive and hence recycled aluminum has a strong market and plays a significant

role in the aluminum industry. Paper recycling can also help preserve forests as it takes about 17

trees to make one ton of paper. Crushed glass (cullet) reduces the energy required to manufacture

new glass by 50 percent. Cullet lowers the temperature requirement of the glassmaking process

thus conserving energy and reducing air pollution.

            However even if recycling is a viable alternative, it presents several problems. The

problems associated with recycling are either technical or economical. Plastics are difficult to

recycle because of the different types of polymer resins used in their production. Since each type

has its own chemical makeup different plastics cannot be recycled together. Thus separation of

different plastics before recycling is necessary. Similarly in recycled paper the fibers are

weakened and it is difficult to control the colour of the recycled product. Recycled paper is

banned for use in food containers to prevent the possibility of contamination. It very often costs

less to transport raw paper pulp than scrap paper. Collection, sorting and transport account for

about 90 percent of the cost of paper recycling.

            The processes of pulping, deinking and screening wastepaper are generally more

expensive than making paper from virgin wood or cellulose fibers. Very often thus recycled

paper is more expensive than virgin paper. However as technology improves the cost will come

down.

            Disposal of solid waste is done most commonly through a sanitary landfill or through

incineration. A modern sanitary landfill is a depression in an impermeable soil layer that is lined

with an impermeable membrane. The three key characteristics of a municipal sanitary landfill

that distinguish it from an open dump are:

• Solid waste is placed in a suitably selected and prepared landfill site in a carefully prescribed

manner.

• The waste material is spread out and compacted with appropriate heavy machinery.

• The waste is covered each day with a layer of compacted soil. The problem with older landfills

are associated with groundwater pollution. Pollutants seeping out from the bottom of a sanitary

landfill (leachates) very often percolate down to the groundwater aquifer no matter how thick the

underlying soil layer. Today it is essential to have suitable bottom liners and leachate collection

systems along with the installation of monitoring systems to detect groundwater pollution.

            The organic material in the buried solid waste will decompose due to the action of

microorganisms. At first the waste decomposes aerobically until the oxygen that was present in

the freshly placed fill is used up by the aerobic microorganisms. The anerobes take over

producing methane which is poisonous and highly explosive when mixed with air in

concentrations between 5 and 15 percent. The movement of gas can be controlled by providing

impermeable barriers in the landfill. A venting system to collect the blocked gas and vent it to

the surface where it can be safely diluted and dispersed into the atmosphere is thus a necessary

component of the design of sanitary landfills.

            Even though landfilling is an economic alternative for solid waste disposal, it has become

increasingly difficult to find suitable landfilling sites that are within economic hauling distance

and very often citizens do not want landfills in their vicinity. Another reason is that no matter

how well engineered the design and operation may be, there is always the danger of some

environmental damage in the form of leakage of leachates. Incineration is the process of burning

municipal solid waste in a properly designed furnace under suitable temperature and operating

conditions. Incineration is a chemical process in which the combustible portion of the waste is

combined with oxygen forming carbon dioxide and water, which are released into the

atmosphere.

            This chemical reaction called oxidation results in the release of heat. For complete

oxidation the waste must be mixed with appropriate volumes of air at a temperature of about

815o C for about one hour.

            Incineration can reduce the municipal solid waste by about 90 percent in volume and 75

percent in weight. The risks of incineration however involve airquality problems and toxicity and

disposal of the fly and bottom ash produced during the incineration process. Fly ash consists of

finely divided particulate matter, including cinders, mineral dust and soot. Most of the

incinerator ash is bottom ash while the remainder is fly ash. The possible presence of heavy

metals in incinerator ash can be harmful. Thus toxic products and materials containing heavy

metals (for example batteries and plastics) should be segregated.

            Thus extensive air pollution control equipment and high-level technical supervision and

skilled employees for proper operation and maintenance is required. Thus while sanitary landfills

and incinerators have their own advantages and disadvantages, the most effective method of

solid waste management is source reduction and recycling.

Vermi – Composting

            Nature has perfect solutions for managing the waste it creates, if left undisturbed. The

biogeochemical cycles are designed to clear the waste material produced by animals and plants.

We can mimic the same methods that are present in nature. All dead and dry leaves and twigs

decompose and are broken down by organisms such as worms and insects, and is finally broken

down by bacteria and fungi, to form a dark rich soil-like material called compost.

            These organisms in the soil use the organic material as food, which provides them with

nutrients for their growth and activities. These nutrients are returned to the soil to be used again

by trees and other plants. This process recycles nutrients in nature. This soil can be used as a

manure for farms and gardens.