Solid Waste Can Be Classified Into Different Types Depending on Their Source

7/31/2019 Solid Waste Can Be Classified Into Different Types Depending on Their Source

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Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:

a) Household waste is generally classified as municipal waste,Waste Management

b) Industrial waste as hazardous waste

c) Biomedical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste.

Municipal solid waste

Municipal solid waste consists of household waste,construction and

demolition debris, sanitation residue,and waste from streets. This garbage is generated

mainlyfrom residential and commercial complexes. With risingurbanization and change

in lifestyle and food habits, the amount of municipalsolid waste has been increasing

rapidly and its composition changing. In 1947citie and towns in India generated an

estimated 6 million tonnes of solid waste,in 1997 it was about 48 million tonnes. More

than 25% of the municipal solidwaste is not collected at all; 70% of the Indian cities lack

adequate capacity totransport it and there are no sanitary landfills to dispose of the

waste. Theexisting landfills are neither well equipped nor well managed and are not lined

properly to protect against contamination of soil and groundwater.

Garbage: the four broad categories

Organic waste:kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits.

Toxic waste:old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer andpesticide containers,batteries, shoe polish.

Recyclable:paper, glass, metals, plastics.

Soiled: hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and other fluids.Over the last few years, the

consumer market has grown rapidly leading toproducts being packed in cans, aluminium foils,

plastics, and other suchnonbiodegradable items that cause incalculable harm to the environment.

InIndia, some municipal areas have banned the use of plastics and they seem tohave achieved success.

For example, today one will not see a single piece ofplastic in the entire district of Ladakh where the

local authorities imposed a banon plastics in 1998. Other states should follow the example of this

region and ban

Health impacts of waste

Modernization and progress has had its share of disadvantages and one ofthe main aspects of concern

is the pollution it is causing to the earth be itland, air, and water. With increase in the global

population and the risingdemand for food and other essentials, there has been a rise in the amount of


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waste being generated daily by each household. This waste is ultimatelythrown into municipal waste

collection centres from where it is collected bythe area municipalities to be further thrown into the

landfills and dumps.However, either due to resource crunch or inefficient infrastructure, not allof this

waste gets collected and transported to the final dumpsites. If at thisstage the management and

disposal is improperly done, it can cause seriousimpacts on health and problems to the surrounding

environment.

Waste that is not properly managed, especially excreta and other liquid andsolid waste from

households and the community, are a serious health hazardand lead to the spread of infectious

diseases. Unattended waste lying aroundattracts flies, rats, and other creatures that in turn spread

disease. Normally itis the wet waste that decomposes and releases a bad odour. This leads to

unhygienic conditions and thereby to a rise in the health problems. Theplague outbreak in Surat is a

good example of a city suffering due to thecallous attitude of the local body in maintaining cleanliness

in the city.Plastic waste is another cause for ill health. Thus excessive solid waste thatis generated

should be controlled by taking certain preventive measures.

Impacts of solid waste on health

The group at risk from the unscientific disposal of solid waste include thepopulation in areas where

there is no proper waste disposal method,especially the pre-school children; waste workers; and

workers in facilitiesproducing toxic and infectious material. Other high-risk group includespopulation

living close to a waste dump and those, whose water supply hasbecome contaminated either due to

waste dumping or leakage from landfillsites. Uncollected solid waste also increases risk of injury, and

infection.In particular, organic domestic waste poses a serious threat, since theyferment, creating

conditions favourable to the survival and growth ofmicrobial pathogens. Direct handling of solid

waste can result in varioustypes of infectious and chronic diseases with the waste workers and the ragpickers being the most vulnerable.

Exposure to hazardous waste can affect human health, children being morevulnerable to these

pollutants. In fact, direct exposure can lead to diseasesthrough chemical exposure as the release

of chemical waste into theenvironment leads to chemical poisoning. Many studies have been

carriedout in various parts of the world to establish aconnection between health and hazardous

waste

Waste from agriculture and industriescan also cause serious health risks.Other than this, co-

disposal of industrial hazardous waste with municipalwaste can expose people to chemical and

radioactive hazard. Uncollect solid waste can also obstruct storm water runoff, resulting in the forming

ofstagnant water bodies that become the breeding ground of disease. Wastedumped near a water

source also causes contamination of the water body orthe ground water source.

Direct dumping of untreated waste in rivers, seas, and lakes results in theaccumulation of toxic

substances in the food chain through the plants andanimals that feed on it.


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Disposal of hospital and other medical wasterequires special attentionsince this can

create major health hazards. This waste generated from thehospitals, health care centres, medical

laboratories, and research centressuch as discarded syringe needles, bandages, swabs, plasters, and

other typesof infectious waste are often disposed with the regular non-infectious waste.Waste

treatment and disposal sites can also create health hazards for the neighbourhood. Improperly

operated incineration plants cause air pollutionand improperly managed and designed landfills attract

all types of insectsand rodents that spread disease. Ideally these sites should be located at a safe

distance from all human settlement. Landfill sites should be well lined andwalled to ensure that there

is no leakage into the nearby ground watersources.

Recycling too carries health risks if proper precautions are not taken.Workers working with

waste containing chemical and metals may experience toxic exposure. Disposal of health-care

wastes require special Waste Managementattention since it can create major health hazards, such as

Hepatitis B and C,through wounds caused by discarded syringes. Rag pickers and others whoare

involved in scavenging in the waste dumps for items that can berecycled, may sustain injuries

and come into direct contact with theseinfectious items.

Occupational hazards associated with waste handling InfectionsSkin and blood

infections resulting from direct contact with waste, and frominfected wounds. Eye and respiratory

infections resulting from exposure toinfected dust, especially during landfill operations.Different

diseases that results from the bites of animals feeding on the waste.Intestinal infections that are

transmitted by flies feeding on the waste.

Chronic diseases

Incineration operators are at risk of chronic respiratory diseases, includingcancers resulting fromexposure to dust and hazardous compounds.

Accidents

Bone and muscle disorders resulting from the handling of heavycontainers. Infecting wounds

resulting from contact with sharp objects.

Poisoning and chemical burns resulting from contact with small amounts ofhazardous chemical waste

mixed with general waste. Burns and other injuries resulting from occupational accidents at waste

disposal sites or from methane gas explosion at landfill sites.

Diseases

Certain chemicals if released untreated, e.g. cyanides, mercury, andpolychlorinated biphenyls

are highly toxic and exposure can lead to diseaseor death. Some studies have detected excesses of

cancer in residents exposedto hazardous waste. Many studies have been carried out in various parts of

the world to establish a connection between health and hazardous waste.


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The role of plastics

The unhygienic use and disposal of plastics and its effects on human healthhas become a matter of

concern. Coloured plastics are harmful as theirpigment contains heavy metals that are highly toxic.

Some of the harmfulmetals found in plastics are copper, lead, chromium, cobalt, selenium, and

cadmium. In most industrialized countries, colour plastics have been legallybanned. In India, the

Government of Himachal Pradesh has banned the useof plastics and so has Ladakh district. Other

states should emulate theirexample.

Preventive measure

Proper methods of waste disposal have to be undertaken to ensure that itdoes not affect the

environment around the area or cause health hazards tothe people living there.At the household-level

proper segregation of waste has to be do nic waste can becomposted and then used as a fertilizer.

ITshould be ensured that all organic matter is kept aside for composting, whichis undoubtedly the best

method for the correct disposal of this segment ofthe waste. In fact, the organic part of the waste that

is generated decomposesmore easily, attracts insects and causes disease.


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How we all contribute everyday?

All of us in our daily lives contribute our bit to this change in the climate.Give these points a good,

serious thought:

-Electricity is the main source of power in urban areas. All our gadgets runon electricity generatedmainly from thermal power plants. These thermalpower plants are run on fossil fuels (mostly coal) and

are responsible for theemission of huge amounts of greenhouse gases and other pollutants

- Cars, buses, and trucks are the principal ways by which goods and peopleare transported in most of

our cities. These are run mainly on petrol or dieselboth fossil fuels. We generate large quantities of

waste in the form ofplastics that remain in the environment for many years and cause damage

- We use a huge quantity of paper in our work at schools and in offices.Have we ever thought about the

number of trees that we use in a day?

- Timber is used in large quantities for construction of houses, which meansthat large areas of foresthave to be cut down.

- A growing population has meant more and more mouths to feed. Becausethe land area available for

agriculture is limited (and in fact, is actuallyshrinking as a result of ecological degradation!), high-

yielding varieties ofcrop are being grown to increase the agricultural output from a given area ofland.

However, such high-yielding varieties of crops require large quantitiesof fertilizers; and more fertilizer

means more emissions of nitrous oxide.

Solid Waste Can Be Classified Into Different Types Depending on Their Source

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