Hazardous Waste Management PDF
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This document discusses hazardous waste management, covering definitions, regulations, and examples in different parts of the world. It details various aspects of hazardous waste, including its characteristics, types, and treatment methods. The document is suitable for reference and study materials.
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Hazardous Waste Management What are the Haz Wastes around you? Why are they Hazardous? Soil Sludge Waste Water Fly Ash Used Oil Pesticides Paints E Waste Bio Medical Waste Chemicals Cleaners Acids Introduction Waste materials...
Hazardous Waste Management What are the Haz Wastes around you? Why are they Hazardous? Soil Sludge Waste Water Fly Ash Used Oil Pesticides Paints E Waste Bio Medical Waste Chemicals Cleaners Acids Introduction Waste materials are a part of high standard of living Manufacture of products results in waste generation Some are persistent, toxic, flammable, corrosive, or explosive Introduction Until 1800s, most materials used in homes and industries were natural products 1900s, petroleum were in used 1930s to 1950s halogenation found to improve properties, esp. nonflammability Halogenated pesticides were very effective Significant Points in Hazardous Waste History 1940s explosion in chemical production 1962 Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” 1967 Torrey Canyon oil spill in UK 1968 National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) 1969 Stringfellow, CA, acid ponds overflew into town of Glen Avon 1970 US EPA created 1972 DDT banned; Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA regulation) 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and RCRA 1978 Love Canal 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA also called Superfund) 1982 Times Beach, Missouri 1984 Bhopal, India 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA part of RCRA amendments) 1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) & Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster 1986 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill 1990 Oil Pollution Act Landmark Episodes DDT – became sinister agents in public eyes since Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962. DDT can be found in deep-sea squid, Antarctic penguins, humans and land animals (fatty tissue). Mercury – has dramatically different toxicological properties depending on its chemical state. As a liquid state, it was used to cure constipation. Mercury salts, on the other hand, caused neurological disorders. Organic forms, such as methyl mercury, are most toxic, having caused paralysis and sensory loss (Minamata Bay, Japan). Inorganic mercury from industries was methylated in sediments and bioaccumulated in shellfish. Landmark Episodes-Cont. PCBs – had multiple uses such as transformer coolant and plasticizer. They are carcinogenic, they can be toxic in higher concentrations. Bhopal, India 1984 – Union carbide plant leaked methyl isocyanate (MIC) causing more than 4,000 deaths and 3,000 disabilities. This incident brought about the enactment of Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act in US. Environmental Protection Act 1986 in India General definition A hazardous waste has the potential to cause an unacceptable risk to: – PUBLIC HEALTH – THE ENVIRONMENT Why definition is difficult The hazard associated with a waste depends on: COMPOSITION PHYSICAL FORM HAZARDOUS WASTE CHEMICAL PROPERTIES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES Examples of hazardous waste definitions: Basel Convention 45 categories of wastes that are presumed to be hazardous. PLUS …... These categories of waste need to exhibit one or more hazardous characteristics: flammable, oxidizing, poisonous, infectious, corrosive, ecotoxic Examples of hazardous waste definitions: UNEP Wastes other than radioactive wastes which, by reason of their chemical activity or toxic, explosive, corrosive or other characteristics cause danger or are likely to cause danger to health or the environment "Hazardous waste is the waste which has physical, chemical or biological characteristics which require special handling and disposal procedure to avoid risks to health and/or other adverse environmental effects." "Environmentally dangerous chemicals can be defined as chemical substance which occurs in the environment through normal activities of man and which, in the opinion of experts, pose a threat directly or indirectly to human health and/or the environment." Examples of hazardous waste definitions: USA UNDER US EPA REGULATIONS (RCRA): 1 The waste is listed in EPA regulations 2 The waste is tested and meets one of the four characteristics established by EPA: Ignitable Corrosive Reactive Toxic 3 The waste is declared hazardous by the generator Definitions of Hazardous Waste US EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 1976 Wastes in the form of solid waste, or combination of solid wastes that, because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics, may: cause, or significantly contribute to, an increase in mortality, or an increase in serious irreversible, or incapacitating reversible, illness; or pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, or disposed of, or otherwise managed. Examples of hazardous waste definitions: European Waste Catalogue A core list of 850 types of waste Of these, around 420 are classified as hazardous wastes These are divided into 19 main categories Definitions of Hazardous Waste Federal Republic of Germany "Hazardous wastes are wastes which by reason of their nature, condition or quantity constitute a particular danger to health or to the quality of air or water or which are particularly explosive or inflammable or which contain or may produce pathogens of any transmissible disease.“ Definitions of Hazardous Waste India HWM&H Rules, 1989 The term ‘Hazardous Waste’ has not been explicitly defined but the term ‘Hazardous Substance’ has been defined in the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 as “any substance or preparation which, by reason of its chemical or physico-chemical properties or handling, is liable to cause harm to human beings, other living creature, plant, micro-organism, property or the environment”. The Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989, designates wastes ‘Hazardous’, if they fall in the categories appended in the Schedule (18 categories). By implication, historically, the term ‘Hazardous Waste’ in the context of Indian Law is in fact not much different from the RCRA definition. Regulations for Haz Wastes & Haz Chemicals Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, December 1989 (amended in 2000, 2003, 2008, 2016) 18 categories of toxic, flammable, reactive, and corrosive wastes, in solid, sludge as well as fluid phases Definitions of Hazardous Waste The PIL in the SC of India An international organization, Greenpeace, first drew attention to the import of hazardous wastes into India in violation of the Basel Convention. Later, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Research Policy filed its public interest petition alleging that such illegal imports of hazardous wastes were continuing. It was only after the intervention of the Honorable Supreme Court (SC) of India that the High Powered Committee (HPC) was set up in late 1997. Definitions of Hazardous Waste The HPC After careful consideration, the HPC regarded “hazardous wastes” as “any substance, whether in solid, liquid or gaseous form, which has no fore-seeable use and which by reasons of any physical, chemical, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive, corrosive, radioactive or infectious characteristics causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or when in contact with other wastes or environment, and should be considered as such when generated, handled, stored, transported, treated and disposed off.” This definition included any product that released hazardous substance at the end of its life, if indiscriminately disposed off. Hazardous Waste Management The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry following the discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of toxic wastes imported from abroad. Awakening environmental awareness and corresponding tightening of environmental regulations in the industrialized world in the 1970s and 1980s had led to increasing public resistance to the disposal of hazardous wastes – in accordance with what became known as the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome – and to an escalation of disposal costs. This in turn led some operators to seek cheap disposal options for hazardous wastes in Eastern Europe and the developing world, where environmental awareness was much less developed and regulations and enforcement mechanisms were lacking. It was against this background that the Basel Convention was negotiated in the late 1980s, and its thrust at the time of its adoption was to combat the “toxic trade”, as it was termed. The Convention entered into force in 1992. Khian Sea waste disposal incident One of the incidents which led to the creation of the Basel Convention was the Khian Sea waste disposal incident, in 1986, which a ship carrying incinerator ash of 15,000 tons from the city of Philadelphia in the United States dumped approx. 5,000 tons of its load on a beach in Haiti before being forced away. It sailed for 18 months, changing its name several times. Unable to unload the cargo in any port, the crew was believed to have dumped much of it at sea waste into the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Koko incident, Nigeria 1988 Another is the 1988 Koko case in which five ships transported 8,000 barrels of hazardous waste from Italy to the small town of Koko in Nigeria in exchange for $100 monthly rent which was paid to a Nigerian for the use of his farmland. These practices have been deemed "Toxic Colonialism" by many developing countries. Regulations for Haz Wastes & Haz Chemicals Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008 Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 shall not apply to - waste-water and exhaust gases The objective of definitions Why define wastes? To decide whether or not that waste should be controlled - this is important for the generator as well as the regulator Why create a list? Clear and simple No need for testing Different methods of classification Lists e.g. Basel Convention Annex I, Basel List A, EU European Waste Catalogue, US EPA list Origin e.g. processes, Basel Convention Annex II Hazardous characteristics e.g. toxicity, reactivity, Basel Convention Annex III Chemical and physical properties e.g. inorganic, organic, oil, sludges Need to match classification to objectives No method will suit all cases Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 “hazardous waste” means any waste which by reason of characteristics such as physical, chemical, biological, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive, causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or in contact with other wastes or substances, and shall include – (i) waste specified under column (3) of Schedule I; (ii) waste having equal to or more than the concentration limits specified for the constituents in class A and class B of Schedule II or any of the characteristics as specified in class C of Schedule II; and (iii) wastes specified in Part A of Schedule III in respect of import or export of such wastes or the wastes not specified in Part A but exhibit hazardous characteristics specified in Part C of Schedule III; Characterization of hazardous waste Class C1: Flammable Class C2: Corrosive Class C3: Reactive or explosive Class C4: Toxic Class C5: Substances or Wastes liable to spontaneous combustion Class C6: Substances or Wastes which, in contact with water emit flammable gases Class C5: Oxidizing Class C8: Organic Peroxides Class C9: Poisons (acute) Class C10: Infectious Class C11: Liberation of toxic gases in contact with air or water Class C12: Eco-toxic Class C13: Capable Hazardous Waste Generation in India The hazardous wastes are generated because of the following reasons: a) Use of Hazardous Substances:- Generally, most of the hazardous wastes are generated during the production and consumption of chemicals. The generation of such wastes is increasing with the increase in the demand of the consumer goods. b) Use of Inappropriate Technologies:- Many industries, in particular small & medium enterprises (SMEs) use outdated or obsolete technologies due to economic and technical constraints. As a result the resource conversion is not optimum, resulting in high & more toxic and/or hazardous wastes. c) End of Pipe Treatment of Effluent/Emissions:-The treatment of wastewater streams and gaseous emissions to meet the standards, result into residues that contain hazardous constituents. https://www.npcindia.gov.in/NPC/Files/delhiOFC/EM/Hazardous-waste-management-rules-2016.pdf Hazardous Waste Generation in India About 7.66 million tonnes per year (MTPA)of hazardous waste is generated from about 40,722 industries as per CPCB estimates in 2010. About 3.39 MTPA (44.3%) landfillable; 3.61 MTPA (47.2%) recyclable and 0.65 MTPA (8.5%) is incinerable waste. As per the Compendium of Environmental Statistics in India, 2016, about 90% of the total hazardous waste generated in the country is being contributed by ten (10) states https://www.npcindia.gov.in/NPC/Files/delhiOFC/EM/Hazardous-waste-management-rules-2016.pdf State wise Hazardous Waste Generaon in India https://www.npcindia.gov.in/NPC/Files/delhiOFC/EM/Hazardous-waste-management-rules-2016.pdf Impacts of Haz Wastes Cause of mass life and material damage and loss (disability, death, fire, explosion) Cause of environmental damage: water (ground and surface), air, and soil pollution Cause of potential increased chemical bioaccumulation that is hard for biodegradability Cause of long term irreversible health risks High concern of trans-boundary movement of toxic waste Cause of massive toxic health damage Health and Environmental Impacts Human health impacts of direct and indirect exposure to hazardous wastes include - acute and chronic: carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic effects, reproductive system damage, respiratory effects, central nervous system (CNS) effects, and many more. We need to know the concentrations at which chemicals become toxic, the form of the chemical, the exposure pathway, their persistence, and the biomagnification effect. Some hazardous chemicals absorb rapidly through the skin, while others don’t at all. The toxicity of a chemical also determines the effect on the body. There are many hazardous chemicals that are toxic in very small amounts, whereas others can have large volumes of exposure before there is a reaction. Some potential health conditions in people of all ages include: Behaviour abnormalities Cancer Physiological malfunctions (e.g., kidney failure, reproductive impairment) Genetic mutations Physical deformations Birth defects The most prevalent risk associated with hazardous waste management is the potential for groundwater contamination. Exposure Pathways The different ways a person can come into contact with hazardous chemicals are called exposure pathways inhalation, ingestion, and dermal (skin) contact chemicals can move through air, soil and water and can be found in the air we breathe, the soil our plants grow in, water we drink, and the food we eat Water – Exposure can occur when people drink, shower, bath, or swim in contaminated groundwater or surface water. Soil, Sediment, or Dust – Exposure can occur if contaminated soil, sediment or dust is inhaled or makes direct contact with skin. This form of exposure is very common in children. Air – Exposure can occur when people breathe in hazardous chemical vapors or air that is contaminated by hazardous chemicals or dust. Food – Exposure can occur when people eat certain foods that have been contaminated. Food contamination can occur if the food has come into contact with hazardous chemicals either through water, or in secondary consumers being contaminated by primary consumers. Storage of Hazardous Waste Till disposal for recycling / treatment / landfilling, Haz waste are to be stored onsite in bags / containers in a covered area Storage permitted for a period not exceeding 90 days Period of storage can be extended by SPCB in case of Small generators, generating Haz waste less than 10 TPA Recyclers, reprocessors and facility operator upto 6 months of their annual capacity Generators who do not have access to any TSDF in the concerned state Wastes which need to be specifically stored for development of a process for its recycling reuse Transportation of Hazardous Waste Haz wastes to be properly packed and labelled for transport to ensure safe handling Haz wastes containers shall be marked as per HW Rules, 2016, form -9. information on hazardous nature of the wastes and measures to be taken in case of emergency shall be provided to the transporter in Form -11 Manifest system (Form -10) to be maintained “manifest” means transporting document prepared and signed by the sender authorised in accordance with the provisions of the rules Sample for Labeling of Containers of Hazardous and Other Wastes. https://www.npcindia.gov.in/NPC/Files/delhiOFC/EM/Hazardous-waste-management-rules-2016.pdf Manifest system (Movement Document) for hazardous and other waste to be used within the country only.- (1) The sender of the waste shall prepare seven copies of the manifest in Form 10 comprising of colour code indicated below and all seven copies shall be signed by the sender Treatment of Hazardous Waste There are 5 types of Haz waste treatment methods Physical treatment Chemical treatment Thermal treatment Biological treatment Disposal Physical treatment Filtration and separation: Filtration is a method for separating solid particles from a liquid using a porous medium. The driving force in filtration - pressure gradient, caused by gravity, centrifugal force, vacuum, or pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The application of filtration for treatment of hazardous waste fall into the following categories: Clarification - suspended solid particles less than 100 ppm (parts per million) concentration are removed from an aqueous stream. Dewatering - typically 1% to 30 % solids by weight of slurries. Aim is to concentrate the solids into a phase or solid form for disposal or further treatment. Chemical Treatment Chemical precipitation: process by which the soluble substance is converted to an insoluble form either by a chemical reaction or by change in the composition of the solvent to diminish the solubility of the substance in it. Settling and/or filtration can then remove the precipitated solids. Mostly used in removal of toxic metal from aqueous wastes - containing arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium and zinc. Chemical oxidation and reduction (redox): When electrons are removed from reactant, the substance is oxidised and when electrons are added to a substance, it is reduced. treatment of metal-bearing wastes, sulphides, cyanides and chromium and in the treatment of many organic wastes such as phenols, pesticides and sulphur containing compounds. Solidification/Stabiliasation Immobilisation is a collective term for a range of treatment processes that primarily aim to make hazardous waste safe for disposal by reducing the potential for waste component leaching Stabilisation: techniques by which hazardous wastes are converted into a more stable form Solidification: techniques that create a solid mass of either the original waste, or waste that has been stabilised S/S often used in combination Solidification and stabilisation: Reduce the mobility or solubility of the contaminants to levels required by regulatory Conversion of pollutants into less toxic form Decrease in waste surface area Reduction of pollutant mobility Formation of solid mass with no free liquid Improvement in handling and physical characteristics of waste Often used as a pre-treatment for land disposal activities to meet land disposal restrictions Stabilisation Chemical reaction Acid/alkali neutralisation Chelation Complexation Oxidation/reduction Precipitation Chemisorption Ion exchange Solidification May be used to treat original or stabilised wastes Types of binders used: Cement-based Portland cement, cement kiln dust Lime/limestone/quicklime Lime/fly ash, lime kiln dust Lime/ other natural and artificial pozzolana based systems Thermoplastic materials Asphalt (Bitumen), Paraffin, polyethylene Thermosetting polymers Polybutadiene, (poly)urea-formaldehyde, polyvinylesterstyrene Methods - Solidification / Stabilisation In-Situ Ex-Situ Physical Chemical Thermal (Vitrification) Solidification / Stabilisation Advantages can be completed in a relatively short time period can be used to treat recalcitrant contaminants (e.g. heavy metals, PCBs, dioxins) may be performed in-situ or ex-situ process equipment occupies a relatively small footprint the structural properties of the soil may be improved by treatment (e.g. strength, permeability) Disadvantages does not destroy or remove the contaminants may be difficult to predict long-term behaviour may result in a volume increase consumption of natural resources may require long-term maintenance of protection systems and/or longterm monitoring Evaporation: Evaporation is defined as the conversion of a liquid from a solution or slurry into vapour. All evaporation systems require the transfer of sufficient heat from a heating medium to the process fluid to vaporise the volatile solvent. Evaporation process equipment is quite flexible and can handle waste in various forms – aqueous, slurries, sludges and tars. Evaporation is commonly used as a pre-treatment method to decrease quantities of material for final treatment. It is also used in cases where no other treatment method was found to be practical, such as in the concentration of trinitrotoluene (TNT) for subsequent incineration. Ozonation: Ozone is a relatively unstable gas consisting of three oxygen atoms per molecule (O3) and is one of the strongest oxidising agents known. It can be substituted for conventional oxidants such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate. Ozone and UV radiations have been used to detoxify industrial organic wastes, containing aromatic and aliphatic polychlorinated compounds, ketones and alcohols. Thermal Treatment Incineration: Incineration can be regarded as either a pre-treatment of hazardous waste, prior to final disposal or as a means to recover energy. It includes both the burning of mixed waste or burning of selected parts of the waste stream as a fuel. The concept of treating hazardous waste is similar to that of municipal solid waste. Pyrolysis: This is defined as the chemical decomposition or change brought about by heating in the absence of oxygen. This is a thermal process for transformation of solid and liquid carbonaceous materials into gaseous components and the solid residue containing fixed carbon and ash. The application of pyrolysis to hazardous waste treatment leads to a two-step process for disposal. In the first step, wastes are heated - separating the volatile contents (e.g., combustible gases, water vapour, etc.) from non-volatile char and ash. In the second step - volatile components are burned under proper conditions to assure incineration of all hazardous components. Biological Treatment Aerobic treatment Anaerobic treatment Composting Setting up of Common Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities (CHWTSDF) As per CPCB, there are 29 common secured landfill facilities (SLFs) with a total disposal capacity of about 34 MMT and 14 common incinerators in 7 states with a total capacity of about 0.45 MTA, in order to take care of hazardous wastes generated from various industries. https://www.npcindia.gov.in/NPC/Files/delhiOFC/EM/Hazardous-waste-management-rules-2016.pdf Schematic Diagram of Common Treatment and Disposal Facility https://www.npcindia.gov.in/NPC/Files/delhiOFC/EM/Hazardous-waste-management-rules-2016.pdf Household hazardous waste Household Hazardous Waste Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be “household hazardous waste”. Household Hazardous Waste includes materials such as: Household cleaners and detergents Paints and solvents Motor oil and windshield washer fluid Batteries (wet & dry cell) Prescription medicine or pharmaceuticals Needles and syringes Fluorescent tubes and compact flourescent light bulbs / energy efficient bulbs Household Hazardous Waste Improper disposal of household hazardous wastes can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the trash. The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health as follows Cancer Respiratory problems Heart disease Exposure effects etc Household Hazardous Waste Cleaning agents, disinfectants Aerosols / propane cylinders Batteries Cosmetics Waste containing mercury Waste oils Paints and solvents Pesticides Pharmaceuticals Refrigerant containing appliances Varnishes E-waste Household Hazardous Waste Reduction at Home Consider reducing purchase of products that contain hazardous ingredients. use of alternative methods or products—without hazardous ingredients—for some common household needs. Care at Home It is important that people always monitor the use, storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous substances in their homes. Use and store products containing hazardous substances carefully to prevent any accidents at home. Never store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. Corroding containers require special handling. When leftovers remain, never mix HHW with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become unrecyclable. follow any instructions for use and disposal provided on product labels. Household Hazardous Waste Benefits of Proper HHW Management Reduction and recycling of HHW conserves resources and energy that would be expended in the production of more products. Reuse of hazardous household products can save money and reduce the need for generating hazardous substances. Proper disposal prevents pollution that could endanger human health and the environment. Disposal Hazardous wastes that are not destroyed by incineration or other chemical processes need to be disposed of properly. For most such wastes, land disposal is the ultimate destination, although it is not an attractive practice, because of the inherent environmental risks involved. Two basic methods of land disposal include landfilling and underground injection. Prior to land disposal, surface storage or containment systems are often employed as a temporary method. Secure landfills A groundwater monitoring system that includes a series of deep wells drilled in and around the site is also required. The wells allow a routine program of sampling and testing to detect any leaks or groundwater contamination. If a leak does occur, the wells can be pumped to intercept the polluted water and bring it to the surface for treatment. Schematic diagram of a secure hazardous-waste landfill with a double leachate collection system.