Solid Waste Management PDF

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT Solid waste refers to the range of garbage materials—arising from animal and human activities—that are discarded as unwanted and useless. Solid waste is generated from industrial, residential, and commercial activities in a given area, and may be handled in a variety of ways...

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT Solid waste refers to the range of garbage materials—arising from animal and human activities—that are discarded as unwanted and useless. Solid waste is generated from industrial, residential, and commercial activities in a given area, and may be handled in a variety of ways. As such, landfills are typically classified as sanitary, municipal, construction and demolition, or industrial waste sites. Waste can be categorized based on material, such as plastic, paper, glass, metal, and organic waste. Categorization may also be based on hazard potential, including radioactive, flammable, infectious, toxic, or non-toxic wastes. Categories may also pertain to the origin of the waste, whether industrial, domestic, commercial, institutional, or construction and demolition. Regardless of the origin, content, or hazard potential, solid waste must be managed systematically to ensure environmental best practices. As solid waste management is a critical aspect of environmental hygiene, it must be incorporated into environmental planning. Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the learner is expected to: Describe the key components of a solid-waste management system. Define solid wastes and its sources. Distinguish between municipal solid wastes and other solid wastes. Explain the issues associated with design and operation of successful solid waste subsystems (collection, transfer stations, material recovery facilities, composting facilities, waste to energy facilities, and landfills). Integrate principles of the pollution prevention hierarchy into a Solid Waste Management System. Explain the concerns with landfill gas and leachate and how they are addressed. Discuss important provisions RA 9003. Waste and wastes are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance which is discarded after primary use, or it is worthless, defective and of no use. 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. Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source: a) Household waste is generally classified as municipal waste, b) Industrial waste as hazardous waste, and c) Biomedical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste. Municipal Waste Municipal solid also called urban solid waste, is a waste type that includes predominantly household waste (domestic waste) with sometimes the addition of commercial wastes collected by a municipality within a given area construction and demolition debris, sanitation residue, and waste from streets. They are in either solid or semisolid form and generally exclude industrial hazardous wastes. This garbage is generated mainly from residential and commercial complexes. With rising urbanization and change in lifestyle and food habits, the amount of municipal solid waste has been increasing rapidly and its composition changing. The term residual waste relates to waste left from household sources containing materials that have not been separated out or sent for reprocessing. Organic waste: kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits. Toxic waste: old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish. Recyclable: paper, glass, metals, plastics. Soiled: hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and other body fluids. Hazardous waste - Industrial and hospital waste is considered hazardous as they may contain toxic substances. - could be highly toxic to humans, animals, and plants; are corrosive, highly inflammable, or explosive; and react when exposed to certain things e.g. gases. - waste (usually a solid waste) that has he potential to: cause, or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality (death) 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. There are four factors that determine whether or not a substance is hazardous: 1, ignitability (i.e., flammable) 2. reactivity, 3. corrosively, 4. toxicity. Hospital waste - known as clinical waste or Medical waste, normally refers to waste products that cannot be considered general waste, produced from healthcare premises, such as hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices, labs and nursing homes. - Wastes generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities in these fields or in the production or testing of biological. It may include wastes like sharps, soiled waste, disposables, anatomical waste, cultures, discarded medicines, chemical wastes, etc. - These are in the form of disposable syringes, swabs, bandages, body fluids, human excreta, etc. - highly infectious and can be a serious threat to human health if not managed in a scientific and discriminate manner. It has been roughly estimated that of the 4 kg of waste generated in a hospital at least 1 kg would be infected. What is R.A. No. 9003? Republic Act No. 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act” provides the legal framework for the country’s systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program that shall ensure protection of public health and the environment. It underscores, among other things, the need to create the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, as well as imposes penalties for acts in violation of any of its provisions. Solid Waste Management Concepts There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most general, widely used concepts include: 1. Waste hierarchy - The waste hierarchy refers to the "3 Rs" reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste 2. Minimization - The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. 3. Polluter pays principle - the Polluter Pays Principle is a principle where the polluting party pays for the impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste. Segregation of waste Waste can be segregated as 1. Biodegradable and 2. Non-biodegradable. Biodegradable wastes include organic waste, e.g. kitchen waste, vegetables, fruits, flowers, leaves from the garden, and paper. Non-biodegradable wastes can be further segregated into: a) Recyclable waste – plastics, paper, glass, metal, etc. b) Toxic waste – old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish. c) Soiled – hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and other body fluids. Toxic and soiled waste must be disposed of with utmost care. SOLID WASTE AND ITS DISPOSAL Solid waste is either dumped in the ocean or disposed of what it is produced, by processes, such as refilling and landscaping disused mines. There are only three places for wastes to end up in each place. 1. Landfill - Sanitary landfill is designed to reduce the amount of waste that leaks out of it into the environment. The requirements for sanitary landfill vary with local condition. It is designed to protect the environment from pollution and uses the methane produced in the landfill to generate electricity. Water dissolves pollutants out of the garbage forming a solution known as leachate. 2. Incineration - One way to reduce the volume of waste that must go to the landfill is to burn it first. Even modern incinerator causes pollution adding fly ash, gases and particulate matter into air 3. Ocean dumping - About 50 Million tons waste a year are discharged into the ocean, 300 kilometers off-shore. Disease-causing organisms and heavy metals have destroyed numerous coastal fisheries. Landfills - sites for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment. Historically, landfills have been the most common method of organized waste disposal and remain so in many places around the world. Sanitary Landfill - To solve the problem of leaching to some extent,a sanitary landfill which is more hygienic is built in a methodical manner. - lined with materials that are impermeable such as plastics and clay, and are also built over impermeable soil. - very costly and they have their own problems. Some authorities claim that often the plastic liner develops cracks as it reacts with various chemical solvents present in the waste. - The rate of decomposition in sanitary landfills is also extremely variable. This can be due to the fact that less oxygen is available as the garbage is compressed very tightly - some biodegradable materials do not decompose in a landfill. - Another major problem is the development of methane gas, which occurs when little oxygen is present, i.e. during anaerobic decomposition. - In some countries, the methane being produced from sanitary landfills is tapped and sold as fuel. 4 critical elements in a secured landfill: 1. Bottom liner 2. Leachate collection 3. Cover 4. Natural hydrogeologic setting. At the landfill, engineering designs prevent leachate from seeping into water tables, thus protect the city’s water resources. Leachate is any liquid that, in the course of passing through matter, extracts soluble or suspended solids, or any other component of the material through which it has passed. Recycling transforms residual waste into bricks and tiles. Chemicals convert soft garbage through the process of decomposition using biologically-friendly processes to produce solid, liquid, and gaseous products. Landfill gas is a complex mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill. Landfill gas is approximately forty to sixty percent methane, with the remainder being mostly carbon dioxide. The operation of the Sanitary Landfill as provided in the city’s Ecological Solid Waste Management Program has four components: public awareness campaign; waste segregation into biodegradable, recyclable, and residual components; recycling and composting of recyclable and biodegradable components; and land filling of residual solid waste. DESIGN OF AN INCINERATOR COMPOSTING It is a process by which organic wastes are broken down by microorganisms, generally bacteria and fungi, into simpler forms. The microorganisms use the carbon in the waste as an energy source. It is the biological decomposition biodegradable organic matter by microorganism in a controlled, warm, moist, aerobic or anaerobic environment. Material Recovery Facilities refer to the facilities, equipment, and techniques employed both to recover reusable or recyclable materials from the waste stream and to improve the effectiveness of other functional elements of waste management. Waste-to-Energy Facilities Waste to Energy (WTE), is a term that is used to describe various technologies that convert non-recyclable waste into usable forms of energy including heat, fuels and electricity. WTE can occur through a number of processes such as incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery. Impacts of Solid Waste on Health The group at risk from the unscientific disposal of solid waste include – the population in areas where there is no proper waste disposal method, especially the pre-school children; waste workers; and workers in facilities producing toxic and infectious material. Chemical poisoning through chemical inhalation Uncollected waste can obstruct the storm water runoff resulting in flood Low birth weight Cancer Congenital malformations Neurological disease Nausea and vomiting Increase in hospitalization of diabetic residents living near hazard waste sites. Mercury toxicity from eating fish with high levels of mercury. Effects of waste on animals and aquatics life Increase in mercury level in fish due to disposal of mercury in the rivers. Plastic found in oceans ingested by birds. Resulted in high algal population in rivers and sea. Degrades water and soil quality. Exposures occurs through: Ingestion of contaminated water or food Contact with disease vectors Inhalation Dermal Points of Contact: Soil adsorption, storage and biodegrading Plant uptake Ventilation Runoff  Leaching Insects, birds, rats, flies and animals Direct dumping of untreated waste in seas, rivers and lakes results in the plants and animals that feed on it Impacts of Waste on Environment Waste breaks down in landfills to form methane, a potent greenhouse gas Change in climate and destruction of ozone layer due to waste biodegradable Littering, due to waste pollutions, illegal dumping, Leaching: is a process by which solid waste enter soil and ground water and contaminating them. Assessment: 1. Explain the solid waste management hierarchy. 2. Give the advantages and disadvantages of the following solid waste management process: a. landfill b. incinerator 3. What can you do as to help in solving the problem of solid waste management? ASSIGNMENT: 1. What practices at home must be changed to solve solid waste problem? 2. Give concrete examples of objects/waste that can be a. recycled b. restored c. reused d. composted e. reduced at home References: American Geological Institute. (2012). Environmental Science. Andover Cengage Learning. Marine Health, Safety Quality, Environmental and Energy Management. (2012) Vesilind, Morgan and Heine (2010). Introduction to Environmental Engineering 3rd Edition Davim, P. (2010). Sustainable Manufacturing. USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Lee & Añes (2008). Environmental Science: The Economy of Nature and Ecology of Man Rao. P. (2006). Environmental Science Engineering http://www.eschooltoday.com/waste-recycling/sources-of-waste.html http://pcw.gov.ph/sites/default/files/documents/efiles/webmaster/gwpf_sofe_solid_wastes.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/echo/files/evaluation/watsan2005 http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/urbanenvironment/sectors/solid-waste-landfills.html https://www.thebalance.com/integrated-solid-waste-management-iswm-an-overview-2878106 https://www.thebalancesmb.com/an-introduction-to-solid-waste-management- 2878102#:~:text=Solid%20waste%20refers%20to%20the,in%20a%20variety%20of%20ways.