Solid Waste Management And Case Studies Unit 10 PDF

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND CASE STUDIES UNIT 10 INTRODUCTION Waste is known as a material or substance or its by-product that is not found useful after the completion of its process or use. The waste generated can be from residential, industrial, commercial or agricultural activity. Solid waste c...

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND CASE STUDIES UNIT 10 INTRODUCTION Waste is known as a material or substance or its by-product that is not found useful after the completion of its process or use. The waste generated can be from residential, industrial, commercial or agricultural activity. Solid waste can be paper, metal, glass, organic matter or something else. Based on their hazard potential they are classified as toxic, non-toxic, flammable, radioactive or infectious. In 2018 the per capita waste generation was highest in USA and Canada approx. 2.58 and 2.33 kg per day and in India, it was about 0.34kg per day. It is predicted with the current rate, global waste generation will rise to 2.2 billion tons per year by 2025. Municipal solid waste (MSW) contains organic waste (51%), recyclables (17%), hazardous (11%) and inert waste (21%). Waste segregation has been a very basic problem in solid waste management as about 40% of waste is not collected and litters the town, entering drains and water bodieschoking and polluting the environment. The unsegregated waste causes nuisance and various types of pollution and is spread to nearby areas and pollutes our environment. Burning of these wastes creates air pollution and releases gases that cause global warming.  TYPES OF WASTES 1. E-waste E-waste is defined as electronic waste, which has been rendered useless after fulfilling its use. These wastes consist of televisions, computers, copiers, mobile phones, fax machines, stereos and other equipment. Presently, e-waste generation is increasing at a very rapid rate throughout the world also supporting recycling, recovery and refurbishment and resale of this equipment. According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2017, India generates about 2 million tons (MT) of e-waste annually and ranks fifth among e-waste producing countries (Global EWaste Monitor -2017), led by USA and China. In India, 95% of the e-waste is treated in the informal sector. The e-waste-connected health risks are very high and mainly related to handling and direct contact with harmful materials such as mercury, chromium, lead, cadmium, flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyls present in these wastes. The recovery and extraction of various elements in these wastes can lead to the inhalation of toxic fumes and accumulation of harmful chemicals in water, soil and food that can directly affect human health.  2. Biomedical Waste Biomedical waste is classified as waste generated during the diagnosis, or treatment, of human beings or animals, research activities or testing subjects. According to the latest Biomedical waste (BMW) Rules, 2016, several changes and additions have been made in earlier rules to further improve the collection, segregation, processing, treatment and disposal of biomedical wastes in an environmentally sound manner. The waste consists of anatomical waste, soiled waste like plasters and bandages, medicines, chemical waste, discarded linen, syringes and needles, glassware etc. and they are incinerated or autoclaved to avoid infection in the environment. According to new rules, wastes have been colour coded into four colours (yellow, red, white, and blue) to address the issue of their handling and disposal.  3. Plastic Waste and Management Plastic waste is considered one of the most persistent major wastes in the environment. According to the report from the central pollution control board (CPCB) in 2017-18, India generated 9.4 million tons of plastic waste annually. Only 60% of plastic is recycled through organized and unorganized sectors. 50% of plastic waste generated consists of single-use plastic like straws, plates, food packaging etc. The recycling rate is only 10% for single-use plastic and the majority ends up in the ocean affecting aquatic life and creating pollution. The plastics have been graded according to their thickness and used in different industries (Fig. 10.1). Management of plastic waste has become a huge task for the government resulting in the banning of single-use plastics in many states of India. Plastics cannot be decomposed and slowly breaks down into micro-plastics and remain in the environment for thousands of years. Single plastic bottle cans stay in the environment for thousands of years. The plastic waste management rules of 2016 specify a minimum thickness of 50 microns for plastic use in order to easily reuse and recycle the product. It also promotes the use of plastic for road construction, energy generation and oil formation. Accordingly, CPCB has been entrusted toset the guidelines for thermoset plastics. The plastic waste management rules, 2018 by MoEFCC amended rules for phasing out multi-layered plastic (MLP), which cannot be recycled, is non-energy recoverable and has no alternate use. WASTE MANAGEMENT 5 R PRINCIPLES One of the widely used waste reduction strategies can be used by people in towns and cities and is known as the 5-R principle (Fig 10.2). This strategy can reduce waste and can also use for energy generation. Reduce: The reduction of waste generation can be started by households by reducing the packages of commodities, increasing durability, avoiding disposable or single-use plastic items, usage of jute bags or cloth bags for marketing etc. Reducing paperwork in homes and offices and promoting e- mails or e-bills should be promoted. Reuse: The habit of reusing commodities should be promoted. One can donate books, old clothes, and electronics by getting in touch with organizations that can direct you to the needful people who may find need of these resources. Recycle: Segregation of waste is paramount for recycling waste. Segregation of paper, metals, glasses and plastics from organic waste is very important. These wastes can be used for recycling and creating a new product that can be used widely. Recycling saves other resources and is good for our environment. A ton of recycled paper can save 25-30 trees, 25000 litres of water and 4000 kWh of energy. Recover: Recovery is one of the methods where more resources are required i.e mechanical, and technical to convert and reprocess the waste into energy. This means that energy can be generated in form of heat and can be converted into other forms as per requirements and resources. Refuse: It is considered a last resort to get rid of the waste generated and is dumped accordingly in landfills and dumpsites. The waste collected from the city or town in these areas remains for a longer period of time. These landfill sites are a major concern for the human population as they are home to feral animals and also make the adjoining areas unfit for habitation due to foul smell, leachate affecting the water table and burning of waste causing air pollution. INCINERATION, COMPOSTING AND LANDFILL Incineration is a waste treatment process where combustion happens at very high temperatures converting them into ashes and releasing gases and heat. It is also considered a waste to energy processes like pyrolysis, gasification and anaerobic digestion. Biomedical waste and hazardous waste are treated through the incineration process as they cannot be treated with conventional methods. The disadvantage of the incineration process is the release of harmful gases like dioxins and furans that can cause severe health problems in humans. Composting is a natural process that involves using microorganisms for the decomposition of biodegradable waste. Organic waste consisting of agricultural or kitchen waste can be used for composting. This process requires aeration for proper and faster decomposition. In one of the methods of composting the earthworms are used to increase the rate of decomposition also known as vermicomposting. Earthworms such as Eisenia fetida are used which consume biomass and create vermicasts. The vermicasts are rich in nutrients (N, P, K) and growthpromoting substances required by plants. Vermicompost is good for the soil and does not contain pathogens and weeds. Vermicomposting needs to be promoted as it is beneficial for the soil and growth of plants and also reduces waste generation. A sanitary landfill is a controlled reduction and disposal of waste away from human habitation in a designated area, which reduces the contact between waste and the environment. In a sanitary landfill, the garbage is compressed to reduce its volume and covered by a thick layer of soil in order to minimize odours, deter pests, limit rainwater runoff, prevent fire and discourage scavenging by feral animals. This process is repeated till the landfill is saturated with waste and covered with soil and the plantation is done. At various stages provisions for tapping landfill gas (methane) is established for use in furnace or generation of electricity. In many parts of the world, landfill sites have been successfully converted into community parks. Ghazipur Landfill Ghazipur landfill is one of the oldest and biggest landfill areas in the Delhi NCR region. The landfill area is more than 30 years old and highly saturated to its capacity. The 65 m high landfill is one of the towering structures in Delhi filled with municipal waste generated from various parts of the city. The landfill is releasing greenhouse gases together with leachate in the soil. More than 3 million people survive within a 10 sq km radius of the landfill. Despite using various management practices an early solution to this problem is not seen. Recently prime minister’s office has shown interest in handling this problem and various institutions have been included to find a permanent solution in order to meet global sustainable development goals regarding health and the environment.  CASE STUDY: THE LONDON SMOG 1952 In the winters of the UK in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, on considerable occasions, in early December of 1952, the wind speed had fallen and temperature inversions were formed as stationary high-pressure systems developed over western Europe. With the increase in the concentration of pollutants, the fog became widespread. The condition was commonly referred to as smog. Initially, the term smog was coined by Harold Des Voeux, the treasurer of the Coal Smoke Abatement Society in 1905 to refer to an odd combination of smoke plus fog. Smog was formed from particulate emissions from the combustion of coal in industrial furnaces, kilns and boilers, domestic grates and steam locomotives, and canal ships. The visibility dropped, transport could not move, railways and air flights had to be closed and shops, stores and institutions were shut down completely paralyzing the city. PM went up by 56 times the normal level and the SO2 level went up by seven times. Some 8,000 young and old people were hit by bronchitis and heart disease. The number of deaths rose so high from this sulphur-laden sooty condition that it was popularly known as Great Smog. These profound events led to the enactment of the Clean Air Act of 1956. CASE STUDY: THE LOS ANGELES SMOG EPISODE This event occurred in Los Angeles city in 1943. The sulphur-laden sooty smog in time, however, eventually gave way to the photochemical smog with the development of the internal combustion engine as a prime source of transportation. Such smog is initiated by nitrogen dioxides, In the Presence of sunlight the free oxygen atoms react to form ozone. This was first evidenced in the Los Angeles region of the USA. It irritated the eyes, and damaged the plants, for example, tobacco. The major sources of nitrogen dioxides were vehicular emissions, and emissions from aircraft, ships, trains, industries and houses. The symptoms are aching lungs, wheezing, coughing and headache. ‘Smog complex’ involves irritation of the eyes and respiratory passages, chest pains, shortness of breath, nausea and headache. Lungs are ozone’s primary target causing damage to cells in the airways, inflammation and swelling. It also reduces immunity. It poses a health risk to those people who already suffer from emphysema and chronic bronchitis. CASE STUDY: THE BHOPAL GAS DISASTER EPISODE Commonly known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy, it is to date the most ghastly industrial disaster in the world. The incident took place on 2-3 December night, 1984 at the Union Carbide Industrial Plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, meant for the production of Sevin - a pesticide. Over 40 tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas escaped from the Union Carbide Pesticide Plant, which instantaneously killed nearly 3,800 inhabitants and accused considerable despondency and early death for several thousand. Estimates from various sources vary on the death toll. Another agency claimed over 15,000 deaths. As per government sources in 2006, the leak caused 5.58.125 injuries with disabling injuries. The vent gas scrubber, a safety device had been turned off three weeks prior. It becomes apparent that a defective valve permitted a load of water that was meant for clean-up of the internal pipelines, which got mixed with 40 tons of MIC. When MIC is exposed to 200ºC heat, it formed more deadly hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas. The evidence gathered does reveal the temperature of the storage tank reached that disastrous level. The early effects (0-6 months) from this tragedy were: Opthalmic (chemosis, redness, watering, ulcers, photophobia); respiratory (distress, pulmonary edema, pneumonitis, pneumothorax), gastrointestinal (persistent diarrhoea, anorexia, persistent abdominal pain); genetic (increased chromosomal abnormalities), psychological (neuroses, anxiety states, adjustment reactions); neurobehavioural (impaired audio-visual memory, impaired altertness and reaction time, impaired analysis, interpretation and spatial ability, dysfunctional psychomotor coordination). The delayed effects (6 months onwards) from this tragedy were: Visual (constant watering, corneal opacities, chronic conjunctivitis); respiratory (obstructive and restrictive airway disease, decreased lung function); reproductive (increased abortion, increased child mortality, reduced placental/foetal weight); genetic (increased chromosomal abnormalities) and neurobehavioural (impaired associate learning, motor speed, precision). CASE STUDY: TAJ MAHAL ISSUE Taj Mahal, being one of the seven wonders and one of the most beautiful monuments of the world, attracts international tourists throughout the year. It was built along the bank of river Yamuna by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz more than 350 years back in Agra. It is now included in the list of World Heritage due to its archaeological importance. In 1972, the Government of India established Mathura Oil Refinery in Mathura. This step was most resented by various environmentalists of the country who protested that its air pollutants were harmful to the Taj Mahal. During the oil refining process, sulphur dioxide (SO2) is released in large quantities along with the smoke. Air containing SO2 blow all around and reacts with water during rains. SO2 combines with water to form sulphurous acid (H2SO3) and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and produces acid rain. Environmentalists protested that acid rain causes damage to the marble of the Taj Mahal. The white marble has yellowed and blackened in places. The government constituted a committee in 1974 to find out the fact and authorised the Italian Company Technico to evaluate the changes occurring in the air due to the Mathura Oil Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation. According to the report of the committee and determinations carried out by an Italian company, it was concluded that in Agra the quantity of SO2 would increase up to 1-3 micrograms which is negligible and harmless to the Taj Mahal. However, WHO (1982) has recognized the ‘Taj Trapezium Zone’ (TTZ) (50 km radius area) to protect the monument from pollution hazards. The burning of coal and wood fuel has been banned in TTZ. Supreme Court has ordered to set up of a solar power plant for the energy requirement of TTZ. CASE STUDY: THE GANGA POLLUTION River Ganga is so important and closely associated with Indian culture and civilisation that it is often designated as ‘Maa-the mother’ and is worshipped in India and is now the National River of India (2008). The Ganga is the ninth largest river in the world and the second largest in India with a length of 2,525 km. from Gangotri to Ganga Sagar. It constitutes about 25.2% water source of India. A number of Himalayan rivers including Mandakini, Alaknanda, Yamuna, Ghagra, Gandak, Koshi etc join it during its course. About 692 cities/towns are located along its bank of which 27 cities have a population of more than 1 lakh. More than 600 km part of the river, particularly between Kanpur and Patna is highly polluted. Every day it receives about 1300 million litres of sewage and 250 million litres of chemical effluents. The main causes of pollution of Ganges water are the mixing of industrial effluents (20%) and domestic and municipal effluents (80%) into it. The following are the main causes of Ganga Pollution: Sediment load of the Ganga River and other associated rivers. Sewage disposal of villages, towns and cities. Discharge of industrial effluents. Release of dead bodies of animal and human beings. Cremation along the bank of the river and disposal of cremation material and burnt and half-burnt dead bodies of human beings. Surface runoff of toxic chemicals, agrochemicals, pesticides etc. In 1985, the Ministry of Environment and forests started the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) for preventing irreversible damage and restoring the water quality of the Ganga. GAP has the following objectives: 1. All round environmental improvements. 2. Installation of sewage treatment units and their proper operation and maintenance. 3. The basic facilities of sewage treatment are to be coupled with the production of energy and manure and the provision of pisciculture, aquaculture and irrigation-treated water. 4. Economic benefits to the local population.  GAP helped in estimating the magnitude of Ganga Pollution. In an estimate, it was calculated that about 10,90,000 kg of toxic effluents and 13,00,000 kg of domestic and municipal effluents are discharged every year from the cities of UP only. The first step of GAP started in 1985 and the second in 1995 to complete the plan by the end of 1999. Despite, the 20,000 crores that have been spent to clean the water, the results achieved remain insignificant. Various other projects have also been subsidised by the governments of the Netherlands and Japan to clean the water of the Holy Ganges. Now Project of GAP includes cleaning of Yamuna and Gomti rivers. NGPRA has granted rupees 100 million to clean them. Technical experts (2014) have recommended 5 programmes for cleaning the National River of India, the Ganga, as follows: - Formation of micro dams - Planning for floating population - Reduction in the number of riverside industries - Limited storage of water in barrages and - Development of organic farming The present Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has launched a new scheme called Namami Gange to clean the holy river Ganga (2015). The government has sanctioned rupees 20,000 crores for this project.  CASE STUDY: THE YAMUNA POLLUTION River Yamuna after being originated from Yamunotri covers a passage of 1376 km before joining the river Ganga at Allahabad. The river has been divided into five segments from the point of view of pollution level. 1. Himalayan Segment from Yamunotri to Tajewala, 172 km, nonpolluted zone. 2. Upper segment from Tajeala to Wazirabad, 224 km polluted by agrochemicals used in Haryana. 3. Delhi segment from Wazirabad barrage to Okhla barrage, 22 km, highly polluted zone due to Delhi effluent discharges. 4. Eutrophicated segment from Okhla barrage to join a place with river Chambal, 490 km, highly polluted with microbes and with highest BOD, Mathura and Agra covered in the segment. 5. Mixed segment from Chambal Sangam to Allahabad 468 km, the pollution level decreases. The pollution problem in the Delhi segment is acute and highly dangerous. About 1900 million litres of sewage is discharged every day in this segment of 22 km. The total treatment capacity of Delhi plants is about 1270 ml/day i.e. about 630 ml//day of it is still discharged directly to river Yamuna without any treatment. Moreover, the treated water is also not pure. It remains partially untreated. Further 2800 ml effluents per day are discharged into the river by eleven main nullahs which results in an increase of 200 BOD and 160 tonnes of suspended solids. Najafgarh and Shahdara nullahs are most problematic. The pollution indicator coliform test revealed the presence of 24,000,000 Escherichia coli per 100 ml in the downstream of Okhla region which is indicative of the magnitude of water pollution. Conditions become more severe during summer. In 1993, in the second step of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) of the Government of India, Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) was also taken up. It included 127 working projects of which 48 are in UP, 76 in Haryana and 3 in Delhi. After 13 years of work on these projects, the pollution problem still remains serious. Pollution is further nurtured due to barrages built in Delhi, Mathura and Agra for civic water supply and the number of canals made for irrigation. All this has made river Yamuna a sewage Vahini.  CASE STUDY: CHERNOBYL DISASTER The Chernobyl Disaster took place in April 1986 in Ukraine formerly known as part of the USSR. The Chernobyl disaster is known to be the biggest disaster to have occurred in nuclear power plants. In routine maintenance of one of the four nuclear reactors of the plant, a sudden power surge caused an uncontrolled chain reaction in one of the reactors leading to explosions in the reactor. The explosion exposed the nuclear reactors causing the spread of radioactive material into the atmosphere. The initial response from the administration was to contain the fallout of the disaster but later it realized that too much irreparable damage has already happened. The explosion released around 30 per cent of the 190 metric tons of Uranium being used in reactors. The USSR government later informed the world of the explosion and started evacuating people when they realized fall out couldn’t be controlled. It is estimated that 335,000 people were evacuated and more than hundreds died due to the explosion. The periphery of the nuclear reactor approximately 19 miles wide was cordoned off as an “exclusion zone” with no human activity. The incident site has been covered with thick sheets of steel in order to limit radiation leakage. More than 34 years on, scientists opine that the area won’t be habitable for the next 20000 years. The researchers predicted contamination of surrounding areas with high radiation which led to low and high-level radiation exposure to as many as 10,000 people causing radiation-related cancer which led to their death in later years. The disaster led to a global anti-nuclear movement discouraging the use of nuclear energy. CASE STUDY: FUKUSHIMA DISASTER The Fukushima disaster is considered the second biggest disaster in history after Chernobyl Disaster. The Fukushima disaster occurred in March 2011 in one of the islands in Japan. The accident was rated 7 on the INES scale due to high radioactive release for 5-6 days. Four nuclear reactors were damaged in the incident leading to radiation fallout in the region. The accident mainly happened due to a major earthquake followed by a 15 m high Tsunami causing damage to the reactors. There were no reports of death due to radiation sickness but more than a hundred thousand people were evacuated from the area as a precaution. The radiation mainly consisted of Iodine-131, Caesium-134, Caesium-137, strontium-90, and Plutonium-238. CASE STUDY OF INDORE: GLOBAL MODEL FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT Indore city is one of the big cities in India and has been named the cleanest city in India for a record third time in Swachh Survekshan 2019. The city has managed to segregate 100% of waste at source and successfully managed the organic waste through composting and other methods. The better implementation of cleanliness programs by Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) had led to cooperation and participation from citizens. The IMC is a global model for the world, especially in big cities where the waste management is a huge task due to the quantity of waste and the number of people needed for its handling. The success of the IMC can be attributed to the following steps: Information, education and communication (IEC): This is key to behavioural change in the primary stakeholders-the citizens. Waste generation and segregation at source and at bulk in collection centres: Door-to-door collection of waste in the segregated form of dry waste and wet waste. Special attention is given to hazardous or biomedical waste. Waste collection and transportation: the waste is collected from all the sources and reaches a central facility where data is gathered from different localities and assessed. Waste processing: The wet waste is sent to a central facility for composting and dry waste such as hazardous or biomedical waste is sent to incinerators. The waste is also used to create bio-compressed natural gas (bio CNG) that is being used to run vehicles in the city. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) This is a campaign launched by the prime minister of India on 2nd October 2014 to create awareness regarding cleanliness in our homes, streets, and infrastructure of the country. It is India’s largest cleanliness drive where students, government employees and people from the private sector participate. This movement has been successful in creating awareness for cleanliness and discouraging open defecation by building toilets in rural and urban areas. The movement has also created awareness of health and sanitation among the communities. Landfills: Sites created for storage or dumping of municipal solid waste. Incinerator: The furnace is designed to burn hazardous or infectious waste at high temperatures in controlled conditions. Compost: Organic matter rich in nutrients created by the decomposition of biodegradable waste. Vermicomposting: The organic matter with high nutrient availability, good for soil and plants created with the help of earthworms by decomposition of biodegradable waste like kitchen waste. Leachate: The liquid consisting of dissolved harmful substances enters the environment by seeping into the soil from landfills. Polychlorinated biphenyls: A group of toxic chemicals used for manufacturing various appliances and commodities including electrical appliances, adhesives, and fluids that are considered carcinogenic in nature.