Module 3

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
It is may be defined as any undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological
characteristics environment which can cause undesirable effects on various forms of life or
property.

Types of pollutants
Biodegradable pollutants: That degrades or decomposes rapidly by natural processes.
Non-biodegradable pollutants: Do not decompose or decompose very slowly in the
environment.

AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution - Air pollution may be defined as an atmospheric condition in which certain
substances are present in concentrations which can cause undesirable effects on man and his
environment.

Sources of Air pollution

Sources of air pollution are of two types.
Natural sources
Natural sources of pollution are those that are caused due to natural phenomena. Ex: Volcanic
eruptions, Forest fires, Biological decay, Pollen grains, Marshes, Radioactive materials.

Artificial sources
Artificial sources are those which are created by man. Ex: Thermal power plants, Vehicular
emissions, Fossil fuel burning, agricultural activities etc.

Classification of Air Pollutants

Depending on the form of pollutants present in the environment, they are classified as:
1. Primary pollutants and
2. Secondary pollutants
Primary pollutants are those that are directly emitted in the atmosphere in the harmful form
Ex: CO, NO, CO2, SO2 etc.

Secondary pollutants are those that are formed by reacting with other components or some
basic component of the atmosphere to form new pollutants. Ex: Oxides of Nitrogen (NO2 or
NO3) react with moisture in the atmosphere to give Nitric acid

INDOOR AIR POLLUTION

The air pollution inside buildings, offices, and houses is called indoor air pollution.
Indoor air pollutants are primary air pollutants. The most important indoor air pollutant is
Radon gas.
Sources of indoor air pollutants are:
Radon gas is emitted from building materials like bricks, concrete, tiles, etc that are derived from
soil containing radium
Radon is also found in natural gas and ground water and is emitted while being used.
Burning fuel in the kitchen and cigarette smoke release pollutants like CO, SO2, HCHO
(Formaldehyde) and BAP (Benzo-(A) pyrene).

SOURCES AND COMMON EFFECTS OF COMMON AIR POLLUTANTS

Carbon monoxide: It is a colourless, odourless gas that is poisonous animals. It is formed by
incomplete combustion of carbon containing fuels.

Source of carbonmonoxide is cigarette smoking and incomplete combustion of fossil fuels (more
than 77% comes from motor vehicle exhaust)

Health effects include reduced ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen to body cells and
tissues. This leads to headache and anemia. At high levels it causes coma, irreversible brain
damage and death.
Nitrogen Dioxide: It is a reddish-brown irritating gas that causes photochemical smog. In the
atmosphere, it gets converted into nitric acid (HNO3). It is caused by burning fossil fuels in
industries and power plants.

Health effects include lung irritation and damage. Environmental effects involve acid deposition
leading to damage of trees, lakes, soil and ancient monuments. NO2 can damage fabrics.

Sulphur Dioxide: It is a colourless and irritating gas that is formed by combustion of sulphur
containing fossil fuels such as coal and oil. In the atmosphere it is converted into Sulphuric acid
which is a major component of acid deposition.

Health effects involve breathing problems for healthy people.

Environmental effects involve reduced visibility and acid deposition on trees, lakes, soils and
monuments leading to their deterioration and adverse effect on aquatic life.

Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM): Includes a variety of particles and droplets (aerosols)
that can be suspended in atmosphere for short to long periods.
Human sources for SPM include burning coal in power and industrial units, burning diesel and
other fuels in vehicles, agriculture, unpaved roads, construction, etc.

Health effects include nose and throat irritation, ling damage, bronchitis, asthama, reproductive
problems and cancer.
Environmental Effects include reduced visibility and acid deposition. Acid deposition may lead
to damaged trees, soils and aquatic life in lakes.

Ozone is a highly reactive gas with an unpleasant odour occurring in the stratosphere where it
protects mankind from the harmful ultra-violet rays from the Sun. However on earth, it is a
pollutant.
It occurs on earth due to reaction between Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Nitrogen
Oxides. It moderates the climate

Photochemical smog is a browinsh smoke that frequently forms on clear, sunny days over large
cities with significant amounts of automobile traffic. It is mainly due to chemical reactions
among nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight.

Health effects include breathing problems, cough, eye, nose and throat irritation, heart diseases,
reduced resistance to colds and pneumonia.
Environmental effects involve damage to plants and trees. Additionally, Smog reduces visibility.

Lead is a solid and highly toxic metal. Its compounds are emitted into the atmosphere as
particulate matter.

Human Sources: Paint, Smelters (metal refineries), lead manufacture, storage batteries, leaded
petrol, etc
Health effects: Lead accumulates in the body and brain leading to nervous system damage and
mental retardation (especially in children), digestive and other health problems. Lead containing
chemicals are known to cause cancer in test animals.
Environmental Effects: It can harm wildlife.

Hydrocarbons Lower haydrocarbons accumulate due to decay of vegetable matter.

Human effects: They are carcinogenic

Chromium: It is a solid toxic metal emitted into the atmosphere as particulate matter.
Human sources: Paint, Smelters, Chromium manufacture, Chromium plating.
Health Effects: Perforation of nasal septum, chrome holes, etc.

HARMFUL EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

Effects on Human Health
 Sulphur oxides causes irritation of eyes, nose, throat; Damage to lungs, Acute and
Chronic Asthma, Bronchitis and Emphysema
 Nitrogen oxides causes chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, infant and cardiovascular
diseases
  Carbon monoxide induces headaches, dizziness, loss of vision, decreased muscular
coordination and severe effects on the baby of a pregnant woman
 Photochemical smog causes respiratory problems and irritation to eyes

 VOCs causes tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, confusion, bone marrow disease,
Skin cancers, leukemia, cardiovascular disease
 Dust particles induces stuffy noses, sinusitis, sore throats, dry cough, burning eyes, chest
pain, aggravated asthma and chronic bronchitis
 Lead damages the brain and central nervous system, kidneys and brain
 Mercury brings nervous disorders, insomnia, memory loss, excitability, irritation, tremor
and minamata disease

Effects on Plants
 Air pollutants affect plants by entering through stomata and destroy chlorophyll
 Damages the leaf structure and causes necrosis (dead areas of leaf), loss of chlorophyll
content causing yellowing of leafs (Chlorosis) or down ward curling of leaf (epinasty)
and dropping of leaves (abscission).
 PAN (Peroxyacetyl nitrate) causes silvering of lower surface of leaf, damage to young
and more sensitive leaves and suppressed growth
 Ozone causes flecks on leaf surface, premature ageing, necrosis and bleaching

Effects on Materials
 Mixing of air pollutants and moisture in air causes acid rains which in turn damages the
buildings, monuments and statues.
 They also affects the aquatic life specifically fishes
 Ozone in the atmosphere can cause cracking of rubber.

CONTROL MEASURES
The atmosphere has several built-in self cleaning processes such as dispersion, gravitational
settling, flocculation, absorption, rain-washout, etc to cleanse the atmosphere. However, control
of contaminants at their source level is a desirable and effective method through preventive or
control technologies.

Source control: Some measures that can be adopted in this direction are:
 Using unleaded petrol
 Using fuels with low sulphur and ash content

 Encouraging people to use public transport, walk or use a cycle as opposed to private
vehicles
 Ensure that houses, schools, restaurants and playgrounds are not located on busy streets
 Plant trees along busy streets as they remove particulates, carbon dioxide and absorb
noise
 Industries and waste disposal sites should be situated outside the city preferably on the
downwind of the city.
 Catalytic converters should be used to help control emissions of carbon monoxide and
hydrocarbons

CONTROL MEASURES IN INDUSTRIAL CENTERS

 Emission rates should be restricted to permissible levels by each and every industry
 Incorporation of air pollution control equipment in design of plant layout must be made
mandatory
 Continuous monitoring of the atmosphere for pollutants should be carried out to know the
emission levels.

EQUIPMENT USED TO CONTROL AIR POLLUTION

 Air pollution can be reduced by adopting the following approaches.
 Ensuring sufficient supply of oxygen to the combustion chamber and adequate
temperature so that the combustion is complete thereby eliminating much of the smoke
consisting of partly burnt ashes and dust.
  To use mechanical devices such as wet scrubbers, cyclones, bag house filters and electro-
static precipitators in manufacturing processes. The equipment used to remove
particulates from the exhaust gases of electric power and industrial plants are shown
below. All methods retain hazardous materials that must be disposed safely. Wet scrubber
can additionally reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.
 The air pollutants collected must be carefully disposed. The factory fumes are dealt with
chemical treatment.

NOISE POLLUTION
Noise is defined as, "the unwanted, unpleasant or disagreeable sound that causes discomfort to
all living beings". Statistically, ever since the industrial revolution, noise in the environment has
been doubling every ten years.
Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB) that is the tenth part of the longest unit Bel. One dB
is the faintest sound that a human ear can hear.

Types of Noise: Environmental noise has been doubling every ten years. Noise is classified as:
1. Industrial Noise
2. Transport Noise and
3. Neighbourhood noise

Industrial Noise: It is sound with a high intensity caused by industry machines. Such noise
pollution is caused by machines from various factories, industries and mills. Noise from
mechanical saws and pneumatic drills is unbearable and a nuisance to the public.
The Indian Institute of Oto-Rino Laryngology, Chennai reported that increasing industrial
pollution damages the hearing ability by at least 20%.
Workers in steel industry, who work close to heavy industrial blowers, are exposed to 112dB for
eight hours suffer from occupational pollution.

Transport Noise: Transport noise mainly consists of traffic noise from road, rail and aircraft.
The number of automobiles on roads like scooters, cars, motor cycles, buses, trucks and diesel
engine vehicles has increased enormously in the recent past further aggravating the problem of
transport noise.
Noise levels in most residential areas in metropolitan cities are hovering around the border line
due to increased vehicular noise pollution. This high level of noise pollution leads to deafening
in the elderly.

Neighborhood noise: This type of noise includes disturbance from household gadgets and
community. Common sources being musical instruments, TV, VCR, Radios, Transistors,
Telephones, and loudspeakers etc.

Effects of Noise pollution

1. Noise pollution affects both human and animal health. It leads to:
 Contraction of blood vessels
 Making skin pale
 Excessive adrenalin in the blood stream which is responsible for high blood pressure.
 Blaring sounds are known to cause mental distress
 Heart attacks, neurological problems, birth defects and abortion
2. Muscle contraction leading to nervous breakdown, tension, etc
3. The adverse reactions are coupled with a change in hormone content of blood, which in-
turn increases heart beat, constriction of blood vessels, digestive spams and dilation of
the pupil of the eye.
4. Adverse affects health, work efficiency and behaviour. Noise pollution may
cause damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, liver and may produce emotional
disturbance.
5. The most immediate and acute effect of noise is impairment of hearing that
diminishes some part of the auditory system. Prolonged exposure to noise of certain
frequency pattern leads to chronic damage to the inner ear.
6. Impulsive noise may cause psychological and pathological disorders
7. Ultrasonic sound can affect the digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular system
and semicircular canals of the internal ear.
8. The brain is adversely affected by loud and sudden noise by jets and airplanes. People
 are subjected to psychiatric illness.
9. Recent reports suggest that blood is thickened by excessive noise.
10. The optical system of human beings is also affected by noise pollution. Severe noise
pollution causes: Pupullary dilation, Impairment of night vision and Decrease in rate of
colour perception

Control measures:
SOURCE CONTROL: This includes source modification such as acoustic treatment to
machine surface, design changes, limiting operational timings, etc
TRANSMISSION PATH INTERVENTION: This includes containing the source inside a sound
insulating enclosure, constructing a noise barrier or provision of sound absorbing materials along
the path.
RECEPTOR CONTROL: This includes protection of the receiver by altering the work schedule
or provision of personal protection devices such as ear plugs for operating noisy machinery.
The measure may include dissipation and deflection methods.

OILING: Proper oiling will reduce noise from the machine.

Preventive measures:
1. Prescribing noise limits for vehicular traffic
2. Ban on honking (usage of horns) in certain areas
3. Creation of silence zones near schools and hospitals
4. Redesigning buildings to make them noise proof
5. Reduction of traffic density in residential areas
6. Giving preference to mass public transport system.

SOIL POLLUTION
Soil pollution is defined as, “contamination of soil by human and natural activities which may
cause harmful effect on living organisms”. Composition of soil is listed below:
COMPONENT %
Organic mineral matter 45
Organic matter 05
Soil water 25
Soil air 25

TYPES, EFFECTS AND SOURCES OF SOIL POLLUTION

Soil pollution mainly occurs due to the following:
1. Industrial wastes
2. Urban wastes
3. Agricultural practices
4. Radioactive pollutants
5. Biological agents

Industrial wastes – Disposal of Industrial wastes is the major problem for soil pollution
Sources: Industrial pollutants are mainly discharged from various origins such as pulp and paper
mills, chemical fertilizers, oil refineries, sugar factories, tanneries, textiles, steel, distilleries,
fertilizers, pesticides, coal and mineral mining industries, drugs, glass, cement, petroleum and
engineering industries etc.
Effect: These pollutants affect and alter the chemical and biological properties of soil. As a
result, hazardous chemicals can enter into human food chain from the soil or water, disturb the
biochemical process and finally lead to serious effects on living organisms.

Urban wastes – Urban wastes comprise of both commercial and domestic wastes consisting of
dried sludge and sewage. All the urban solid wastes are commonly referred to as refuse.
Constituents of urban refuse: This refuse consists of garbage and rubbish materials like plastics,
glasses, metallic cans, fibres, paper, rubbers, street sweepings, fuel residues, leaves, containers,
abandoned vehicles and other discarded manufactured products. Urban domestic wastes though
disposed off separately from industrial wastes, can still be dangerous. This happens because they
are not easily degraded.

Agricultural practices – Modern agricultural practices pollute the soil to a large extent. With
the advancing agro-technology, huge quantities of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and
weedicides are added to increase the crop yield. Apart from these farm wastes, manure, slurry,
debris, soil erosion containing mostly inorganic chemicals are reported to cause soil pollution
Radioactive pollutants/ - Radioactive substances resulting from explosions of nuclear testing
laboratories and industries giving rise to nuclear dust radioactive wastes, penetrate the soil
and accumulate giving rise to land/soil pollution.
Ex:
 Radio nuclides of Radium, Thorium, Uranium, isotopes of Potassium (K-40) and Carbon
(C-14) are commonly found in soil, rock, water and air.
 Explosion of hydrogen weapons and cosmic radiations include neutron, proton
reactions by which Nitrogen (N-15) produces C-14. This C-14 participates in Carbon
metabolism of plants which is then into animals and human beings.
 Radioactive waste contains several radio nuclides such as Strontium90, Iodine-129,
Cesium-137 and isotopes of Iron which are most injurious. Strontium get deposited
in bones and tissues instead of calcium.
 Nuclear reactors produce waste containing Ruthenium-106, Iodine-131, Barium-140,
Cesium-144 and Lanthanum-140 along with primary nuclides Sr-90 with a half life
28 years and Cs-137 with a half life 30 years. Rain water carries Sr-90 and Cs-137 to
be deposited on the soil where they are held firmly with the soil particles by
electrostatic forces. All the radio nuclides deposited on the soil emit gamma
radiations.

Biological agents – Soil gets a large amount of human, animal and bird excreta which constitute
a major source of land pollution by biological agents.
Ex: Heavy application of manures and digested sludge can cause serious damage to plants within
a few years

Control measures of soil pollution:

Soil erosion can be controlled by a variety of forestry and farm practices. Ex: Planting trees on
barren slopes
Contour cultivation and strip cropping may be practiced instead of shifting cultivation
Terracing and building diversion channels may be undertaken.
Reducing deforestation and substituting chemical manures by animal wastes also helps arrest soil
erosion in the long term.

Proper dumping of unwanted materials: Excess wastes by man and animals pose a disposal
problem. Open dumping is the most commonly practiced technique. Nowadays, controlled
tipping is followed for solid waste disposal. The surface so obtained is used for housing or sports
field.

Production of natural fertilizers: Bio-pesticides should be used in place of toxic chemical

pesticides. Organic fertilizers should be used in place of synthesized chemical fertilizers. Ex:
Organic wastes in animal dung may be used to prepare compost manure instead of throwing
them wastefully and polluting the soil.

Proper hygienic condition: People should be trained regarding sanitary habits.

Ex: Lavatories should be equipped with quick and effective disposal methods.

Public awareness: Informal and formal public awareness programs should be imparted to
educate people on health hazards by environmental education.
Ex: Mass media, Educational institutions and voluntary agencies can achieve this.

Recycling and Reuse of wastes: To minimize soil pollution, the wastes such as paper, plastics,
metals, glasses, organics, petroleum products and industrial effluents etc should be recycled and
reused. Ex: Industrial wastes should be properly treated at source. Integrated waste treatment
methods should be adopted.

Ban on Toxic chemicals: Ban should be imposed on chemicals and pesticides like DDT, BHC,
etc which are fatal to plants and animals. Nuclear explosions and improper disposal of
radioactive wastes should be banned.
WATER POLLUTION

Water pollution may be defined as “the alteration in physical, chemical and biological
characteristics of water which may cause harmful effects on humans and aquatic
life.” Pollutants include:

1. Sewage
2. Industrial effluents and chemicals
3. Oil and other wastes
Chemicals in air dissolve in rain water, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides leached from land
pollute water.

TYPES, EFFECTS AND SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION Water pollution is any

chemical, biological or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living
organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses.
Infectious agents
Ex: Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa, and parasitic
worms. Human sources
Human and animal wastes
Effects: Variety of
diseases.

Oxygen demanding wastes (Dissolved oxygen): This degradation consumes dissolved oxygen in
water. Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is the amount of oxygen dissolved in a given quantity of water
at a particular pressure and temperature.
The saturated point of DO varies from 8 to 15 mg/L Ex: Organic wastes such as animal
manure and plant debris that can be decomposed by aerobic (oxygen-requiring) bacteria.
Human sources: Sewage, Animal feedlots, paper mills and food processing facilities.
Effects: Large populations of bacteria decomposing these wastes can degrade water quality by
depleting water of dissolved oxygen. This causes fish and other forms of oxygen-consuming
aquatic life to die.

Inorganic chemicals
Ex: Water soluble inorganic chemicals:
1. Acids
2. Compounds of toxic metals such as lead (Pb), arsenic (As) and selenium (Se)
3. Salts such as NaCl in oceans and fluoride (F-) found in some soils

Human sources: Surface runoff, industrial effluents and household cleansers

Effects: Inorganic chemicals can:
1. Make freshwater unusable for drinking and irrigation
2. Cause skin cancer and neck damage
3. Damage nervous system, liver and kidneys

4. Harm fish and other aquatic life

5. Lower crop yields
6. Accelerate corrosion of metals exposed to such water

Organic chemicals
Ex: Oil, Gasoline, Plastics, Pesticides, Cleaning solvents and Detergents.
Human Sources: Industrial effluents, household cleansers and surface runoff from farms.

Effects:
 Can threaten human health by causing nervous system damage and some cancers.
 Harm fish and wildlife.

Plant nutrients
Ex: Water soluble compounds containing nitrate, Phosphate and Ammonium ions.
Human sources: Sewage, manure and runoff of agricultural and urban fertilizers.
Effects:
 Can cause excessive growth of algae and other aquatic plants, which die, decay,
deplete dissolved oxygen in water thereby killing fish
 Drinking water with excessive levels of nitrates lower the oxygen carrying capacity of
the blood and can kill urban children and infants.

Sediment
Ex: Soil, silt, etc.
Human Sources: Land erosion
Effects:
 Causes cloudy water thereby reducing photosynthetic activity
 Disruption of aquatic food chain
 Carries pesticides, bacteria and other harmful substances
 Settles and destroys feeding and spawning grounds of fish
 Clogs and fills lakes, artificial reservoirs, stream channels and harbours.

Radioactive materials:
Ex: Radioactive isotopes of:
1. Iodine
2. Radon
3. Uranium
4. Cesium and
5. Thorium
Human sources: Nuclear power plants, mining and processing of uranium and other ores,
nuclear weapon production and natural sources.
Effects: Genetic mutations, birth defects and certain cancers.
Heat (Thermal pollution)
Ex: Excessive heat

Human sources: Water cooling of electric power plants and some types of industrial plants.
Almost half of whole water withdrawn in United States each year is for cooling electric power
plants
.
Effects
 Low dissolved oxygen levels thereby making aquatic organisms more vulnerable
to disease, parasites and toxic chemicals.
 When a power plant starts or shuts down for repair, fish and other organisms adapted to a
particular temperature range, can be killed by an abrupt temperature changeknown
as thermal shock.
Point and non-point sources of water pollution:
Point sources: these are pollutants that are discharged at specific locations through pipes, ditches
or sewers into bodies of surface waters.
Ex: Factories, sewage treatment plants, abandoned underground mines and oil tankers.
Non point sources: these pollutants cannot be traced to a single point of discharge. They are
large land areas or air-sheds that pollute water by runoff, subsurface flow or deposition from the
atmosphere.
Ex: Acid deposition, runoff of chemicals into surface water from croplands, livestock feedlots,
logged forests, urban streets, lawns, golf courses and parking lots.

Control measures of water pollution

 Administration of water pollution control should be in the hands of state or
central government
  Scientific techniques should be adopted for environmental control of catchment areas
of rivers, ponds or streams
 Industrial plants should be based on recycling operations as it helps prevent disposal
of wastes into natural waters but also extraction of products from waste.
 Plants, trees and forests control pollution as they act as natural air conditioners.

 Trees are capable of reducing sulphur dioxide and nitric oxide pollutants and hence
more trees should be planted.
 No type of waste (treated, partially treated or untreated) should be discharged into
any natural water body. Industries should develop closed loop water supply schemes
and domestic sewage must be used for irrigation.
 Qualified and experienced people must be consulted from time to time for
effective control of water pollution.
 Public awareness must be initiated regarding adverse effects of water pollution using
the media.
 Laws, standards and practices should be established to prevent water pollution and
these laws should be modified from time to time based on current requirements and
technological advancements.
 Basic and applied research in public health engineering should be encouraged.

Solid Waste Management

Rapid population growth and urbanization in developing countries has led to people generating
enormous quantities of solid waste and consequent environmental degradation. The waste is
normally disposed in open dumps creating nuisance and environmental degradation. Solid wastes
cause a major risk to public health and the environment. Management of solid wastes is
important in order to minimize the adverse effects posed by their indiscriminate disposal.

Types of solid wastes: Depending on the nature of origin, solid wastes are classified into

1. URBAN OR MUNICIPAL WASTES

2. INDUSTRIAL WASTES and
3. HAZARDOUS WASTES
SOURCES OF URBAN WASTES
Urban wastes include the following wastes:
Domestic wastes containing a variety of materials thrown out from homes

Ex: Food waste, Cloth, Waste paper, Glass bottles, Polythene bags, Waste metals, etc.
Commercial wastes: It includes wastes coming out from shops, markets, hotels, offices,
institutions, etc. Ex: Waste paper, packaging material, cans, bottle, polythene bags, etc.
Construction wastes: It includes wastes of construction materials. Ex: Wood, Concrete, Debris,
etc.
Biomedical wastes: It includes mostly waste organic materials Ex: Anatomical wastes, Infectious
wastes, etc.

Classification of urban wastes

Urban wastes are classified into:
Bio-degradable wastes - Those wastes that can be degraded by microorganisms are called bio-
degradable wastes
Ex: Food, vegetables, tea leaves, dry leaves, etc.
Non-biodegradable wastes: Urban solid waste materials that cannot be degraded by micro
organisms are called non-biodegradable wastes.
Ex: Polythene bags, scrap materials, glass bottles, etc.

SOURCES OF INDUSTRIAL WASTES

The main source of industrial wastes are chemical industries, metal and mineral processing
industries.
Ex: Nuclear plants: It generated radioactive wastes
Thermal power plants: It produces fly ash in large quantities
Chemical Industries: It produces large quantities of hazardous and toxic materials.
Other industries: Other industries produce packing materials, rubbish, organic wastes, acid,
alkali, scrap metals, rubber, plastic, paper, glass, wood, oils, paints, dyes, etc.
EFFECT OF IMPROPER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
1. Due to improper disposal of municipal solid waste on the roads and immediate surroundings,
biodegradable materials undergo decomposition producing foul smell and become a
breeding ground for disease vectors.
2. Industrial solid wastes are the source for toxic metals and hazardous wastes that affect
soil characteristics and productivity of soils when they are dumped on the soil

3. Toxic substances may percolate into the ground and contaminate the groundwater.
4. Burning of industrial or domestic wastes (cans, pesticides, plastics, radioactive materials
and batteries) produce furans, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls that are harmful to
human beings.
Solid waste management involves waste generation, mode of collection, transportation,
segregation of wastes and disposal techniques.

STEPS INVOLVED IN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT:

Two important steps involved in solid waste management are:
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle of Raw Materials
Discarding wastes
Reduce - If usage of raw materials is reduced, the generation of waste also gets reduced
Reuse - Refillable containers that are discarded after use can be reused
Recycle- Recycling is the reprocessing of discarded materials into new useful products
Ex: Old aluminium cans and glass bottles are melted and recast into new cans and bottles

Preparation of cellulose insulation from paper

Preparation of automobile body and construction material from steel cans
This method 3R's help save money, energy, raw materials and reduces pollution.

DISCARDING WASTES:
The following methods are adopted for discarding wastes:
1. Landfill
2. Incineration and
 3. Composting

LANDFILL: Solid wastes are placed in a sanitary landfill in which alternate layers of 80 cm
thick refuse is covered with selected earth-fill of 20 cm thickness. After 2-3 years solid waste
volume shrinks by 25-30% and land is used for parks, roads and small buildings. This is the most
common and cheapest cheapest method of waste disposal and is mostly employed in Indian
cities.

Advantages:
It is simple and economical
Segregation of wastes is not required
Landfilled areas can be reclaimed and used for other
purposes Converts low-lying, marshy waste-land into useful
areas.
Natural resources are returned to soil and recycled.

Disadvantages:
Large area is required
Land availability is away from the town, tansportation costs are high
Leads to bad odour if landfill is not properly managed.
Land filled areas will be sources of mosquitoes and flies requiring application of insecticides and
pesticides at regular intervals.
Causes fire hazard due to formation of methane in wet weather.

INCINERATION:
It is a hygenic way of disposing solid waste. It is suitable if waste contains more hazardous
material and organic content. It is a thermal process and very effective for detoxification of all
combustible pathogens. It is expensive when compared to composting or land-filling.
In this method municipal solid wastes are burnt in a furnace called incinerator.

Combustible substances such as rubbish, garbage, dead organisms and non-combustible matter
such as glass, porcelain and metals are separated before feeding to incinerators. The non-
combustible materials can be left out for recycling and reuse.

The leftover ashes and clinkers may account for about 10 to 20% which need further
disposal by sanitary landfill or some other means. The heat produced in the
incinerator during burning of refuse is used in the form of steam power for generation of
electricity through turbines.

Municipal solid waste is generally wet and has a high calorific value. Therefore, it has to be dried
first before burning. Waste is dried in a preheater from where it is taken to a large incinerating
furnace called "destructor" which can incinerate about 100 to 150 tonnes per hour. Temperature
normally maintained in a combustion chamber is about 700 C which may be increased to 1000
C when electricity is to be generated.

ADVANTAGES
Residue is only 20-25% of the original and can be used as clinker after treatment
Requires very little space
Cost of transportation is not high if the incinerator is located within city limits
Safest from hygenic point of view
An incinerator plant of 3000 tonnes per day capacity can generate 3MW of power.

DISADVANTAGES
Its capital and operating cost is high
Operation needs skilled personnel
Formation of smoke, dust and ashes needs further disposal and that may cause air pollution.

COMPOSTING
It is another popular method practiced in many cities in our country. In this method, bulk organic
waste is converted into fertilizer by biological action.
Separated compostable waste is dumped in underground trenches in layers of 1.5m and finally
covered with earth of 20cm and left for decomposition. Sometimes, action mycetes are
introduced for active decomposition. Within 2 to 3 days biological action starts. Organic matter
is destroyed by action mycetes and lot of heat is liberated increasing the temperature of compost
by 75C and the refuse is finally converted into powdery brown coloured odourless mass called
humus that has a fertilizing value and can be used in agriculture.
Humus contains lot of Nitrogen essential for plant growth apart from phosphates and other
minerals.

ADVANTAGES
Manure added to soil increases water retention and ion-exchange capacity of soil. This method
can be used to treat several industrial solid wastes.
Manure can be sold thereby reducing cost of disposing wastes Recycling can be done

DISADVANTAGES
Non-consumables have to be disposed separately. The technology has not caught-up with the
farmers and hence does not have an assured market.

E-Waste Management
E-waste (electrical and electronic waste) is the term used to describe old or discarded appliances
that includes computers, consumer electronic goods etc. It also refers to electronic products
nearing the end of their useful life. Roughly 40 million metric tonnes of e-waste is produced
globally each year, and only about 13% of that weight is recycled (that too mostly in developing
countries).

Characteristics of E-Wastes
 Precious metals: Gold, Silver, Palladium and less quantities of platinum.
 Base metals: Copper, aluminum, nickel, tin, zinc, iron etc.
 Special metals: Indium, Bismuth, antimony, Selenium etc.
 Hazardous metals: Mercury, Beryllium, lead, cadmium, Arsenic etc.

Disposal methods
It is a fact that e-waste comprises of hazardous elements which offer the potential of increasing
the intensity of their discharge in environment.
Based on composition following methods are suggested.
 Land-filling: It is not possible to quantity environmental impacts from e-waste in landfills.
They contain mixtures of various waste streams, and Emission of pollutants from landfills can be
delayed for several years. As a consequence of the complex material mixture in e-waste, it is not
possible to exclude environmental (long-term) risks even in secured land filling.

 Incineration: Advantage of incineration of e-waste is the reduction of waste volume and

the utilization of the energy of the combustible materials. By incineration some environmentally
hazardous organic substances are converted into less hazardous compounds. A disadvantage of
this also includes the emission of poisonous gases and residues into the atmosphere.

Impacts of E-Wastes and its ill-management

 The informal sector's recycling practices magnify health risks.
 Primary and secondary exposure to toxic metals (such as lead), results from open-air burning
used to retrieve valuable components (such as gold).
 Combustion from burning e-waste creates fine particulate matter which is linked to pulmonary
and cardiovascular disease.
 Guiyu in China is one of the largest e-waste recycling site in the world. It exhibits substantial
digestive, neurological, respiratory and bone problems among workers.