POLLUTION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT

Class IX
Study Material
What is waste?

“Any substance solid, liquid or gaseous that is no longer safe for use or does not serve any purpose is
discarded and termed as a waste.”

Waste accumulation:

Causes:

1. Increasing demand have produced huge quantities of goods in a very short time which have
generated huge quantities of waste.
2. Wasteful consumption has led to huge accumulation of waste.
3. Misuse and use of non-biodegradable items like plastics, metals etc.

Impact of waste accumulation:

A. Spoilage of landscape:
• Solid wastes are usually disposed in the open dumps on the outskirts of settlements.
• Waste decomposes and disease-causing bacteria, microorganisms grow and
contaminate the environment.
• Such wastes also contaminate and pollute air, surface water, ground water and soil.
• It spoils the beautification of a place, gives out foul smell.
B. Pollution:
Meaning- The process of introducing harmful substances in the environment that causes
deterioration in the quality of air, water and soil.
Pollutant:
Meaning-A substance that causes pollution is called a pollutant. Example: Methane, CFC,
Lead, Mercury, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide etc

Sources:
1) Industrial Pollution: Release of harmful and toxic emissions like Mercury, nitrogen oxide,
sulphur dioxide which contaminate the air and water. These pollutants also cause acid
rain and global warming.
2) Agricultural wastes, Chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides and other inorganic
substances contaminate soil and affect the eco system.
3) Urban wastes like sewage, municipal waste, domestic garbage releases untreated toxic
materials and highly pollutes air, water and soil.
4) Marine oil spillage: Marine oil spillage due to leakage or accidents involving oil tankers,
barges, pipelines, refineries and drilling rigs pollutes ocean water. Dumping of hazardous
materials like plastics disrupts marine ecosystem.

Types of Pollution:
a) Air Pollution: is caused when harmful substances are released into the air. For
example:
 i) Release of Carbon di oxide and carbon monoxide due to burning of fossil
fuels and large scale deforestation.
ii) Release of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen by industries. The combine
with water vapour to form acid rain, smog etc. Acid rains are responsible for
corroding, scarring ancient buildings, monuments, metals etc.
iii) Release of methane from cattle sheds, farms, coal mines and decomposition
of vegetable matter.
iv) Release of chlorofluorocarbons by refrigerators, air conditioners etc is
responsible for ozone depletion causing harm to living organisms.
v) Suspended particulate matter like dust particles, soot, fly ash, mine dust and
aerosols combine with the water vapour in the atmosphere. When inhaled,
it causes lung inflammation, irritation of eyes, nose, throat, bronchitis etc.
vi) Dust domes are caused by increased industrial activities and vehicular
emission, have resulted in poor ambient air quality in cities.

b) Water Pollution:
It is the contamination of water bodies as a result of human activities which
negatively affects the quality of water.

Sources:
1) Municipal Sewage: which contains high level of pathogens leading to
diseases like typhoid, cholera and dysentery.
2) Agricultural waste: like chemical fertilisers, pesticides which include toxic
materials like lead, nickel etc are washed away by rain in near by water
bodies. Increased levels of nitrates and phosphates causes algal bloom
that chokes the water body. As the algae dies and settles at the bottom,
the bacteria decompose it and uses all the oxygen in water. This process
is called Eutrophication and it kills aquatic organisms.
3) Oil Spills: Marine oil spillage due to leakage or accidents involving oil
tankers, barges, pipelines, refineries and drilling rigs pollutes ocean
water. Dumping of hazardous materials like plastics disrupts marine
ecosystem. It affects fishing and tourism departments. Marine birds,
fishes and mammals are killed by choking and it prevents birds from
flying.
4) Industrial waste: Industrial effluents from chemical factories, tanneries,
textiles, dyes contaminate water bodies. Water discharged from nuclear
reactors, oil refineries, power plant when discharged in water affects
aquatic animals. Industries discharge toxic metals like mercury, lead in
water bodies which leads to mental disorder, damages lungs, kidney etc
5) Ground water pollution is caused due to leaching of pollutants from
agricultural wastes, garbage dumps etc. These pollutants which moves
down along with water is called leachate that pollutes aquifers and
underground water table.
• The Ganga at Kanpur is heavily polluted due to effluents discharged by tanneries, thus making it
unsuitable for bathing too.
• The Dal Lake in Kashmir is dying today due to plant debris from floating gardens, sewage burden from
hotels and the boat-houses around.
 c) Radioactive waste pollution
Meaning: Radioactive wastes are generated during nuclear fission in
nuclear power plants and also during mining, washing and refining
atomic minerals. It releases radioactive wastes which remain active for a
long time and enters human body through food, fish and water which
are already contaminated causing deadly diseases like cancer, genetic
disorders.

C. Health Hazards
Waste (Sources) Health Hazards
Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen (air) asthma, lung cancer, pneumonia, bronchitis.
Lead Poisoning (water) Affects children’s brain, kidney, Mental retardation, damage of liver
Ozone depletion (air) Skin cancer, cataract
Suspended particulate matter (air) Pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis
Disposal of solid wastes (soil, water) Cholera, diarrhoea, typhoid
Flooding and accumulation of stagnant water Breeding ground for mosquitoes, Malaria, dengue, chikungunya
Burning of solid waste releases toxic chemicals Heart diseases, rashes, nausea, headache
(Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide) smoke
Sewage contamination (Pathogenic bacteria) Cholera, dysentery, typhoid, gastroenteritis, hepatitis
Agricultural waste like chemical fertilisers, Cancer, damage to foetus
pesticides
Methyl Mercury Poisoning Minamata disease, crippling
Radioactive waste Leukemia, genetic disorder.

D. Effect on terrestrial and Aquatic (Fresh water and Marine) Life:

i) Plastics ingested by cows, pigs, marine organisms etc damages their digestive tracts.
ii) Fluorides contamination through forage crops causes fluorosis.
iii) Air contamination with ozone causes respiratory diseases like edema, haemorrhage
in dogs and cats.
iv) Release of hazardous toxic wastes into water bodies kills aquatic and marine life.
v) Oil spills in seas cuts off the oxygen diffusion. It chokes the gills of fishes and cause
death. It also affects shore animals like turtles, sea birds, crabs, snails. Sea birds
ingest oil while cleaning the oil stuck on their wings and chokes them to death.
vi) Sea birds ingesting plastic from coastal water suffer gastrointestinal disorder.
vii) Thermal waste water when released from factories deplete oxygen in water and
results in loss of aquatic life.
viii) Biomagnification is a result of the release of toxic waste into water bodies which
enter tissues of organisms through food chain and affect them. When DDT (synthetic
insecticide) contaminates water, also poisons aquatic life. Fish eating birds when
consumes DDT infected fish lays thin shelled eggs. Fish and turtles die when they
consume insects killed by application of DDT.
ix) Vultures feeding on dead bodies of animals are facing extinction as these animals
were injected with diclofenac drug which proved fatal for the birds.
x) Nuclear radiations contaminate air, water and soil and cause permanent damage to
life on earth.
 CASE STUDIES
MINAMATA DISEASE
In 1993, there was contamination of water by methyl
mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan. It caused
poisoning in fish, crabs etc. The people who consumed
such contaminated fish, crabs etc. developed a fatal
crippling disease called Minamata disease. Many people
died and many were injured.

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

In 1984 there was sudden leakage of the deadly gas methyl

isocyanate from the Union Carbide factory located in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Thousands of people died and
there were severe damages in brain, kidneys, lungs etc.
Babies even who are born today suffers from birth defects.

CHERNOBYL’S DISASTER The Chernobyl disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear plant in
Ukraine.

During the experiment there was a massive steam explosion. The core of the
reactor combined with water to produce hydrogen which exploded throwing toxic
radioactive gases into the air.

Effects of Chernobyl Disaster

Whole of Western USSR and other European countries were contaminated by

gamma emissions deposited in soil; meat and dairy products were Contaminated.
Radioactive clouds travelled across Europe and spread the dust at random
everywhere.

Years after the accident sheep in UK and Reindeers in Scandinavia were

contaminated with radioactive materials and had many radioactive diseases.

It caused genetic disorders, variety of cancers and Leukaemia. Even mining and
processing of uranium into nuclear fuel releases radiation into the air and water
and result in radioactive wastes.
 Waste Management- Waste management (or waste disposal) includes the activities and
actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection,
segregation, transport, treatment (dumping, composting, etc) and disposal of waste, together with
monitoring and regulation of the waste management process.

Need for Waste Management

• Increasing pollution of environment due to rapid growth of population and industry; increase in the
number of vehicles.

• Increasing urbanization and overcrowding of cities has led to lack of space for disposal of garbage,
thus, increasing air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution and nuclear pollution.

• There is an increase in airborne and water borne diseases, spoilage of landscape and fear of
radioactive waste affecting all life, due to environmental pollution.

• In industrial societies, people have converted life supporting systems into their own resources. In
this process they have disturbed the natural ecological balance.

• Thus, there is an urgent need to find ways of waste disposal without causing any harm to life on
earth.

• The waste must be recycled to conserve our resources and protect our environment.

• The need for waste management also depends on country’s level of development. Developed
countries like US and Europe do not face such problems as they have latest knowhow and better
management techniques.

Techniques of waste management differ in urban and rural areas.

In Rural regions lifestyles are simpler and consumer habits are more sustained. Most of the waste
generated is organic in nature. Such wastes can be easily recycled into compost manure or biogas
fuel since organic waste is biodegradable.

In Urban areas lifestyles are complex with different consumer habits. More non-biodegradable and
inorganic wastes are generated. It requires careful segregation before it can be recycled or disposed.
Higher levels of technology are required to minimize environmental pollution.

Steps to control pollution and manage increasing generation of waste by: -

• Restricting population growth.

• Evolvement of proper infrastructure.

• Proper Disposal of waste like safe collection in covered vans, segregation, storing and transporting
waste materials.

• Implementation of strict laws against polluting the environment by imposing heavy fines.

• Educating the farmers about the impact of harmful pesticides on human life and soil.

• Strategies for waste prevention, minimization and reutilization should be based on national and
international guidelines, followed by constant monitoring programmes
METHODS OF SAFE DISPOSAL- (Segregation, Dumping, Composting)

SEGREGATION OF WASTE

Meaning - It is the separation of waste according to methods of treatment. Wastes may be

segregated according to its nature like solid, liquid, dry and wet garbage. Wastes may also be
segregated as biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.

(a) Solid wastes – Food, paper, rubble, electronics, wood, metal, scrap, glass, plastic, rubber, etc.

(b) Liquid Wastes – Sewage, chemicals, old medicines, soapy water, etc.

(c) Biodegradable Wastes – Kitchen waste, paper

(d)Non-biodegradable Wastes – Plastic, metals, glass

(e) Dry wastes – are meant for recycle and reuse like plastics, metals, paper which are sent to recycle
plants.

(f) Wet Wastes – are meant for composting and hence sent to landfills and compost pits.

Waste should be segregated in our homes and disposed off for better waste management.

DUMPING/ LANDFILLS

Meaning: These are large areas on the outskirts of cities where the waste is deposited on or in the
ground and covered with earth. Nature of wastes- solid wastes, municipal waste, etc. except
nonbiodegradable wastes. Method of disposal – sanitary landfill

Objective – Reduce waste and prevent dispersal.

Requirements for selection of site for landfills:

• Any large area away from the city.

• Site selection depends on the quantity and quality of solid waste.

• It should be located either centrally or near the source of waste generated.

• Precautions must be taken to avoid contamination with groundwater.

• Deep dense clayey soils and waste table at great depth.

• A sanitary landfill requires at least 15cm cover of thick soil at the end of each day’s work.
• The frequency of rainfall and velocity and direction of winds and overall temperature-time
relationship are also important factors for selection of a site.

Landfill Design:

• A clay liner backed by a plastic liner to avoid seepage.

• A clay dike of leachate and clay cap.
• Leachate collecting system.
• Monitoring the wells around the area to check the leachate is not leaking into the soil.
• After layers of waste deposition, it is compacted by bull dozer and covered with soil layer (15-
20cm).
• This prevents foul smell and spread of vector borne diseases.
• Daily cover reduces wind borne litter.
• The waste gradually decomposes and later on the area may be developed as nature parks, gardens,
etc.
Disadvantages:

• The landfill gives out a bad odour.

• Decomposition of waste in open areas leads to wind borne litter and vector borne diseases like
malaria, cholera, etc.

• It involves contamination of surrounding water supplies, aquifers and soil by leachate. (Leachate is
formed when rainwater leaks into the landfill. As the water percolates through the landfill, chemical
processes turn it acidic. This acidic water then dissolves toxic chemicals from common hazardous
waste products such as household cleaners, insect sprays and paints. The resulting toxic leachate
leaks through the bottom and sides of the landfill and contaminates water.)

• Creation of methane gas which is a byproduct of chemical processes that occur when bacteria
decompose waste. This gas can leak into the surrounding soil, damaging plants.

An excavator working in a landfill

COMPOSTING

Nature of Waste – municipal waste, biodegradable waste.

Composting is a process of decomposition of organic wastes (compost) like trees, leaves, vegetable
peels, discarded food items, etc. converted into manure. A pit is dug where the compost matter and
garden matter are mixed well with the soil. Slow decomposition of the organic matter turns into
useful manure.

Objective –

• Size of waste is reduced.

• Turned into an essential soil ingredient.

• Pathogens are cleaned.

Method of decomposition

1. Anaerobic- without oxygen in air.

2. Aerobic – with the help of oxygen in air.

Anaerobic Process

• Decomposition takes place in the absence of oxygen.

• It produces biogas consisting methane and carbon dioxide; used to produce energy and the waste
as manure. This process is commercially less developed. However, these are less prone to odour
production.

Aerobic Process

• Decomposition takes place in the presence of oxygen.

• Three types of micro-organisms are involved in the process of composting – bacteria, fungi and
actinomycetes.

• After organic material is accumulated, these microorganisms grow and assimilate the sugars, starch
and organic acids and this raises the temperature at the centre of the compost heap over 600C.

• Then other micro-organisms like fungi become active.

• The waste is stabilized and biological activity continues, breaking the elements of waste. This
process is relatively expensive, produces bad odours, requires aeration, uses additives and produces
greenhouse gases.

A compost bin in a garden

VERMICOMPOSTING

Vermicomposting is the process by which worms are used to convert organic waste materials into a
humus-like material known as vermi-compost. A soil bed is prepared where the organic wastes are
accumulated. Earthworms are introduced into gathered wastes. Earthworms break the complex
carbonic compounds by ingesting them. The earthworms dig into layers of soil, eating organic waste.
They throw out simple organic production as faeces which mixes with compost and rich manure is
prepared.

Advantages of composting:

• It is cheap, easy, eco-friendly and convenient method.

• Best technique for bio conversion of waste matter.

• Increases soil fertility.

• Improves the quality and quantity of crop yield.

• Improves soil aeration.

• Enriches soil with micro-organisms.

• Microbial activity in worm castings is 10 to 20 times higher than in the soil and organic matter that
the worm ingests.

• Attracts deep-burrowing earthworms already present in the soil.

• Improves water holding capacity.

Need and Methods for reducing, reusing and recycling waste

Waste generation and its problem is a big problem in the developing countries.

There are two ways to solve this problem:

• To reduce generation of waste.

• To find suitable ways to turn waste into wealth i.e., turn it into potential resource. Its aim is to
generate minimum amount of waste and to extract maximum benefit from the waste generated or
produced. Reducing Waste

Reducing Waste

• Reducing the use of harmful non-biodegradable articles like plastics, polybags and replacing them
with cloth bags and paper bags.

• Spreading awareness to use products judiciously, reduce proportion of waste generation and save
our environment.

• Improved technology has increased product durability and lessened use of resources. Purchasing
environment friendly goods like solar heater will help in reducing the waste generated at source.

• Learning to use products which do not generate too much waste, are ecofriendly and
biodegradable.

• Making compost will reduce household wastes like vegetable peels, garden wastes, etc.
• Many households discard items on slight fault and new items are purchased. Instead, one can
reuse them by repairing and polishing, thus reducing waste.

• Instead of throwing disposable items like plastic plates, spoons, plastic storage bags, can be put to
many uses as many of them can last long. Using washable table napkins instead of paper napkins
could be another possibility.

Reuse of wastes:

• Converting old pieces of cloth into dolls, cushions covers and doormats, etc.

• Making new notebooks from unused pages of old notebooks.

• Reusing old tyres, tin cans, glass bottles.

• Many waste collectors collect waste items which serve as raw material for another item by using
their art skills e.g., handicrafts.

• Some solid wastes from the industry can be utilized directly e.g., fly ash from power plants is used
as cement substitute.

• Fly ash is also used in making of roads and filling up low lying areas.

• Bricks are also made from fly ash.

• Reusing plastic containers and glass jars.

Recycling of Waste

• Recycling is processing the waste into raw material usable in other useful materials. This reduces
the waste generation and recycles it into useful items.

• Composting of biodegradable goods which includes kitchen wastes, vegetable, fruits, flowers etc.
and recycling them into useful organic manures. The biogas generated from the compost pits can be
used as bio fuel.

• Waste materials that can be recycled may come from various sources i.e. domestic waste, office
waste, plastic, paper scrap, metals and textiles.

• Recycling is possible only if the waste is segregated at source and then soiled, cleaned and
reprocessed into new useful products.

• Recycling is beneficial only if the cost of reprocessing is covered by the demand of the product, e.g.
bagasse (residue of sugarcane after extraction of juice) is used for manufacturing paper.

Paper recycling

• Waste paper is recycled to make new paper through a process called Paper Recycling.

• Examples of such recycling are new computer paper, stationary, plaster boards and building
materials like roofing materials and insulation materials.

Car Recycling

In recycling of car, a car is crushed into a big steel cube when it becomes too old and is too damaged
to be used any more. A scrap processor is the machine which is used in this. Then the cube of steel is
melted and made into other steel products.

Benefits of 3Rs

• The cost of manufacture of new items is reduced.

• Natural resources are saved. Raw material is saved.
• Landfill space is saved.
• Creates a green and cleaner world.
• Creates jobs and ensures healthy life for all living organisms.
Government initiatives

• Sustainable use of resources- sustainable agriculture, mixed farming, crop rotation, sustainable use
of water, energy, etc.

• Improving efficiency of existing technologies and introducing new ecofriendly technologies (Clean
Technology)

• Public awareness programmes regarding the benefits of 3 Rs.

• Swachha Bharat Mission was launched in 2014 to make India clean and to achieve 100% scientific
management of solid waste.