Course: Environmental Studies

Course Code: 19B13BT211

Lecture 3.6
Module 3: Pollution, hazardous waste management
Topic Covered: Municipal waste management
https://sisu.ut.ee/waste/book/11-definition-and-classification-waste
 Hazardous wastes management

Any waste or combination of wastes that poses a substantial danger,

now or in future to living beings and which therefore cannot be
handled or disposed of without special precaution is known as
hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste management involves reducing the amount of
hazardous substances produced, treating hazardous wastes to reduce
their toxicity, and applying sound engineering controls to reduce or
eliminate exposures to these wastes.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/hazardous-waste-management
Radioactive wastes: a byproduct from nuclear reactors, fuel processing plants, hospitals and research facilities.
Two types:
High level waste: spent fuel removed from reactors after producing electricity
low level waste: comes from reactor operations and from medical, academic, industrial and other commercial
uses of radioactive materials.

High level radioactive waste management:

• Store indefinitely,
• Reprocess,
• Dispose of by burial or
• Isolation.

Low-level radioactive waste management:

• waste minimization,
• volume reduction by compression,
• volume reduction by incineration, containment.
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/radwaste.html
http://www.barc.gov.in/pubaware/nw_n2.html
 Municipal solid waste
Municipal solid waste (MSW) is defined as waste collected by the municipality or disposed of at the municipal
waste disposal site and includes residential, industrial, institutional, commercial, municipal, and construction and
demolition waste.
More than 75% of municipal waste is dumped in India without processing

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https://www.sganalytics.com/blog/msw-india-dump-yard-wars/
 MSW Management Practices
1. Waste minimization/reduction at source
2. Recycling
3. Waste processing (with recovery of resources i.e.
materials (products) and energy)
4. Waste transformation (without recovery of resources)
Landfills
5. Disposal on land (landfilling).

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ttps://www.epa.gov/smm/sustainable-materials-management-non-hazardous-materials-and-waste-management-hierarchy
Composting: biological decomposition of organic constituents of MSW like leaves, grass, & food
scraps, by microorganisms under controlled conditions.
• Carbon and nitrogen: Recommended for MSW are 25:1 to 40:1 by weight.
• Increasing surface area of wood and other organic particles through size reduction can
increase carbon availability and accelerate decomposition if adequate nitrogen is available.
• O2 and temperature: linked by microbial activity and aeration. Aeration + cooling (16-17%
oxygen), Temp 45-59 deg best)
• Moisture: management needs balance between microbial activity and oxygen supply.
• Slow rate in 40-45% moisture, recommended is 50-55% for high rate of MSW
composting.
• Process starts at ~ 52% moisture & dry to ~ 37% moisture prior to final screening &
marketing

http://mohua.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/chap2.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652620327591
 Composting based on Oxygen

Aerobic Anaerobic
Features : Features :
High Temperature Low Temperature
Absence of odours Odours present
Rapid decomposition Slow decomposition, Minimum
attention required.
Pre- and Post processing
✔Pre-processing: size reduction, screening, magnetic separation.
✔Post-processing: screening for degradation, curing.
Materials to include: Fruit & vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds with filters, tea
bags, fireplace ash, leaves, grass, yard clippings, vacuum cleaner lint, wool and cotton
rags, nonrecyclable paper, sawdust.
Materials to exclude: meats, dairy foods, fats, oils, grease, pet excrement, fish scraps,
diseased plants, bones.
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 Composting techniques

Windrows Aerated static Pile In-vessel

Piling organic matter into extended form of composting accelerated and composting takes place in an
rows or elongated pyramid-like piles. managed through the pushing (positive enclosed environment chamber or
The piles are turned over by large pressure) or pulling (negative pressure) vessel, with accurate temperature
machinery to preserve even levels of of air through the composting pile.6-12 control and monitoring. <1 week
heat, humidity, and oxygen content. weeks for decomposition, mechanically composting time, mixing mechanism,
four to eight feet tall and 14-16 feet in aerated, 10-12’’ high. aeration, sequenced reactions,
length. 2-6 months for decomposition controlled moisture.

https://wasteadvantagemag.com/organic-recycling-second-of-two-parts-the-15-benefits-of-aerated- https://in.pinterest.com/pin/450360031457434443/
https://waste-technologies.co.uk/windrow-composting/ static-pile-composting/
https://urbanwormcompany.com/aerated-static-pile-composting-an-introduction-to-asp/
 Vermi-composting
• Vermicomposting is a type of composting in which • It restores microbial population, which includes
certain species of earthworms are used to enhance the
process of organic waste conversion and produce a nitrogen fixers, phosphate solubilizers, etc.,
better end-product. • provides major and micro-nutrients to the plants,
• Red earthworm species, like Eisenia foetida, are most
efficient in making vermi-compost
• improves soil texture and water holding capacity of
the soil,
• It is a mesophilic process utilizing microorganisms and • provides good aeration to soil, thereby improving
earthworms.
root growth and proliferation of beneficial soil
• Earthworms feeds the organic waste materials and
passes it through their digestive system and gives out in microorganisms
a granular form (cocoons) which is known as
vermicompost.
• decreases the use of pesticides for controlling plant
pathogens,
• improves structural stability of the soil, thereby
preventing soil erosion,
• enhances the quality of grains/fruits due to increased
sugar content.

https://www.urbanorganicyield.com/set-up-a-worm-bin-for-vermicomposting/
 LANDFILLS
• A landfill is an engineered pit, in which layers of solid waste are filled,
compacted and covered for final disposal.
Advantages Disadvantages
✔ Effective disposal method if managed well ✔ Fills up quickly if waste is not reduced and reusable
✔ Sanitary disposal method if managed waste is not collected separately and recycled
effectively ✔ A reasonably large area is required
✔ Energy production and fast degradation if ✔ Risk of groundwater contamination if not sealed
designed as a bioreactor landfill correctly or the liner system is damaged
✔ High costs for high-tech landfills
✔ If not managed well, there is a risk of the landfill
degenerating into an open dump
✔ Once the landfill site is shut down and monitoring must
continue for the following 50 to 100 years
 Basic Design Principles of Engineered landfill

⮚ A basic landfill is a pit with a protected bottom (to prevent contamination of groundwater).
⮚ Ideally, about 0.5 m of soil should cover the deposited refuse
⮚ consist of a liner system at the bottom and the sides; a leachate removal system, which also includes a treatment of the
leachate; groundwater monitoring, gas extraction (the gas is flared or used for energy production) and a cap system
https://sswm.info/water-nutrient-cycle/wastewater-treatment/hardwares/solid-
waste/landfills#:~:text=A%20landfill%20is%20an%20engineered,and%20covered%20for%20final%20disposal.&text=There%20are%20also%20landfills%20specially,oxygen%20conditions%20and%20moisture%20content.
 Considerations for a land fill
• Hazardous waste landfills must have double composite liners and a leachate collection
system above & between the liners.

• Landfills must also control run-on and run-off. Run-on must be diverted to prevent
erosion to landfill, run-off of precipitation must be collected & managed to reduce the
potential for off-site migration and to determine if it is hazardous waste.

• All hazardous wastes shipped to landfills must be manifested so that regulators can trace
the waste from

• Treatment technologies practiced prior to disposal in landfills must include stabilization

and neutralization of hazardous and non-hazardous sludges, soils, slurries, liquids,
powders & dusts.

https://www.waste360.com/mag/waste_preparing_landfill_designs
 Waste Incineration system
• Incineration is a thermo-
decomposition process where the
components present in the waste
stream are ionized into harmless
elements at a higher temperature in
the presence of oxygen
• Results in ~ 75% Reduction of weight
and ~ 90% volume of solid waste.
• Generation of revenues can partially Difficulties in Incineration:
offset the cost of incineration ▪ Doesn’t encourage recycling and waste reduction.
▪ High capital and operating costs
• Breaks down some hazardous, non- ▪ High moisture and low energy content
metallic organic wastes & destroys ▪ All materials cann’t be incinerated
bacteria & viruses. ▪ Technical infrastructure required for maintaining
incineration facilities,
https://www.inciner8.com/blog/waste-incineration/what-is-incineration/
▪ Requirement of highly trained personnel.
https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-incineration.php#:~:text=4.-
,The%20Possibility%20of%20Long%2Dterm%20Problems,encourage%20recycling%20and%20waste%20reduction.&text=The%20point%20of%20focus%20should,may%20encourage%20more%20waste%20production
 Advantages of waste incineration
1.Production of Energy = Waste-to Energy
2.Efficient Waste Management
3.Savings on Transportation of Waste
4.Incinerators have emissions treatment systems to eliminate pollutants
from exhaust air
5.Prevents the production of methane gas
6.Provides better control of odour and noise
7.Eliminates harmful germs and hazardous components
8.It has a computerized monitoring system
9.Occupies small space
10.Incinerators operate in any weather

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