Solid Waste

Solid Waste Pollution

Improper management or disposal of solid waste can cause pollution.

Solid waste is considered unsightly. Nobody likes to see refuse sacks left on street corners, or waste overflowing from a public bin. If solid waste is left for a while, it can start to smell unpleasant.

Fig. 1 – Keep Britain Tidy estimated that over 2 million pieces of litter are dropped every single day in the UK! Source: unsplash.com

Unfortunately, visual pollution isn't the only consequence of solid waste. Buildup of untreated waste can cause air pollution and disease. Furthermore, harmful solid waste can directly impact human health and the environment.

Effects of Solid Waste on Human Health and the Environment

If waste is left untreated, it can impact human health and the environment.

Waterways and Disease

Unmanaged waste can leak into waterways, affecting marine organisms. If the waste contains sewage or chemicals, oxygen is depleted. Fish and other aquatic organisms suffocate, while the introduction of nutrients encourages rapid algal growth. These algal blooms prevent aquatic plants from photosynthesising.

If humans ingest contaminated water, they risk developing severe diseases.

Air Pollution

Hazardous waste can emit pollutants into the atmosphere, such as:

• Vinyl chloride: a known carcinogen

• Benzene: a known carcinogen

• Ethyl benzene: causes liver damage and paralysis

• Toluene: causes inflammation and organ damage

Ineffective E-waste Management

E-waste is often incinerated without proper equipment or safety protocol. This leads to air pollution, which causes a plethora of health effects. As well as respiratory complaints, nearby residents suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure), hypoxemia (low oxygen concentration in the blood) and exposure to heavy metals.

Marine Plastic Pollution

Some plastics can take up to 500 years to decompose. If it reaches the ocean, it can affect marine life. Animals frequently ingest plastic accidentally, or become tangled in plastic packaging materials. Sadly, this can be fatal.

Marine plastic pollution is slowly eroded into microplastics (plastics less than 5mm in diameter). These have been found in commercial seafood and even drinking water.

Wellbeing

Solid waste pollution impacts wellbeing. Studies have found that littered environments cause stress and depressive symptoms.

Examples of Solid Waste

Think about how many different items you put in the bin. Solid waste is a broad category! To make things easier, we're going to narrow it down, focusing on just a few types of solid waste.

Controlling Solid Waste Pollution

Now that we've learned about the problems associated with solid waste, it's time to find out how to solve them.

Domestic Waste

Domestic waste is treated in one of four ways.

• Landfill: domestic waste is dumped in a landfill site. It's a cheap method of waste management, but pollutes the environment, releasing harmful leachate and methane gas.

• Incineration: waste material is burned to produce energy. It can power homes and essential infrastructure, but the associated air pollution impacts the health of those living nearby.

• Recycling: certain types of waste are converted into reusable products. It reduces the demand for natural resources, but recycled products aren't as durable.

• Composting: organic waste matter is converted into nutrient-rich soils. It improves soil quality, but requires regular work and monitoring.

Specialist Solid Wastes

Controlling specialist solid waste involves changing its characteristics to:

• Reduce its volume

• Make it less hazardous

• Make it easier to handle

• Make it easier to recover

Some specialist wastes (e.g. solvents, waste oil, and metals) can be recovered and recycled.

Others can be incinerated to generate power. These require specialist incinerators, which work at extremely high temperatures and have strict emission controls.

Fig. 3 – The Würzberg Waste-to-Energy plant, Germany. Source: pixabay.com

Radioactive Waste

Radioactive waste is split into three categories, each requiring different disposal methods.

Low-level Waste

Approximately 94% of radioactive waste is categorised as low-level, experiencing relatively low levels of radioactivity. Most low-level waste originates from the operation and decommission of nuclear facilities, but some comes from universities and hospitals.

The waste is grouted in metal containers, then stacked into concrete-lined, highly engineered vaults. When the vaults are full, they will be covered by a cap.

Intermediate-level Waste

Around 6% of radioactive waste is categorised as intermediate-level. It exceeds the radiation limits of low-level waste, but does not generate heat. Most intermediate-level waste comes from nuclear reactor components and sludge from effluent treatment.

The waste is treated by super-compacting, cutting, or drying. Then, it is placed into stainless-steel containers inside concrete boxes.

High-level Waste

Less than 1% of all radioactive waste is categorised as high-level. Usually found in liquid form, this waste is hot due to its radioactivity. Sources of high-level waste include reactor operation and reprocessing nuclear fuel.

The liquid waste is mixed with crushed glass in a furnace to produce a molten product. It's poured into stainless-steel canisters for long-term storage (at least 50 years). Over that time, the radioactivity will dissipate, and the waste will cool down.

Asbestos

Any waste containing, or contaminated by, asbestos is placed in secure, permanent storage. It is double-bagged, clearly labelled, and placed in a locked skip. Any clothing or PPE that comes into contact with asbestos should also be disposed of.

Cyanide

Cyanide ions (CN^-) are highly toxic. Ingesting just 200 mg can cause immediate unconsciousness and death. Thus, any waste containing cyanide should be dealt with carefully, and kept away from other waste to avoid contamination. Cyanide is then destroyed by high-temperature incineration at 1000ºC.

I hope that this article has explained solid waste for you. Improper management or disposal of solid waste can cause pollution, impacting health and the environment. Solid waste is classified and treated according to its properties.

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