HAZARDOUS WASTE

MANAGEMENT

NAME: PREETI GIRI

CU ROLL N0.:
REGISTRATION NO.:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Several people have contributed to the accomplishment of this project and my sincere
gratitude goes to all of them.

First of all I am truly grateful to Mr. , head of finance department, who has dedicated a vast
deal of his time to examine the draft of my work and also for his disciplined guidance and
continuous encouragement throughout the progression of this dissertation.

My gratitude is extended to all my lecturers at Tara Devi Harakachand Kankaria College for
having helped me to achieve a higher education.

And this project has been completed under the guidence of Ananya Kundu Dey and my special
thanks to her.
 CONTENT
SL.NO. TOPIC PG.NO.
ABSTRACT
Theof problems of waste generation and management has become a serious issue
concern to many scholars in environmental studies. This paper critically
examine the attitude of urban dwellers to waste disposal and management. One
hundred and fifty copies of questionnaire were administered to residents in the
area. Information such as the various classes of waste, frequency of waste
disposal and methods of waste evacuation were obtained from the questionnaire.
Finding revealed that family size has a great influence on waste disposal and
generation which was evidence in the hypothesis with a calculated value of 7.32
greater than the critical value of 2.43 at 0.05 level of significance. Besides,
environmental enlightenment has changed people’s attitude towards waste
generation and management in the area. This was affirmed in the calculated f-
value of 3.18 greater than critical t-value of 1.97 at 0.05 level of significance.
However, this result indicate that effective environmental enlightenment would
help avert the attitude of urban dwellers to waste disposal and management in
the area.
INTRODUCTION
Thedeveloping
problems of waste generation and management in most cities especially in
has become one of the intractable environmental problems facing
urban centres. This situation could be attributed to low level of technology that is
not sophisticated enough to handle the high rate of waste generation. Human
population and rural-urban migration has increase through urbanization, natural
increase rate and industrialization, yet the service rendered is not sizeable
enough to control the high level of solid waste generated in urban areas and
these has contributed to a large extent, the nuisance and the damaging effect of
the urban environment.

Hazardous-waste management, the collection, treatment, and disposal of waste

material that, when improperly handled, can cause substantial harm to human
health and safety or to the environment. Hazardous wastes can take the form of
solids, liquids, sludges, or contained gases, and they are generated primarily by
chemical production, manufacturing, and other industrial activities. They may
cause damage during inadequate storage, transportation, treatment, or disposal
operations. Improper hazardous-waste storage or disposal frequently
contaminates surface and groundwater supplies. People living in homes built near
old and abandoned waste disposal sites may be in a
particularly vulnerable position. In an effort to remedy existing problems and to
prevent future harm from hazardous wastes, governments closely regulate the
practice of hazardous-waste management.
 Characteristics of Hazardous Waste

W hen it comes to hazardous waste disposal and management, understanding the waste
your organization generates is imperative. Hazardous waste is heavily regulated, and
thus cannot just be tossed out with your everyday trash. To know if you’re handling
hazardous waste, the first step is to assess its characteristics.

When categorizing hazardous waste, the EPA breaks it down by four characteristics:

 ignitability, or something flammable

 corrosivity, or something that can rust or decompose
 reactivity, or something explosive
 toxicity, or something poisonous

These high level categories each have their own characteristics that further help you as a
generator define with what your are dealing.

Ignitability
There are three types of ignitable forms:

 Liquids with a flash point–the lowest temperature at which fumes above waste ignite–of
60 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Examples include alcohol, gasoline, and
acetone.
 Solids that spontaneously combust.
 Oxidizers and compressed gasses.

Corrosivity
Corrosive substances, such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid, have the ability eat
through containers, causing the leakage of harmful materials. A corrosive is anything liquid with
a pH of less than or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 12.5, or has the ability to corrode
steel. Everyday example of corrosives include battery acid and rust removers.

Reactivity
Given their instability, reactive wastes can be very dangerous. The EPA recognizes that there
are too many conditions and situations to identify all types of reactive materials. However, they
use the following as guidelines to assist generators:

 unstable, and routinely experiences violent change without detonating

 potential for explosive mixture or violent reaction when combined with water
 toxic gasses are released when mixed with water

Toxicity
Poisonous materials pose a threat to our groundwater, which can have long term effects to
human health and the environment. This is different from the first three characteristic groups,
which the EPA views as containing immediate and firsthand dangers. There are 60
contaminants on the toxicity characteristics list. These contaminants are identified solely
through a test method called Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure or TCLP.

As a generator of any the above, you have two options to determine which characteristics
above best define the waste you generate: test it, or use applied knowledge from previous
company records or industry data and studies. If you’re not familiar with either of these
processes, Hazardous Waste Experts can help you identify and strategize a waste management
plan that is right for you.
 PROBLEMS RELATED TO HAZARDOUS WASTE

India’s rapid economic growth has resulted in a substantial increase in solid waste
generation in urban centres. Urban areas in India alone generate more than 100,000
metric tonnes of solid waste per day, which is higher than many countries’ total daily
waste generation. Large metropoles such as Mumbai and Delhi generate around 9000
metric tonnes and 8300 metric tonnes per day respectively. Due to sustained rapid
economic growth, Indian cities are expected to only intensify their consumption
patterns. However, India’s per capita waste generation is significantly lower compared
to that of developed world.
Traditionally, less
economically developed
countries suffer from poor-
quality waste management
services due to their lack of
infrastructure. But their
waste generation rates are
usually low and hence issues
related to scale do not tend
to arise. On the other hand,
richer economies enjoy very
efficient waste management services owing to their superior infrastructure and
community awareness of sustainability issues. But they grapple with issues of scale
including problems such as scarcity of land for disposal and disposal technologies.
India suffers from both inefficient waste infrastructure and increasing rates of solid
waste generation per capita, due in part to the country’s service sector driven economic
growth. This presents a case where both issues of service quality and waste quantity
need to be handled together. This is a unique situation that developing Asian countries
like India are being confronted with and as such its solutions must also be unique.
Unlike many other countries in the region, Indian cities do not charge for waste
collection and management, making it a financial burden for ULBs, while also leading to
poor community participation in sustainability initiatives. This results in inefficiencies
such as unsegregated waste collection and low territorial coverage, as well as other
issues health concerns including the collection and transportation of waste in open
trucks, limited waste recovery and processing, and indiscriminate dumping at open
dump sites without leachate treatment. These issues result in serious health damage
and economic losses. The waste management sector in India is further supplemented by
informal workers who come from the urban poor. These so-called rag pickers, who are
instrumental in waste recycling, are highly vulnerable to health damages owing to
shabby work conditions.
Solid waste management problems and response strategies are distinct for developing
and developed countries. While developing countries aim primarily to improve the
systemic efficiency of waste management services, as well as community participation
in waste disposal, developed countries aim to control waste generation and find means
to achieve maximum rates of recycling. To achieve their distinct objectives, developing
countries attempt measures such as awareness raising campaigns, improvements of
infrastructure and systemic efficiency, and funding augmentation. In contrast,
developed countries invest in technology for better waste recycling and disposal, while
applying economic instruments such as material levies, product charges and waste
collection charges to achieve waste reduction and recycling.
While the Indian government’s current initiatives are focused on infrastructure
development, Indian cities should aim to avoid future problems by addressing pertinent
issues like systemic inefficiency, community participation in waste segregation, waste
reduction and recycling. India should also work towards addressing the role of the
informal sector in solid waste management, and introducing economic instruments in
waste management. Waste management is not only essential from a public welfare
perspective but can also contribute to developing countries’ economic growth if the
recycling industry is promoted alongside eco-industrial production. Such an integrated
approach would put India at an advantage while managing its growing solid wastes.

How Has Hazardous Waste Impacted The Environment?

The footprint hazardous waste has left on our
environment has already poisoned our oceans,
lakes, and rivers. Each year, thousands of fish,
whales, and other aquatic animals wash up on our
shores filled with enough trash and toxins to kill a
human being several times over. Frogs and other
amphibious and marine creatures are showing more
and more signs of mutation, and this is a heralding sign
of the negative impact human waste has on the
environment.
Land-dwelling wildlife and insect populations have also
been greatly affected by the amount of waste
generated by developed nations. Everything from
plastic six-pack soda packaging to improperly disposed
bodily fluids filled with harmful diseases have sickened, altered, and harmed scores of
animals every year. Populations of insects such as bees, which are crucial to preserving
the fertility of plant life, are dying off faster than they can repopulate due to human
pollution.

What Can We Do To Combat The Harmful Effects Of Hazardous Waste?

While many first world nations, especially in North America, have established
organizations to combat the growing negative impact of hazardous waste both on land
and in our waters, it is paramount that companies learn the proper steps to handling
hazardous waste to minimize the risk of pollution and damage to both individuals
and ecosystems alike. This entails abiding by proper hazardous waste
disposal protocols, especially for toxic materials such as blood, medical equipment,
and radioactive waste.

Hazardous waste disposal is critically important to the environment and your business
operations.Trying to determine how to dispose of your hazardous waste on your own,
usually ends up with disastrous results and heavy fines. Look for a hazardous waste
transporter that is both licensed, bonded and has adequate insurance to ensure
your company is protected to the fullest possible extent.
5 Methods to Dispose of Hazardous Waste

The importance of proper hazardous waste disposal is essential for citizens and business
owners alike. Hazardous waste is defined by waste that poses significant or potential
threats to the public, health, or environment.
To meet the requirements for hazardous waste, the material needs to display at least one
or more of the following hazardous traits: ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity, and/or
toxicity. Some of the common Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) is waste that is
generated from your own home. These include Paints, Automotive Wastes, Pesticides,
Electronics, and Aerosols to Ammunition.
Historically, hazardous wastes were regularly dumped into landfills. This unfavorable
action caused the chemicals to seep into the ground and eventually enter our natural water
systems. From there, our wild and marine life mammals became exposed to all sorts of
chemicals which can in return cause issues for us.
In this day and age of modern technology and electronics, the use of hazardous material
is becoming even more prevalent. The only option we are stuck with is to make sure that
we dispose of these materials as properly as possible to reduce the risk of harm we create
on society.
 HERE are 5 Techniques and Methods to Properly Dispose of your Hazardous Waste:

1. The use of Incineration by burning the material in high temperatures is a great way
to destroy toxic waste. Incineration actually destroys and terminates most HHW. A
benefit of society using this method is the fact that the flammable wastes can also be
burned and used as energy sources. The method of Incineration releases toxic gases
which can affect the environment, but current technology has developed more
effective incinerator units that limit the amount of emissions released in the sky.
2. Another smart method is to recycle. You ever see the cell phone recycling units in
Staples or an Office store. Well, the point of that is to recycle or reclaim the battery
and parts off the phone rather than just disposing them. Used oils can also be
salvaged and recycled. Recycling is the best method for the environment and is really
a “no-brainer”!
3. Find out what hazardous waste collection facilities are in your area! Many times,
communities will designate special days for collection. If you are in immediate need of
proper hazardous waste disposal, you can contact your local government or head
over to your local municipal building where they should be able to help you.
4. If you have diabetic syringes or prescription drugs, you should be very careful about
how you dispose of them! Most pharmacies carry a mini disposal box where you can
throw away used syringes. Prescription drugs should always be handed off to a drop-
off location! They should never be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet or
sink!
5. The last, but not least way to dispose of hazardous waste is to share it! For instance,
if you have extra oil or fertilizer lying around you can share it with a person who is
need! By using these methods to dispose of hazardous waste, we can all enjoy a safer
environment. Incineration Recycling Services provides all types of industry in the
United States with reconditioned industrial packaging containers, as well as empty
bulk container pickup services. Find out more about how our business helps protect
the environment by visiting our website.
STUDY AREA

Purba Medinipur Latitude: 21.937288. Purba Medinipur Longitude: 87.776333

METHODOLOGY
Treatment Methods for Waste Management

• Landfill:
This method involves burying off the waste. These landfills are quite often conventional with
deserted and vacant locations around the cities. In case, landfills or borrow pits are designed
carefully they can serve as economical and quite sanitized method for waste dumping. However,
not much effectively designed and older landfills can cost a big amount to the government not
just in terms of money but also in the environmental and health issues. Apart from the poorly
designed landfills, wind-blown debris and generation of liquid can also cause production of gas,
which is extremely hazardous. This gas can be a reason for production of odor, killing surface
vegetation and greenhouse effects.

• Incineration:
This is the dumping off method, which involves combustion for waste materials. This sort of
dumping off for waste materials through incineration and temperature is known as “thermal
treatment”. This method is utilized to convert waste materials in to gas, heat, ash and steam.
Incineration is conducted on both individual and industrial scale. This method is used for
disposing off all sorts of matters. This generally is the most recognized practical method for
disposing off perilous material. This however, is the conflict-ridden method for it causes the
emission of perilous gases.

• Biological reprocessing:
Waste materials, which come in organic nature, are treated through biological reprocessing. The
waste materials with organic nature are plant, food and paper products. This reprocessing or
recycling of this organic matter is put to biological decomposition which later if recycled in form
of mulch or compost for landscaping and agricultural purposes. Additionally, the waste gas,
which is collected from the process, is used for the production of electricity. The goal behind
biological reprocessing is to control and speed up the natural decomposition for organic matter.
A numerous sort of composting techniques and methods for digestion are employed depending
upon the requirement as if digestion is required for household heaps or industrial materials.
There are diverse methods for biological reprocessing like anaerobic and aerobic techniques.

• Recovery of Energy:
Waste materials can directly be combusted for the generation of energy as fuel or other method,
indirect combustion can also be adopted for energy generation.

– Thermal treatment for recycling purpose included burning of waste for the generation of
energy used for household purpose i.e. cooking and heating while the energy from recycling can
also be produced at industrial level from boilers.
– Among thermal treatments you have two related kinds i.e. Pyrolysis and gasification. In these
sorts of methods, materials are heated with little supply of oxygen at high temperature. This
process is conducted in sealed vessels with high pressure.
– In Pyrolysis, the solid is converted in to liquid state and liquid is converted in to gas. These
products of treatment can then be used for the production of energy. The residue that is left
behind is generally known as “char”, which is further treated for the production of more useable
products.
– In Gasification however, the material to be treated is directly converted in to SynGas (synthetic
gas) which has hydrogen and carbon dioxide as its components.

• Composting:
Composting is a easy and natural bio-degradation process that takes organic wastes i.e. remains
of plants and garden and kitchen waste and turns into nutrient rich food for your plants.
Composting, normally used for organic farming, occurs by allowing organic materials to sit in
one place for months until microbes decompose it. Composting is one of the best method of
waste disposal as it can turn unsafe organic products into safe compost. On the other side, it is
slow process and takes lot of space.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
i. Most of the wastes within Digha town area generated from
the hotels and restaurants. Share of organic wastes are
higher than the inorganic wastes.

ii. The open dumping systems are not managed properly .As a
result, these introduce unhygienic environmental
situations including the foul smells, dusts etc. especially at
the rainy season.

iii.Although Digha town is situated within the Coastal

Regulation Zone and is declared to be the plastic free zone
by the local body, the tourists often violate the rules and
regulations. Due to indiscriminate usage of the plastics, the
overall environmental parameters are degraded
interrupting the hydrological cycle, ecosystem functions
ecological balance. These situations enhance the
vulnerability of the zone towards different natural and
manmade hazards.

iv. The number of labours and vehicles engaged at the solid

waste collection systems are very minimum and
promotion of modernized technique of collection should
be incorporated.
CONCLUSION
i. Some solid waste management approaches like Zero
Garbage Model applied in Pune is derived to segregate the
organic and inorganic wastes by reducing transportation
and labour carts and subsequently eliminating the need
for landfills. It is one of the suggestive measure.

ii. Three R's like 'Reduce', 'Reuse' and 'Recycle' must be

applicable to every center. If an organic fertilizer plant
were established at the disposal site, the organic waste can
be used for fertilizer purpose.

iii. DSDA has to be aware of maintaining the quality of the

environmental parameters like water, air, and soil
pollution. Formulation of the rules and laws as
implementation with certain punishments must be
applicable to restore the existing ecosystem balance.
BIPLOGRAPHY