Table of Contents
Health Aspects and public involvement
Health Aspects and Public Involvement in Solid Waste Management: Examining environmental and health risks associated with improper waste handling, including hazardous waste disposal, air pollution, and disease vectors. Focuses on the importance of waste segregation, recycling, and safe disposal practices, while highlighting the role of public participation in improving waste management efficiency and sustainability.
The focus on Health Aspects and Public Involvement is key to managing hazardous waste safely and reducing the risk of diseases. Strong Health Aspects and Public Involvement can ensure better compliance with waste management regulations and safer waste handling practices.
Health aspect and during solid waste handling and processing
1. There is a potential risk to the environment and health from improper handling of solid wastes. Direct Health risks are mainly concerned with the workers in this field, who need to be protected from contact with waste as far as possible.
2. Traffic accidents can result from toxic spilled wastes.
3. Air pollution can be caused by the inefficient burning of wastes, either in the open air or in plants that lack effective treatment facilities for the gaseous effluents.
4. Uncontrolled hazardous wastes from industries mixing up with municipal wastes create potential risk to human health.
Incorporating Health Aspects and Public Involvement into waste management policies leads to more sustainable and community-driven solutions.
5. The most obvious environmental damage caused by municipal solid wastes is aesthetic, the ugliness of street litter and degradation of the urban environment and beauty of the city.
6. There is a specific danger of concentration of heavy metals in the food chain, a problem that illustrates the relationship between municipal solid wastes and liquid industrial effluents containing heavy metals discharged to a drainage/sewerage system and/ or open dumping sites of municipal solid wastes and the wastes discharged thereby maintain a vicious cycle.
7. Municipal Solid waste management Systems involve various activities like storage, collection, transportation, disposal, etc.
These activities even if properly controlled and with proper precautionary measures adopted, may have adverse impacts on land, water, and air environment, human and environmental health aesthetics, and quality of life. Understanding the Health Aspects and Public Involvement in solid waste management is crucial for creating safer, healthier communities.
8. The main risk to health is indirect and arises from the breeding of disease vectors, primarily files and rats.
Health problems arising at the time of segregation, reuse, recovery, and recycling and the final disposal sites
Health problems during the time of segregation:
1. Workers and rag pickers can be infected during the picking of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
2. If biodegradable and non-biodegradables or wet and dry wastes are not put separately, it can create a bad odor.
3. Possible health hazards include raised levels of infant mortality, non-communicable diseases such as hand/leg injury by sharp edge material, respirational infections, and eye infections.
4. Communicable diseases such as Diarrhoea & dysentery (due to flies), and skin disease.
Health problem during reuse
1. Health risk can arise from transportation and handling of organic waste, processing application of Organics from mixed municipal waste to the soil, cultivation on old dumps, and feeding of animals with waste and hence many factors are involved in the risk of human-animal disease links. The success of waste management strategies relies heavily on the Health Aspects and Public Involvement in the planning and execution stages.
Health problems during recovery recycling:
1. During the recovery and recycling process of solid waste, creates various health problems because, in the production of electricity, there is the generation of gas evolved in the environment in which some toxic gases are present, which affects the respiration system of the surrounding people and working people thereon.
2. The recovery and recycling process creates bad odor, and particulate matter emissions that lead to air pollution and also create mental illness in humans.
Health problem at the final disposal site:
1. The incinerator operators are at risk of chronic respiratory diseases including cancer due to exposure to incinerated products and hazardous compounds.
2. There are eye and respiratory infections caused by exposure to infected dust, especially during landfill operations.
Health Aspects and Public Involvement are essential when addressing the risks posed by improper waste handling and disposal.
Handling and disposal of hazardous waste
The following points should be considered while handling and disposal of hazardous waste:
1. For the management of hazardous and other wastes, an occupier shall follow the following steps, namely: –
(a) prevention;
(b) minimization;
(c) reuse,
(d) recycling;
(e) recovery, utilization including co-processing;
(f) safe disposal.
Through Health Aspects and Public Involvement, local governments can engage citizens to reduce pollution and improve waste management practices.
2. The occupier can store the hazardous waste on site of generation for a maximum of 6 months. After that, it has to be transported to the respective disposal site.
3. Storage area should consist of different sheds for storing different kinds of hazardous wastes and
sheds should be provided with suitable openings. There should be at least a 15 m distance between the storage sheds.
4. Adequate storage capacity (i.e., 50 % of the annual capacity of the hazardous waste generated) should be provided on the premises.
5. The storage area should be provided with flameproof electrical fittings.
6. An automatic smoke, and heat detection system should be provided in the sheds. Adequate fire protection systems should be installed in the storage area.
7. A minimum of 1-meter clear space should be left between two adjacent rows of drums in pairs for inspection. One block of drum should not exceed 300 MT of waste.
8. Measures should be taken to prevent the entry of runoff into the storage area. The storage area should be designed so that the floor level is at least 150 mm above the highest flood level.
9. The storage area should be provided with a concrete floor or steel sheets depending on the characteristics of waste handled and the floor must be structurally sound and chemically compatible with wastes.
10. No drums should be opened in the storage sheds for sampling etc. and such activity should be done in designated places outside the storage areas.
Addressing both the Health Aspects and Public Involvement ensures that communities can mitigate environmental harm and health issues.
Disposal of Hazardous Waste
1. Regardless of their form (i.e., solid, liquid, or gas), most hazardous waste is disposed of either near the surface or by deep burial. Hazardous wastes should be disposed of in secure landfills that ensure a minimum separation of 3 meters (10 feet) between the landfill’s base and the underlying bedrock or groundwater table. Without adequate Health Aspects and Public Involvement, waste management processes can lead to severe public health and environmental risks.
2. One of the methods used to treat hazardous waste biologically is called landfarming. In this method, the waste is carefully blended with surface soil on a suitable piece of land.
3. Physical and chemical treatment of hazardous waste include Filtration and separation, Chemical precipitation, Chemical oxidation and reduction, Solidification and stabilization, Evaporation, and Ozonation.
4. Thermal treatment of hazardous waste includes Incineration, Pyrolysis, etc.
The Health Aspects and Public Involvement in solid waste management help ensure that workers and residents are protected from exposure to hazardous waste.
Public involvement and participation in SWM are very important because of the following points:
1. To increase the awareness of solid waste management among the people.
2. To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the planning process and implementation of solid waste management.
3. To understand the planning’s importance and significance.
4. To play an important role in the permitting process in case of hazardous waste as well as municipal waste facilities.
5. To enhance waste management strategies, negotiations with municipal authorities should aim for greater involvement in decision-making processes.
6. To achieve the 3R principles.
7.To minimize the littering of waste on streets, in drains, and open spaces, etc.
8. To encourage and assist the local composting and recycling initiatives.
Promoting awareness of Health Aspects and Public Involvement can lead to more effective waste segregation and recycling in local communities.
By educating the public on the Health Aspects and Public Involvement, cities can minimize environmental damage and enhance public health outcomes.
Biomedical waste management
Biomedical waste managementΒ is an essential aspect of healthcare facilities, ensuring the safe and environmentally responsible disposal of medical waste. ProperΒ biomedical waste managementΒ helps minimize the risk of infections and protects public health.
Civil Engineer Role in Effective Landfill & Solid Waste Management
Letβs delve into the effectiveness of civil engineering inΒ landfillΒ andΒ solid waste management.