Hazardous waste are those wastes that are considered harmful or potentially harmful to human health or the environment. The Environment Agency defines hazardous wastes as those that are either immediately harmful to human health or the environment or potentially harmful in the future. Wastes are classified as hazardous by the Environment Agency if they have one or more of the following properties: explosive, oxidising, highly flammable, flammable, irritant, harmful, toxic, carcinogenic, corrosive, infectious, and toxic for reproduction, mutagenic, sensitising, Eco toxic, or wastes which release toxic or very toxic gases in contact with water, air, or acid.
Hazardous wastes do not include radioactive wastes, decommissioned explosives, waste
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Hazardous waste is the most difficult waste to be managed, since in the treatment process, heavy metal and dioxin among others are obtained. The outcome elements are dangerous not only for the environment but also for public health. The fundamental rule in managing waste is given by the following hierarchy: prevention, reducing its production, reuse, recycles valuation and deposition.(Couto, Silva, Monteiro, & Rouboa, 2013).
The impact of hazardous waste on the environment and health
If waste is not well-managed, unpredictable negative outcomes of household hazardous waste can occur at its source (residential households), waste collection points, during transportation, and after deposit in landfills and/or incineration sites, with the potential to cause permanent damage to the environment and public health. The impact of household hazardous waste is the exposure of health and the reduction of environment quality. From the health point of view stated that one of household hazardous waste characteristics is toxic. The toxic can come into food chain and it will be accumulated on human and be able to cause some gene mutation, cancer and congenital. From the environment reduction point of view, it causes surface water and ground water
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for building).The major methods of waste management are:
Recycling—the recovery of materials from products after they have been used by consumers. Composting—an aerobic, biological process of degradation of biodegradable organic matter. Sewage treatment—a process of treating raw sewage to produce a non-toxic liquid effluent which is discharged to rivers or sea and a semi-solid sludge, which is used as a soil amendment on land, incinerated or disposed of in land fill.
Incineration—a process of combustion designed to recover energy and reduce the volume of waste going to disposal.
Landfill—the deposition of waste in a specially designated area, which in modern sites consists of a pre-constructed ‘cell’ lined with an impermeable layer (man-made or natural) and with controls to minimize emissions.(Rushton, 2003).
The management of hazardous wastes that has already been generated is one of the burning problems which require immediate attention. The principal objective of any hazardous waste management plan is to ensure safe, efficient and economical collection, transportation, treatment and disposal of wastes. It should further ensure that the system operates satisfactorily for
Unit 2 Discussion: Prenatal Development Readings: Chapter 3 and 4 A teratogen is any exposure in the environment such as drugs, illnesses, alcohol that can cause substantial harm to an unborn or breastfeeding baby. There are some teratogens that even if the mother was exposed to or poisoned at one point before getting pregnant can still cause harm to the unborn baby even if she is no longer exposed. Lead can be considered a teratogen as it is a toxic metal and can cause harm during the embryonic period.
Many different processes produce air contaminants. Dust and fiber are two types of solid particles that may be of concern depending on their nature. Chemical hazards can have several methods of exposure either through skin contact, ingestion, absorption by the skin, and/or by breathing them in. Due to their hazardousness, chemical substances are identified by Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and are required in the workplace for reference. Biological hazards are living organisms and enter the worker which can cause infection and disease.
The Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is an “Estuary of National Significance” and is stated to be 1 of 28 in the nation. The goal of the IRL is to protect this ecologically significant estuary that is threatened by degradation caused by human activity. The IRL is designated as an aquatic preserve, and Outstanding Florida Waterway, and a Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Water Body. The IRL is a 156 mile long estuary located in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and northern Palm Beach County. It has three distinct water bodies, Mosquito Lagoon, Banana River and the Indian River.
The waste contains poisonous elements such as plutonium. Low level waste is when the item used as fuel is contaminated or becomes radioactive. Also when material would be exposed to neutron radiation. High Level waste is the byproduct left inside the reactor after the nuclear reactions occur. This byproduct is more radioactive and takes longer to dispose of.
Dioxins are primarily by-products or residues from thermal industrial processes (combustion) that involve chlorine, but they can also occur during natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions or forest fires. They are undesirable byproducts in a large number of manufacturing processes, such as melting, chlorine bleaching of pulp, and the production of certain herbicides and pesticides. In terms of emissions, it is considered that most of the dioxin released into the environment comes from uncontrolled waste incinerators (solid waste and hospital waste), which are the biggest culprits, with incomplete combustion. There are also large stocks of used industrial oils throughout the world whose longterm preservation and elimination of these materials
Many processes across base requires hazardous chemical interaction. Knowing if a chemical is hazardous is key to keep Airmen safe and the work environment healthy. The Hazardous Communication Standard defines the following hazards: Physical hazards - a chemical for which there is valid scientifically evidence that it is an agent or activity posing a potential hazard to a person or property. Most common are: • Flammable o Aerosol – a mist yielding a flame projecting over 18 inches at full valve opening o Gas – a gas at ambient temperature and pressure, forms a flammable mixture with air at a concentration of 13 percent by volume or less o Solid – a solid other than a blasting agent or explosive that is liable to cause fire through friction • Explosives – a
In Richard Muller’s essay on Chemical Waste in America, he points out many different problems in todays disposal techniques of nuclear waste. He brings in readers by appealing to American citizens with his visual texts, guilt, and how we must start feeling some empathy for our future generations and find a solution to prevent a massive chemical waste epidemic. Mullers argument bases off his visual texts, by showing us a reality that is going on today. Among the visual texts, Muller explains the exact quantity of chemical wastes in the United States by telling his audience that, “we have already generated more than enough nuclear waste to fill up Yucca Mountain,” which is a storage bunker for chemical waste products. Muller even includes a picture of Yucca Mountain so the audience can get a feel for the absurd amount of waste we have built up.
• Hazardous Waste Regulations (Environment Agency) correct bins and colours sacks must be provided and all waste disposed of correctly. Your hygiene is key to keeping you and others you come into contact with safe. Zoonosis is a disease which humans can catch from an infected animal. Regular and effective hand washing is your best defence.
Various types of hazardous waste such as synthetic resin waste, oil and sludge were generated by factories as a result of active production . Most of which was discarded without proper treatment into rivers. Also, due to demand of modern architecture there was a lot of construction waste (soil and debris) generated in large amount, and was left unattended or dumped in vacant lots. Many people used products made of plastic and burned them after use. Which caused acidic gases to be released into the atmosphere causing air pollution.
In “The Hidden Life of Garbage,” Heather Rogers writes about the waste disposal in the United States and how dangerous is getting. Land dumping has been the main disposal method for many years because of the low cost. She writes how landfill is a designed construction in which the trash is far away from the environment. Therefore, isolation is accomplished with a bottom liner and a daily covering of soil. She also says that a sanitary landfill uses a clay liner to isolate the trash from the environment.
The physical effects resulting from the release of hazardous substances are calculated by means of models. The results thus obtained through modeling are used to translate the physical effects in terms of injuries and damage to exposed population and
Escherichia Coli aka E. Coli, has the ability to absorb and contain uranium. Although there are strains of it that can cause disease, this can handle nuclear waste. While it would be good if this bacteria did disappear, nuclear waste spills could get out of hand. For example, if a spill had gone into the ocean, this could potentially get into our water supply and harm marine animals. By harming the marine animals, they could eventually mutate or become harmful to us when consumed.
Why Water Should Not Be Boiled for too Long or Reboiled People often forget that they have water boiling because something else distracted their attention. The water becomes cold again, so most people turn the kettle back on and reboil the water. Most of us know what happens to water when we boil it, but rarely do we know what happens when water is reboiled. The volatile compounds evaporate when we boil water and the gases are dissolved, and therefore boiled water is safe. However, when water is reboiled or boiled for too long the dangerous compounds are not disposed.
During the past haft-century, issues and concerns surrounding human health have profoundly influenced the movement of environmentalism. The problems with the overpopulation, the emergence of disease, and the accumulation of toxics have been a foundation for environmentalists to look at and define the orientation for the environmental movement. Therefore, more and more controversial debates around environmentalism have been raised in order to ensure a healthy environment for humans. The problem I would like to firstly address is the accumulation of toxics which has been started from the World War II and the Cold War until now.
Industrial and capital hubs in developing countries are similarly characterized by multiple urban sprawls, informal settlements and overcrowding. The local governments or municipalities in many developing countries are highly challenged by mainly poor or weak policy and legislative provisions to regulate and enforce waste management guidelines. They also lack adequate funding and the correct capacity in terms of waste management personnel. All these challenges lead to situations where these local authorities are failing to take effective decisions with regards to solid waste management. It is worth noting that the decisions which municipalities are facing in terms of managing solid waste are not only difficult and capital intensive but they impact greatly on the natural environment as well as on social lives of people, therefore solutions to this issue are a matter of