IMPACT OF SOLID WASTE ON HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

1
IMPACT OF SOLID WASTE ON HEALTH AND THE
ENVIRONMENT

• By
• FUNMILAYO AKINBODE
• WALDEN UNIVERSITY
• PUBH-6165-4 Environmental Health
• INSTRUCTOR DR STEPHEN ARNOLD

2
INTRODUCTION

• The purpose of this presentation is to elaborate
  and increase readers awareness on the potential
  solid waste (hazardous, non hazardous and mixed
  waste) disposal poses to human health and the
  environment.
• Characteristics of waste and types of solid waste
• Causal of increase in solid waste
• Waste treatment and disposal
• Health and environment impacts of solid wastes
  based on reports from studies
• Preventive measures

3
Learning outcomes

• Increase knowledge in characteristics, treatment
  and disposal of solid waste
• Identify points of contact and sources of
  exposure to solid waste
• Understand the impact of solid waste on health
  and environment
• Knowledge on preventive measures in reducing
  volume of wastes and waste management.

4
What is solid waste

• Solid waste is defined as any garbage, refuse,
  sludge from waste treatment plant, water supply
  treatment plant, or air pollution control
  facility and other materials, including solid,
  liquid, semisolid, contained gaseous resulting
  from industrials, commercials, mining and
  agricultural operations from community activities
  ( Moeller, 2005).

5
(No Transcript)
6
Characteristics of wastes

• Corrosive these are wastes that include acids or
  bases that are capable of corroding mental
  containers, e.g. tanks
• Ignitability this is waste that can create
  fires under certain condition, e.g. waste oils
  and solvents
• Reactive these are unstable in nature, they
  cause explosions, toxic fumes when heated.
• Toxicity waste which are harmful or fatal when
  ingested or absorb.

7
Types of waste

• Non Hazardous waste refuse, garbage, sludge,
  municipal trash.
• Hazardous waste solvents acid, heavy metals,
  pesticides, and chemical sludges
• Radioactive high and low-level radioactive waste
• Mixed waste Radioactive organic liquids, radio
  active heavy metals. ( Moeller, 2005).

8
Waste treatment and disposal

• Waste treatment

• Waste disposal

• Incineration
• Solidification
• Heat treatment
• Chemical treatment
• Moeller, D. W. (2005). Environmental Health (3rd
  ed.). Cambridge, MAHarvard University Press

• Landfills
• Underground injection wells
• Waste piles
• land treatment
• In less developed countries flowing rivers

9
Waste treatments

• Incineration
• Solidification solid waste are melted or
  evaporated to produce a sand like residue.
• Heat treatment Heat applied at moderate
  temperature, is used in treating volatile
  solvents.
• Chemical treatment is the application of
  chemical treatment in the treatment of corrosive
  solid.

10
Waste Disposal

• Landfills waste is placed into or onto the land
  in disposal facilities.
• Underground injection wells waste are injected
  under pressure into a steel and concrete-encased
  shafts placed deep in the earth.
• Waste piles is accumulations of insoluble solid,
  non flowing hazard waste. Piles serves as
  temporary or final disposal.

11
Waste Disposal

• land treatment is a process in which solid
  waste, such as sludge from wastes is applied onto
  or incorporated into the soil surface.
• Waste are disposed in flowing rivers in less
  developed countries.
• Moeller, D. W. (2005). Environmental Health (3rd
  ed.). Cambridge, MAHarvard University Press

12

• Landfill site and Incineration site

13
Causal of increase in solid waste

• Population growth
• Increase in industrials manufacturing
• Urbanization
• Modernization
• Modernization, technological advancement and
  increase in global population created rising in
  demand for food and other essentials. This has
  resulted to rise in the amount of waste being
  generated daily by each household. 158 million
  tons of municipal solid waste is produced
  annually in U.S

14
Groups at risks due to solid waste

• The groups at risk from the unscientific waste
  disposal include
• Populations in areas where there is no proper
  waste treatment method.
• children
• Waste workers
• Populations living close to waste dump
• Animals

15
SOURCES OF HUMAN EXPOSURES

• Exposures occurs through
• Ingestion of contaminated water or food
• Contact with disease vectors
• Inhalation
• Dermal

16
Points of contact

• Soil adsorption, storage and biodegrading
• Plant uptake
• Ventilation
• Runoff
• Leaching
• Insects, birds, rats, flies and animals
• Direct dumping of untreated waste in seas, rivers
  and lakes results in the plants and animals that
  feed on it

17
Impacts of solid waste on health

• Chemical poisoning through chemical inhalation
• Uncollected waste can obstruct the storm water
  runoff resulting in flood
• Low birth weight
• Cancer
• Congenital malformations
• Neurological disease

18
Impacts of solid waste on health

• Nausea and vomiting
• Increase in hospitalization of diabetic residents
  living near hazard waste sites.
• Mercury toxicity from eating fish with high
  levels of mercury.
• Goorah, S., Esmyot, M., Boojhawon, R. (2009). The
  Health Impact of Nonhazardous Solid Waste
  Disposal in a Community The case of the Mare
  Chicose Landfill in Mauritius. Journal of
  Environment Health, 72(1) 48-54
• Kouznetsova, M., Hauang, X., Ma, J., Lessner, L.
  Carpenter, D. (2007). Increased Rate of
  Hospitalization for Diabetes and Residential
  Proximity of Hazardous waste Sites. Environmental
  Health Perspectives, 115(1)75-75
• Barlaz, M., Kaplan, P., Ranjithan, S. Rynk, R.
  (2003) Evaluating Environmental Impacts of solid
  Waste Management Alternatives. BioCycle, 52-56.

19
Effects of Solid Waste on Animals and Aquatics
life

• Increase in mercury level in fish due to disposal
  of mercury in the rivers.
• Plastic found in oceans ingested by birds
• Resulted in high algal population in rivers and
  sea.
• Degrades water and soil quality

20
Impacts of solid waste on Environment.

• Waste breaks down in landfills to form methane, a
  potent greenhouse gas
• Change in climate and destruction of ozone layer
  due to waste biodegradable
• Littering, due to waste pollutions, illegal
  dumping, Leaching is a process by which solid
  waste enter soil and ground water and
  contaminating them.
• U.S. Environment Protection Agency (2009)

21
PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Proper management of solid waste
• Involving public in plans for waste treatment
  and disposal
• Provide the public accurate, useful information
  about the whole projects, including the risks and
  maintain formal communication with public
• Educate people on different ways of handling
  waste.

22
PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Waste Minimization is a process of reducing waste
  produce by individuals, communities and
  companies, which reduces the impact of chemical
  wastes on the environment to the greatest extent.
• Household level of proper segregation of waste,
  recycling and reuse.
• Process and product substitution e.g. use paper
  bag instead of plastic bags.
• Moeller,2005

23
Recommended Reading

• U.S Environmental Protection Agency
• http//www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/index.htm
• http//www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/index.htm
• Moeller, D. W. (2005). Environmental Health (3rd
  ed.). Cambridge, MAHarvard University Press

24
References

• Moeller, D. W. (2005). Environmental Health (3rd
  ed.). Cambridge, MAHarvard University Press.
• Centers for Disease and Control. (2009). Solid
  Waste. Retrieved July 16, from http//www.cdc.gov/
  nceh/ehs/NALBOH/NALBOH-4.pdf

25
References

• U.S. Environment Protection Agency (2009).
  Proposed Revision to Definition of solid waste-
  frequent Questions. Retrieved July17, 2009 from
  http//www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm
• Goorah, S., Esmyot, M., Boojhawon, R. (2009). The
  Health Impact of Nonhazardous Solid Waste
  Disposal in a Community The case of the Mare
  Chicose Landfill in Mauritius. Journal of
  Environment Health, 72(1) 48-54

26
References

• Kouznetsova, M., Hauang, X., Ma, J., Lessner, L.
  Carpenter, D. (2007). Increased Rate of
  Hospitalization for Diabetes and Residential
  Proximity of Hazardous waste Sites. Environmental
  Health Perspectives, 115(1)75-75
• Barlaz, M., Kaplan, P., Ranjithan, S. Rynk, R.
  (2003) Evaluating Environmental Impacts of solid
  Waste Management Alternatives. BioCycle, 52-56.
•