Solid Waste Management (contd.

)
Noise Pollution
Air Pollution (Introduction)

Lecture 31
CEL212
Dr. Divya Gupta
20th April 2021
 Vermi-Composting (Rapid Composting)

• Earthworms feed on the organic matter. During the passage

through the worm’s alimentary canal, it is converted to a simpler
humus rich material due to the action of the enzymatic secretions
and bacteria

• Earthworms are effectively used for maximizing the growth of

aerobic bacteria
• Bio-degradable matter are degraded by the aerobic bacteria

• Time requirement: about 1 to 1.5 months

 Earthworms
• They are invertebrates, Phylum: Annelida

• More than 3000 species

• In India, there are about 500 species

• Only surface dwelling earthworms are useful composters

• Deep burrowing type is not preferred

• Most suitable species: Eudrilus Eugeinae and Eisenia Foetida

 Vermi-composting

• Vermi-Composting is a viable and eco-friendly technology for MSW

management

• But mostly feasible for small community or campus (not suitable on

a large scale)

• There should be a good market for vermicompost for self-

sustainability of a vermicompost project
 + and – of vermi-composting
• Simple to construct and operate

• No mechanical/electrical parts

• Minimum cost

• High process stability

• Elimination of pathogens

• Large land requirements

• Uncertainty and lack of understanding

• Slow nature (about 1 to 1.5 months) compared to mechanical composting

 Rotary Drum Composting
• To decrease the composting time to about 7-10 days to get green
compost

• Another 10 to 15 days maturation to get ripe compost

• To get very high quality compost (all N, P, K about 3%)

• Rotary drum composting is a sort of High rate Composting

 Air required for Aerobic composting

• CaHb OcNd+ [(4a+b-2c-3d)/4] O2 -> aCO2+ [(b-3d)/2] H2O + dNH3

• Oxidation of NH3: NH3+ 2O2 -> H2O + HNO3

• Total Oxygen required: summation of both

 Noise
Noise – is an undesirable and unwanted sound, and noise is a form of waste
energy.
[Note: Not all sound is noise]

When there is lot of noise in the environment, it is termed as noise pollution.

World Health Organization stated that “Noise must be recognized as a major

threat to human well-being”

Sound Waves - Is the form of transport for sound and it cannot be

transmitted in a vacuum due to a lack of medium to carry the vibration.
• Wave Lengths-distance between pressure peaks

• Frequency - The number of wavelengths that appear to pass a fixed point in 1

second. [cps or Hz]

• Amplitude-heights of the peak which represents the pressure intensity and is

related to the volume or loudness.

• Cycle - is a single wave length

 Speed of sound
Speed of Sound- 1500 m/s in water and 5000 m/s in steel, 340 m/s in air
(1100 ft/s).

v= λ xf
where, v= speed of sound, m/s or ft/s
λ = wavelength, m/cycle or ft./cycle
f = frequency, Hz or cps

The human ear can detect sounds in the frequency range of about 20 to 20,000 Hz.
(The average is 200 - 10,000 Hz)
 Measurement of Noise

A decibel is the standard for the measurement of noise

• 20 db is whisper.
• 40 db the noise in a quiet office.
• 60 db is normal conversation.
• 80 db is the level at which sound becomes physically painful.
And can be termed as noise.
Bels and Decibels
Sound power and intensity
Sound Pressure level
Sound Pressure for known sounds
 Various sources of Noise Pollution

• Industrialization
• Poor Urban Planning
• Social Events
• Transportation
• Construction Activities
• Household Chores
 Effects of Noise Pollution

• Hearing Problems
• Health Issues such as Hypertension
• Sleeping Disorders
• Cardiovascular Issues
• Trouble Communicating
• Effect on Wildlife
 Solution for Noise Pollution
• Planting bushes and trees in and around sound generating sources is an
effective solution for noise pollution.

• Regular servicing and tuning of automobiles can effectively reduce the

noise pollution.

• Buildings can be designed with suitable noise absorbing material for the
walls, windows, and ceilings.

• Workers should be provided with equipments such as ear plugs and

earmuffs for hearing protection.

• Similar to automobiles, lubrication of the machinery and servicing should

be done to minimize noise generation.
 Solution for Noise Pollution

• Soundproof doors and windows can be installed to block unwanted noise

from outside.

• Regulations should be imposed to restrict the usage of loudspeakers in

crowded areas and public places.

• Factories and industries should be located far from the residential areas.

• Community development or urban management should be done with

long-term planning, along with an aim to reduce noise pollution.

• Social awareness programs should be taken up to educate the public

about the causes and effects of noise pollution.
 Types of Air pollutants
• Primary air pollutants - Materials that when released pose health
risks in their unmodified forms or those emitted directly from
identifiable sources

• Secondary air pollutants - Primary pollutants interact with one

another, sunlight, or natural gases to produce new, harmful
compounds
 Carbon Monoxide Sulfur dioxide

Produced by burning of organic material Produced by burning sulfur

(coal, gas, wood, trash, etc.) containing fossil fuels (coal, oil)

Automobiles biggest source (80%) Coal-burning power plants major

source
Cigarette smoke another major source
Reacts in atmosphere to
produce acids
Toxic because binds to hemoglobin,
reduces oxygen in blood (explained in
next slide) One of the major components of
acid rain
Not a persistent pollutant, combines with
oxygen to form CO2 When inhaled, can be very
corrosive to lung tissue
 Nitrogen oxides Hydrocarbons

Produced from burning of fossil fuels Hydrocarbons - organic

compounds with hydrogen,
carbon
Contributes to acid rain, smog
From incomplete burning or
Automobile engine main source evaporated from fuel
supplies
Improvements in engine design
helped in reduction Major source is automobiles,
but some from industries

Contribute to smog

Improvements in engine
design helped in reduction
 Particulates

• Particulates - small pieces of solid

materials and liquid droplets (2.5 μm
and 10 μm)

• Examples: ash from fires, asbestos

from brakes and insulation, dust

• Easily noticed: e.g. smokestacks

• Can accumulate in lungs and interfere

with the ability of lungs to exchange
gases.

• Some particulates are known

carcinogens

• Those working in dusty conditions at

highest risk (e.g., miners)
 Particulate Matter:RSPM

• Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM)

– PM1 having size <= 1μm: effects in alveoli
– PM2.5 having size <= 2.5μm: effects trachea
– PM10 having size <= 10μm: effects in nasal part only
 Ozone

• Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive

gas composed of three oxygen
atoms.

• It is both a natural and a man-

made product that occurs in the
Earth's upper atmosphere (the
stratosphere) and lower
atmosphere (the troposphere).

• Tropospheric ozone – what we

breathe -- is formed primarily
from photochemical reactions
between two major classes of
air pollutants, volatile organic
compounds (VOC) and nitrogen
oxides (NOX).
 Photochemical smog
Photochemical smog is a mixture of pollutants which includes
particulates, nitrogen oxides, ozone, aldehydes, peroxyacyl
nitrate (PAN), unreacted hydrocarbons, etc. The smog often
has a brown haze due to the presence of nitrogen dioxide. It
causes painful eyes.
 Aerosols and mist (H2SO4)
Aerosols and mists are very fine liquid droplets that cannot be effectively
removed using traditional packed scrubbers. These droplets can be
formed from gas phase hydrolysis of halogenated acids (HCl, HF,
HBr), metal halides, organohalides, sulfur trioxide (SO3), and
phosphorous pentoxide (P2O5).