MSBTE QUESTION BANK

Course:- CE-6-I
Subject & Subject code:- Solid Waste Management (22605)

Name:- 🙂 Enrollment No.:- 🙂

Q.1) Attempt any Five of the following. 10

Marks a. Define Solid Waste.
Ans- It is defined as non-soluble material that is thrown away in a solid or semi solid form. This
includes garbage, refuse, sludge and other domestic materials as well as waste from industries,
commercial, agricultural and mining operations.
OR

Solid waste is defined as “Non soluble material that is thrown away in a solid or semi solid form”.
b. List the tools and equipment used in collection of solid waste.
Ans- Tools and Equipments:-
i. Litter Bin
ii. Hand carts
iii. Pedal tricycles iv. Movable bin
v. Stationary bin
vi. Broom
vii. Shovels
viii. Mechanical road sweeper

c. State the purpose of Transfer Station. Ans- Purpose of Transfer

Station:
i. To reduce the haul distance.
ii. To prevent scattering of MSW, thus prevent nuisance due to scattered of solid waste to
nearby area.
iii. To have ease in proper storage and collection of MSW from different locations. iv.
To improve the utilization of collection equipment by minimizing transportation
time.

d. List the factors affecting composting process of solid waste.

Ans-
vi. Use of cultures
i. Organisms
vii. C/N ratio
ii. Moisture
viii. Particle size ix. pH
iii. Temperature iv. Aeration
x. Blending and seeding
v. Addition of sewage and sewage sludge
e. State the significance of legal aspects in solid waste management.
Ans- According to the Indian Constitution, public health and Sanitation falls within the preview
of the waste State laws. Collection and disposal of solid waste is of local nature and is entrusted to
local civic authorities. The municipal laws day down detailed lists of obligatory and discretionary
duties. Public health and Sanitation is listed among obligatory duties and hence the Civic
authorities are required to make adequate provision.

f. Define: Domestic waste and Hazardous solid waste.

Ans- a) Domestic Waste: Domestic waste also known as "municipal solid waste", is the waste
that is generated as a result of the ordinary day-to-day activities at homes.
b) Hazardous Waste: It is defined as the waste that can have substantial or potential threats to
public health or the environment. This waste includes ignitable, reactive, corrosive and toxic
waste.
g. List the sources of generation of biomedical waste.
Ans-
i. Hospitals v. Blood banks
ii. Health Clinics vi. Office of physicians, dentists and iii. Nursing Homes
veterinarians iv. Medical Research laboratories vii. Pharmacies

Q.2 Attempt any Three of the following. 12 Marks

a. Explain any four factors affecting the generation of solid waste. Ans- Factors affecting
solid waste generation -
1) Living standard of people
2) Awareness of people
3) Collection frequency
4) Source reduction/ recycling
5) Geographic location
6) Per person income

b. Explain the methods of collection of solid waste in your town/city Ans-

1. Curb (Kerb-side)
Kerb side collection or curbside collection is a service provided to households, typically in urban
and suburban areas, of removing household waste. House owner is responsible for placing solid
waste containers at the curb on scheduled day. The work man come, collect and empties the
container and put back at the curb. House owner is required to take back the empty containers
from the curb to his house.
2. Alley Service
The containers are placed at the alley line from where they are picked up by workmen from refuse
vehicle who deposit back the empty container.
3. Set out Set Back Service
Set out man go to the house collect containers and empty them in the refuse vehicle. Another
group of persons return them to the house owner’s yard.
4. Backyard Service
The workers with the vehicles carry a bin, wheel-barrow or sack or cloth to the backyard and
empty the solid waste container in it. The wheel barrow or bin is then taken to solid waste
vehicle where it is emptied.

C. Draw a neat labeled sketch of single liner system of leachate control. Ans-

d. Suggest and justify the criteria adopted for the execution of vermicomposting.
Ans- Vermi compost is the product or process of composting using various worms, usually
red wigglers, to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste,
bedding materials, and vermi cast.

Vermi-composting Concept:-
i. Take a small wooden box or dig a small pit.
ii. Spread a net on box.
iii. Also spread 1 or 2 cm thick layer of sand. iv. Put some cow dung and kitchen wastes
such as peels of fruits etc., to cover the sand.
v. Use green leaves to cover over the sand. vi.
Sprinkle some water to make this layer wet.
vii. Get some red worms and put them on the upper layer of bed.
viii. Feed vegetable and fruit wastes as food.
ix. After 3 to 4 weeks we get loose, soil like material in the pit.
x. Remove the material from the box, dry it in the sunlight.
xi. Use this as manure.
Q.3) Attempt any Three of the following. 12 Marks
a. Explain with sketch the Bangalore Method of composting. Ans- Bangalore method:-
This is an anaerobic method of composting. This method saves labour cost because there is no
need of turning and regular sprinkling of water.
Procedure:
i. Spread the moist farm refuse at the bottom of the pit up to one inch. ii. Then, spread
two inch of cattle dung and urinated mud followed by 1 or 2 inch layer of
soil
iii. This heap is made up to 1.5-2.0 feet above the ground level following above process. iv.
Finally the heap is covered with 1 inch thick mud.
v. After 8-9 months all material decomposes and compost becomes ready for the application.

b. State the terms related to Solid waste management- i) Segregation ii) Recovery iii)
Recycling iv) Reuse.
Ans- i) Segregation:- It refers to the process of separation of Solid Waste into four groups i.e,
organic, inorganic, recyclables and hazardous wastes.
ii) Recovery:- Energy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials
into usable heat, electricity or fuel through a variety of process, including combustion,
gasification, pyrolization, anaerobic digestion and landfill gas (LFG) recovery. iii) Recycling:-
The action or process of converting waste in to reusable material is called recycling. iv) Reuse:-
It can be defined using as waste product without further transformation and without changing its
shape of original nature.
c. Explain the ill effects on the health of persons involved in solid waste collection.
Ans-
i. There is potential risk to environment and health from improper handling of solid wastes.
Direct health risks concern mainly the workers in this field, who need to be protected, as
far as possible, from contact with waste.
ii. Traffic accidents can result from toxic spilled wastes.
iii. Air pollution can be caused from the inefficient burning of wastes, either in open air, or in
plants that lack effective treatment facilities from the gaseous effluents.
iv. Uncontrolled hazardous wastes from industries mixing up with municipal wastes create
potential risk to human health.
v. The most obvious environmental damage caused by municipal solid wastes is aesthetic,
the ugliness of street litter and degradation of urban environment and beauty of city.
vi. The main risk to health is indirect and arises from the breeding of disease vectors, primarily
files and rats.
vii. Biodegradation of organic matter may pose health problems. viii. Mixing of Bio
medical waste, Industrial waste in Municipal waste causes health hazards.

d. Suggest the relevant situations for the disposal of solid waste through incineration. Ans-
Q.4) Attempt any Three of the following. 12 Marks

a. Define E-waste and its harmful effects on environment.

Ans- E-waste is any refuse created by discarded electronic and electrical devices and components
as well as substances involved in their manufacture and repair process.
Effect of E-waste on Environment
i. Pollution of ground water.
ii. Air pollution. iii. Acidification of soil. iv. E-waste account for 40 % lead
and 75% metal in landfills.
b. Explain the control measures for minimizing te industrial solid waste. Ans-
Control measures taken for industrial waste are as follows:
i. Prevention of Industrial Waste by inventory management of raw materials for purchasing
less toxic 7 more nontoxic materials.
ii. Use of Modified equipment & optimized production process for less waste production. iii.
Installation of alternate recovery or recycling options.
iv. Implementation of reuse and exchange of wastes
v. Planning of employee training & management feedback for real commitment.
vi. Investment for the pollution prevention techniques

c. Explain the major provisions in Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
Ans-
i. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF and CC) recently
notified the new Solid Waste Management Rules (SWM), 2016. These will replace the
Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, which have been in place
for the past 16 years.
ii. These rules are the sixth category of waste management rules brought out by the ministry, as
it has earlier notified plastic, e-waste, biomedical, hazardous and construction and demolition
waste management rules.
iii. The rules have not pushed for decentralized management of waste but have encouraged
centralized treatment such as waste to energy, the present state of which is not good in the
country. Also, the informal sector has been considerably neglected in the new rules. iv.
According to Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, 62
million tonnes of waste is generated annually in the country at present, out of which 5.6
million tonnes is plastic waste, 0.17 million tonnes is biomedical waste, hazardous waste
generation is 7.90 million tonnes per annum and 15 lakh tonnes is e-waste and only about
75-80 per cent of the municipal waste gets collected and only 22-28 per cent of this waste is
processed and treated.
v. The new rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and have included urban
agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of Indian
Railways, airports, special economic zones, places of pilgrimage, religious and historical
importance, and State and Central Government organizations in their ambit.
d. Explain the importance of public participation in solid waste management. Ans-
Public involvement and participation in SWM is very important because of following
points:
i. To increase the awareness of solid waste management among the people. ii. To increase the
efficiency and effectiveness of planning process and Implementation of solid waste management.
iii. To play an important role in permitting process in case of hazardous waste as well as municipal
waste facilities.
iv. To improve the waste management strategies, negotiations with municipal authorities for
better involvement in decision making.
v. To achieve the 3R principles.
vi. To reduce littering of waste on streets and into drains, open spaces, etc. vii. To
encourage and assists the local composting and recycling initiatives.

e. Explain the role of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board in Plastic Waste Management.
Ans-
Q.5) Attempt any Two of the following. 12
Marks

a. Draw organization pattern of solid waste management for a city having population up to
one million.
Ans-

b. Suggest various management technologies for biomedical waste.

Ans- A) Segregation of waste in colour coded bags:-
1. Yellow bags: All the infectious wastes are collected into these bags. It may include soiled
bandage, cotton or any other thing which is infected. The waste from these bags is treated by
incineration only.
2. Red bags: All the plastic wastes such as injections, syringes, I. V. tubing, Bottles are collected
into these bags. They are treated by incineration only.
3. Blue bags: It consists of all the types of glass bottles and broken glass articles. It is classified
as hazardous waste and treated by incineration only.
4. Black carboy: All sharps of metal are collected into these bags like blades, needles without
syringes etc.
B) Post Tag ‘Amendment’ of biomedical management rule:-
i. Hospitals are not allowed to discharge any waste in the form of liquid to natural drain, as per
guidelines by CPCB. ii. It is mandatory for all hospital to give tags to all bags/containers.
iii. Hospitals must use colour coded bags/ containers.
 C) Training to ward boys:-
i. They respond well when it connected to their day to day problem.
ii. The best idea is to listen to their problem sympathetically then they will be more open to the
session.
iii. Written words are best abandoned with this group.
D) Training to doctors:-
Training to the doctors in the form of Induction training programme regarding the proper disposal
of biomedical waste should be arranged from time to time.
E) Training to the paramedical:-
i. The paramedical staff like nurses should be trained to the disposal of biomedical waste. ii. In
some cases, language is the big problem for proper communication; hence trainer should appointed
in such way that he should know the local languages.
F) Equipments:-
For the effective management, use of equipment's like coloured bins, bin liners, gloves, gumboots,
wheel barrow, one percent sodium hypochlorite, autoclave, needle burners, shredders, needle
cutter, flipper etc. are made compulsory.
G) Training to the hospital staff:-
i. Training and creating awareness among all the hospital staff is the key to having good waste
management system. ii. Part by Part training to all the departments makes the hospital as a model
hospital.

c. Discuss the utility and importance of rag pickers in solid waste management.
Ans-
i. Rag pickers a term for someone who makes a living by rummaging through refuse in the
streets to collect material for salvage. Scraps of cloth and paper could be turned into cardboard,
broken glass could be melted down and reused, and even dead cats and dogs could be skinned
to make clothes.
ii. They pick up 5 to 10% of the municipal waste which is of value to them to earn their living.
iii. This informal sector helps to reduce the depletion of raw materials and energy that otherwise
can be used for production of new products.
iv. Local kabadi system purchase recyclable waste from households, shops and establishments,
segregate this waste in plastic, paper, metal, cardboard, e waste, glass and then sell the
segregated waste to the large wholesalers.
v. The larger wholesaler is the final link between the recycling factory and the kabadis and can
extend credit, bargain for better pricing.
Q.6) Attempt any Two of the following. 12
Marks

a. Explain area method of landfilling and state the factors to be considered for site selection.
Ans- Area Method (or Above Ground Landfilling)
i. The area method is best suited for flat or gently sloping areas where some land depressions
may exist. Also the area landfill is used when the terrain is unsuitable for the excavation
of trenches in which the solid waste is to be placed.
ii. High-groundwater conditions necessitate the use of area-type landfills. Site preparation
includes the installation of a liner and leachate control system. Cover material must be
hauled in by truck or earthmoving equipment from adjacent land or from borrow-pit areas.

Advantages:
i. Does not require excavation of trenches.
ii. Useful in areas where the terrain may be unsuitable for trench operations.
iii. Can accommodate high traffic volumes since the working face is not limited by the size
of an excavation.
Disadvantages:
i. Cover material may have to be imported. ii.
Potential exists for greater litter problems.
iii. Larger overall area/volume ratio (greater amount of landfill surface area used per volume of
waste deposited) may result in higher costs.
iv. Topographic control not as obvious as for trench operation.
Factors to be considered selection of site for land filling of solid waste:
i. Site should be easily approachable.
ii. It should be located away from community area. iii. Sufficient
quantity of soil should be available nearby site. iv. Waterlogged and flood
prone areas should be avoided.
v. Local climate should be considered while selecting site for land filling.
vi. Ground water should be very deep; it should not be less than 5 m.
b. Suggest the appropriate method for disposal of industrial solid waste and need of its
recycling.
Ans- Methods of Waste Disposal

Garbage accumulation has never been much of a concern in the past, but due to
globalization and industrialization, there is a need for a more efficient waste disposal
method. Following are some of the methods that are used today.

Landfill In this process, the waste that cannot be reused or recycled are separated out and
spread as a thin layer in low-lying areas across a city. A layer of soil is added after each
layer of garbage. However, once this process is complete, the area is declared unfit for
construction of buildings for the next 20 years. Instead, it can only be used as a playground
or a park.

Incineration Incineration is the process of controlled combustion of garbage to reduce it to

incombustible matter such as ash and waste gas. The exhaust gases from this process may
be toxic, hence it is treated before being released into the environment. This process reduces
the volume of waste by 90 per cent and is considered as one of the most hygienic methods of
waste disposal. In some cases, the heat generated is used to produce electricity. However,
some consider this process, not quite environmentally friendly due to the generation of
greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Waste Compaction The waste materials such as cans and plastic bottles are compacted into
blocks and sent for recycling. This process prevents the oxidation of metals and reduces
airspace need, thus making transportation and positioning eapar

Biogas Generation Biodegradable waste, such as food items, animal waste or organic
industrial waste from food packaging industries are sent to bio-degradation plants. In bio-
degradation plants, they are converted to biogas by degradation with the help of bacteria,
fungi, or other microbes. Here, the organic matter serves as food for the micro-organisms.
The degradation can happen aerobically (with oxygen) or anaerobically (without oxygen).
Biogas is generated as a result of this process, which is used as fuel, and the residue is used
as manure.

Composting All organic materials decompose with time. Food scraps, yard waste, etc., make
up for one of the major organic wastes we throw every day. The process of composting
starts with these organic wastes being buried under layers of soil and then, are left to decay
under the action of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. This results in the
formation of nutrient-rich manure. Also, this process ensures that the nutrients are
replenished in the soil. Besides enriching the soil, composting also increases the water
retention capacity. In agriculture, it is the best alternative to chemical fertilizers.

Vermicomposting Vermicomposting is the process of using worms for the degradation of

organic matter into nutrient-rich manure. Worms consume and digest the organic matter.
The by-products of digestion which are excreted out by the worms make the soil nutrient-
rich, thus enhancing the growth of bacteria and fungi. It is also far more effective than
traditional composting.

Need of Recycling By recycling as much industrial waste as you can, you can significantly
reduce waste clearance costs, and having proper waste disposal programs in place helps
ensure your waste management and waste treatment solutions are as eco-friendly and as
profitable as possible.

c. Discuss the present scenario of recycling of E-waste in India

Ans :--

About 95 per cent of India’s e-waste is recycled in the informal sector and in a crude manner. A
report on e-waste presented by the United Nations (UN) in World Economic Forum on January
24, 2019 points out that the waste stream reached 48.5 MT in 2018 and the figure is expected to
double if nothing changes.India now has 178 registered e-waste recyclers, accredited by the state
governments to process e-waste. But many of India’s e-waste recyclers aren’t recycling waste at
all. While some are storing it in hazardous conditions, others don’t even have the capacity to
handle such waste, as per by the report of Union Environment ministry.

Laws to manage e-waste have been in place in India since 2011, mandating that only authorised
dismantlers and recyclers collect e waste. E-waste (Management) Rules, 2016 was enacted on
October 1, 2017. Over 21 products (Schedule-I) were included under the purview of the rule.

The rule also extended its purview to components or consumables or parts or spares of Electrical
and Electronic Equipment (EEE), along with their products. The rule has strengthened the
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which is the global best practice to ensure the take-
back of the end-of-life products.