Waste Generation and Treatment

COMPOSTING

The waste used is kitchen waste or waste obtained from gardens and fields.
Composting is bacterial decomposition of the organic fraction of solid waste.
Can be done by aerobic or anaerobic bacteria depending on the amount of
oxygen available. Composting can be even be done by individuals in their home
garden or backyard of buildings. During composting kitchen waste containing
fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, leftover food etc. are buried in a small pit,
covered with damp soil and left for over a month to form compost.

Advantages of composting:
By this process the volume of waste gets reduced and pathogens are destroyed.
The end product compost/ manure/ humus consists of many minerals like
nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium hence it is a natural fertilizer for crops. It
also provides elements like magnesium and copper.
Compost improves water holding capacity of soil and prevents soil erosion.

Vermicomposting:
1. The degradation of organic waste by earthworms is called vermiculture or
vermi-composting.
2. It is eco-friendly, less expensive and beneficial.
3. It combines soil processing with waste processing.
4. Bio degradable waste is applied to soil containing earthworms in the form
of mulch, that decay almost immediately.

Earthworm is called Farmer’s Friend

1. It is an animal whose gut provides an ideal breeding home for aerobic
bacteria. In fact, it is a natural bioreactor.
2. As it eats soil the bacteria in the gut decomposes the organic content of
the soil and the soil then is excreted as manure known as vermi-casting.
3. It is a highly enriched bio fertiliser which contains large number of
microbes and also hundreds of earthworm cocoons.
 4. The burrowing action of the earthworm also aerates the soil hence
earthworms can be used very efficiently to restore the fertility of
degraded soils as well as process organic waste.

The three Rs

1. Reduce:

That is using minimum resources, buy only required goods so as to generate

less waste and also conserve natural resources. The more we buy goods, the
more they manufacture: In addition to the points in the Text Book (Page 26)

1. Reduce buying many plastic boxes and plastic/polythene bags

instead carry one shopping bag/cloth bag to the market.
2. Buy items in bulk and reduce packaging.
3. Use of fossil fuels should be reduced.
4. Using eco-friendly materials like earthenware, metal containers
instead of plastic containers (banana leaves can be used to serve food
during marriages and other occasions)
5. Reducing bio degradable waste by composting, bio methanation etc.

2. Reuse:

1. Bind blank pages from old notebooks to make a new book to save
paper.
2. Old tyres can be used for road construction, making shoes and
slippers.
3. Glass, metal or plastic (containers/bottles) of jam, sauce, pickles,
coffee, soft drinks should be washed and used again.
4. Use handkerchiefs, napkins, masks and baby nappies made of cloth
instead of tissue paper/ wet wipes/ paper napkins/ disposable masks/
pampers as cloth ones can be washed and used again.
5. Newspapers and old magazines can be used to make paper bags to
carry light weight things.
6. Old clothes can be used for making blankets, ropes etc. ✓ Buy soft
drinks available in glass bottles as they can be reused.
3. Recycle:

1. Recycling paper can save many trees and also reduced the amount of
greenhouse gases.
2. Iron and steel when recycled saves energy and water. It also reduces
pollution and mining waste.
3. Broken glass is mixed with limestone and sand and made into new
one.
4. New clothes after wearing for occasions can either be used as daily
wear and further converted into small cloth pieces to wipe the floor or
kitchen platform etc.

Advantages of the 3Rs:

1. It is environmentally friendly or eco-friendly.
2. It is economical as it saves energy, money, raw materials and land space.
3. Dumping of garbage is minimised control waste generation thus
preventing disease, health hazards, leaching, drying of water bodies and
destruction of habitats.
4. Jobs are provided to many in recycling units, so they can earn some
money and provide solutions to treat waste.

INCINERATION

Advantages of Incineration:
1. By burning the waste, the volume of the waste is reduced by 20% to 30%
of its original volume.
2. It is a very important method of disposing hazardous and biomedical
waste as many infectious organisms are killed thus preventing the spread
of diseases.
3. Less land area is required.
4. Pollution due to incineration is less and very often the heat generated is
used to produce electricity.
5. Less time is consumed in the process.
6. By products of incineration are toxic ash, clinkers can be used as low-
grade concrete and construction of roads and certain gaseous products.

Disadvantages of Incineration:
1. Burning of plastic produces toxic substances like dioxins (carcinogenic)
and other harmful gases creating air pollution and health hazard. Toxic ash
and particulate matter can cause respiratory problems.
2. Before burning waste should be properly segregated, thus it requires a lot
of energy.
3. Installation, operation and maintenance is costly.

EXTRA POINTS FOR THE BASEL CONVENTION:

1. To treat and dispose hazardous waste as close as possible to the

source of generation.
2. Monitor and prevent illegal trafficking of waste.
3. To provide technical assistance, guidelines and financial help to the
developing countries to treat the hazardous wastes.

LEACHING

When waste is dumped in a landfill, bacteria and fungi decompose the waste
anaerobically. Since waste is not segregated, when it rains the water seeps
through the dumped waste and reacts with metals, non-metals, organic
compounds, medical and domestic wastes forming toxic liquid called
leachate.

Impact of leaching on water bodies:

1. Leachate pollutes the ground water bodies causing the spread of diseases
like typhoid, jaundice, cholera etc.
2. Water becomes turbid and develops bad odour which makes it unfit for
consumption.
 3. Aquatic habitat is destroyed. Fish and other marine organisms cannot
thrive in such water, that is affected by hazardous metals, non-metals lead
to biomagnification leading to the death of aquatic organisms, causing an
imbalance in the food chain.
4. Toxic chemicals destroy metallic bodies like ships.

Impact of leaching on Agricultural Land:

1. Leachate often enters agricultural land or fields through surface run off
and decreases the fertility of soil affecting agricultural productivity and
also kills the natural soil organisms.
2. The toxins enter the food chain causing biomagnification and causes
health hazards.

LANDFILLS

Advantages of Sanitary Landfills:

1. It is a very economical method if land is available.
2. The initial investment is low as compared to other disposal methods.
3. No additional treatment is required.
4. A landfill can receive all kinds of waste.
5. The land can be reclaimed for use as a playground, parking lot, golf
course etc.

Disadvantages of Landfills:
1. In highly populated areas, suitable land may not be available and transport
to a suitable place will add to the expense.
2. Proper methods need to be employed or the result may just form an open
dump.
3. Periodic maintenance will be required for many years.
4. Decomposition of the waste may produce gases like methane etc., which
may become a nuisance.

ACTIVATED SLUDGE PROCESS

 It is a biological process for treating sewage and industrial waste water that
uses air or oxygen and microorganisms to biologically oxidize organic
pollutants producing a waste sludge or floc attaining the oxidized material.
It includes:

1. Aeration Tank: Oxygen or air is injected and thoroughly mixed into the
wastewater.
2. Settling Tank: Also called “Clarifier” or “Settler” It allows the waste to
settle. Part of the waste sludge is recycled to the aeration tank and the
remaining waste sludge is removed for further treatment and ultimate
disposal.

Advantages:
1. It is a biological method of removing waste and hence is eco-friendly.
2. Cost of the process is low.
3. Sludge produced can be used as bio fertilizers.

END OF PIPE TREATMENT

It is an approach to pollution control which concentrates upon effluent treatment
or filtration before it is discharged or released or disposed into the environment
(in water or on land) to prevent pollution, environmental degradation and health
hazards.

Scope (advantages):
1. To prevent and control pollution of water and land.
2. It prevents health hazards, spread of diseases and helps take care of public
health.
3. It fulfils the requirement of huge quantities of water for industries,
agriculture etc.
4. It prevents and controls biomagnification and eutrophication.
5. It is environmentally friendly as it does not release any pollutants or waste.
6. It prevents the destruction of aquatic habitat and the organisms.
7. Treated dried sludge can be used as manure.
8. Methane gas produced can be used as an alternative fuel.
Limitations (disadvantages):
1. Establishing an effluent treatment plant requires more land and it is
expensive.
2. Operating and maintenance cost is very high
3. Proper maintenance and trained, skilled personnel are required to operate
it.
4. Careful monitoring is required.
5. Lack of awareness among people about the effluents and their impact.
6. No adequate support is given by the government in the form of incentives,
subsidies to establish the plant.

WASTE WATER TREATMENT

What is Effluent?
Effluent is the liquid waste generated from industries and sewage waste
collectively.

Why there is a need for effluent treatment plants?

1. 90 % of effluents and sewage are released into water sources from
different industries and other sources without any treatment this creates
severe water pollution of marine and fresh water bodies.
2. There is spread of infectious and hazardous diseases.
3. It causes death of aquatic animals and destruction of aquatic habitat due
to biomagnification and eutrophication.
4. It causes severe water crisis such water is unsafe for domestic,
agricultural and food processing industries.

Effluent Treatment:
Process of removal of contaminants from the wastewater released from the
household and industries is termed as wastewater treatment.
Objective:
To treat and make it clean and environmentally non harmful before releasing the
waste water into water bodies. It can be recycled for uses such as cleaning,
irrigation, cooling etc.

The process of waste water treatment consists of three main processes:

1. Primary/ Physical Treatment
2. Secondary/ Biological Treatment
3. Tertiary/ Chemical Treatment

1. PRIMARY/ PHYSICAL TREATMENT:

1. Screening is done to remove the floating particles like plastic, wood

pieces, bottles, rags and other floatable by passing through screening
devices made of wire mesh and metal bars.
2. The screened effluent is then passed to grit chambers to settle organic
matter.
3. It is then passed for sedimentation to sedimentation or settling tank.
Here the effluent is allowed to settle for 2-4 hours in a rectangular tank
so all the suspended particles settle down.
4. Chemical coagulant like potash alum is added for quick sedimentation.

2. SECONDARY/ BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT:

1. Most of the organic matter is removed by using microorganisms and by

oxidation. effluent is treated with microorganisms in the form of rich
sludge in presence of oxygen to decompose organic matter that is left.
2. Different methods used are trickling filter, oxidation pond (Bio
stabilization ponds), Activated Sludge Process etc.
3. After the primary treatment the effluent is made to pass through any one
of the structures, where rocks, stones, pebbles, gravel etc. coated with
microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi or algae break down the organic
matter in the presence of oxygen.
4. The waste water when aerated BOD of the water reduces considerably.
5. BOD-Biological or Biochemical Oxygen Demand is directly proportional
to the amount of organic matter in water. It is a measure of the oxygen
utilized by microorganisms during oxidation of organic substances.
 6. The sludge materials settle down in the sedimentation tank where it is
removed periodically and used as manure.
7. An aerobic sludge digestion also takes place during which more than 60
% of methane is produced and is a valuable fuel to be used by the
industrial plants.

3. TERTIARY / CHEMICAL TREATMENT:

This involves the removal of nitrates, sulphates, phosphates from the effluent by
treating it with some chemicals thus preventing eutrophication. Ozone is passed
through it to remove bad odour. When the water has to be used for irrigation or
recycling then it is passed through clear quartz tubes that are exposed to intense
ultraviolet light thus destroying all pathogens. Chlorine is also used to kill
germs.

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT
This refers to the treatment of solid and liquid biodegradable waste by using
microorganisms in the presence or absence of air, so that the treated waste can
be reused adequately before being disposed of into the environment.

Advantages:
1. Helps in the removal of organic matter from the effluent.
2. Prevents the spread of diseases and health hazards.
3. The digested dried sludge can be used as manure.
4. Controls air and water pollution.
5. Methane gas produced during anaerobic sludge digestion can be used as a
fuel.

Disadvantages:
1. Large land areas are required to establish effluent treatment plants.
2. It is quite expensive and hence financial assistance is a must.
3. Operating cost is quite high.
4. Technical skill, trained people are required to handle the processes.
5. Maintenance and monitoring is required.