Module 5: Hazardous Waste Management and Treatment

STRUCTURE
5.1 Hazardous Waste: Identification and Classification
5.1.1 Identification
5.1.2 Classification
5.2 Hazardous Waste Treatment
5.2.1 Physical and chemical treatment

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5.2.2 Thermal treatment
5.2.3 Biological treatment

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5.3 Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimisation

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5.4 Hazardous Wastes Management in India
5.5 E-Waste

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5.5.1 E-Waste Recycling
Introduction:

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5.1 HAZARDOUS WASTE Civ
Hazardous wastes refer to wastes that may, or tend to cause adverse health effects on the
ecosystem and human beings. These wastes pose present or potential risks to human health or
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living organisms, due to the fact that they:
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● are non-degradable or persistent in nature

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● can be biologically magnified

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● Are highly toxic and even lethal at very low concentrations.

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5.1.1 Identification
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By using either or both of the following criteria, we can identify as to whether or not a waste is
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hazardous:
● The list provided by government agencies declaring that substance as hazardous.
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● Characteristics such as ignitibility, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity of the substance.

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5.1.2 CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTE

The EPA has identified four main categories in which hazardous wastes can be classified. With
each categorization comes different risks and disposal methods. When left inappropriately

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

treated or managed, these wastes can have very harmful effects on the environment. That is why
it is necessary to understand the main classification categories of each.

The four identifiable classifications are:

1) Listed wastes
2) Characteristic wastes
3) Universal wastes

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4) Mixed wastes

1. LISTED WASTES

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When it comes to listed wastes, there are four sub-types of listed wastes. Among these are wastes
that fall into the F-list, K-list, P-list and the U-list.

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F-List Wastes - from Non-Specific Sources

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K-List Wastes - from Specific Sources
P-List Wastes - acute hazardous wastes Civ
U-List Wastes - miscellaneous hazardous wastes
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2. CHARACTERISTICS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES

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⮚ A hazardous waste characteristic is a property which, when present in a waste, indicates

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that the waste poses a sufficient threat to merit regulation as hazardous.

⮚ EPA established four hazardous waste characteristics:
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Classifications
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⮚ Ignitability/flammability
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⮚ Corrosivity
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⮚ Reactivity
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⮚ Toxicity
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⮚ Bioaccumulation effect
⮚ Radioactivity

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

IGNITABILITY
• If liquid waste has a flash point of less than 140° F/ 60°C.
• Ignitable wastes can be broken down into two categories, solids, and liquids.
• These wastes can catch fire easily and vigorously to create hazards.
Examples:
• waste oils,

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• used solvents,

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• Naphtha, epoxy resins etc

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CORROSIVITY

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According to the EPA,

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• Acids or bases that are capable of corroding metal containers, such as storage tanks,
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• A corrosive hazardous material can be either liquid or solid.
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• skin damage to people
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• significantly corrode metal.

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Example:-
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• Battery acid, HCI,

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• Acid or alkaline cleaning solutions

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• Rust removers
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REACTIVITY
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A waste is reactive if:-

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• it reacts violently with water

• forms potentially explosive mixtures with water
• generates toxic gasses when mixed with water,

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

 • contains cyanides, or sulfides that are released when exposed to acid or alkaline
materials.
• is explosive
Examples:
• Metallic sodium and potassium.
• Gunpowder

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TOXICITY
According to EPA Toxic wastes are:-

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• "harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed (e.g., containing mercury, lead, etc.).

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• When toxic wastes are land disposed, contaminated liquid may leach from the waste and

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pollute ground water.“
Examples:-

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• Oily wastes containing high levels of benzene or Lead
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• Wastes from treated wood (Penta/pentachlorophenol)
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BIOACCUMULATION EFFECT
• Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of substances in living organisms because they are
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not capable of being broken down by bacteria, metabolic processes or other biological
means.
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• Where the substances are toxic, this can lead to progressive and irreversible harmful
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effects.
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Examples:-
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• PCBs
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• DDT
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• Dioxins
RADIOACTIVITY
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Radioactive waste is waste that contains radioactive material. It is hazardous to all forms of
life and the environment.

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

 Examples:-
Plutonium-239,
Uranium, Cobalt, iodine etc.

3.UNIVERSAL WASTES
These types of wastes typically include bulbs, mercury-containing equipment, pesticides and

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batteries. These wastes are of the more commonly produced and identified oftentimes as
"dangerous goods".

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classifications of waste

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1. Explosives

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2. Gasses
3. Flammable Liquids

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4. Flammable Solids or Substance Civ
5. Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides
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6. Toxic and Infectious Substances
7. Corrosive Substances
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8. Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances and Articles.

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4 .MIXED WASTES
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Lastly, mixed wastes are wastes that contain both hazardous as well as radioactive components.
Because mixed wastes involve hazardous and radioactive materials, their treatment and disposals
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vary.
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They can be
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low-level mixed waste (LLMW)

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high-level mixed waste (HLW) and

mixed transuranic waste (MTRU).

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

 It's important to know the proper disposal methods If your company or organization is
producing wastes that are deemed hazardous.

Storage of hazardous waste

⮚ HW generated at source requires movement by trucks to further.
⮚ Requires serious care and attention while moving.

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⮚ HW to be properly packed and labeled for transport to ensure safe handling.
⮚ Storage facilities are used to store waste temporarily before treatment and disposal.

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⮚ Till disposal for recycling/ treatment/ land filling, HW’S are to be stored onsite in bags/

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containers in a covered area.

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⮚ Storage permitted for a period not exceeding 90 days .

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5.2 HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT Civ
The various options for hazardous waste treatment can be categorized under physical, chemical,
thermal and biological treatments.
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5.2.1 Physical and chemical treatment

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1. Filtration and separation: Filtration is a method for separating solid particles from a liquid
using a porous medium. The driving force in filtration is a pressure gradient, caused by gravity,
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centrifugal force, vacuum, or pressure greater than atmospheric pressure. The application of
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filtration for treatment of hazardous waste fall into the following categories:
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● Clarification, in which suspended solid particles less than 100 ppm (parts per million)
concentration are removed from an aqueous stream. This is usually accomplished by
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depth filtration and cross-flow filtration and the primary aim is to produce a clear
aqueous effluent, which can either be discharged directly, or further processed. The
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suspended solids are concentrated in a reject stream.

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● Dewatering of slurries of typically 1% to 30 % solids by weight. Here, the aim is to

concentrate the solids into a phase or solid form for disposal or further treatment. This is
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usually accomplished by cake filtration. The filtration treatment, for example, can be
used for neutralization of strong acid with lime or limestone, or precipitation of dissolved
heavy metals as carbonates or sulphate followed by settling and thickening of the

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

 resulting precipitated solids as slurry. The slurry can be dewatered by cake filtration and
the effluent from the settling step can be filtered by depth filtration prior to discharge.
2. Chemical precipitation: This is a process by which the soluble substance is converted to an
insoluble form either by a chemical reaction or by change in the composition of the solvent to
diminish the solubility of the substance in it. Settling and/or filtration can then remove the
precipitated solids. In the treatment of hazardous waste, the process has a wide applicability in
the removal of toxic metal from aqueous wastes by converting them to an insoluble form. This
includes wastes containing arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel,

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selenium, silver, thallium and zinc. The sources of wastes containing metals are metal plating
and polishing, inorganic pigment, mining and the electronic industries. Hazardous wastes
containing metals are also generated from cleanup of uncontrolled hazardous waste sites, e.g.,

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leachate or contaminated ground water.

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3. Chemical oxidation and reduction (redox): In these reactions, the oxidation state of one
reactant is raised, while that of the other reactant is lowered. When electrons are removed from

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an ion, atom, or molecule, the substance is oxidised and when electrons are added to a substance,

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it is reduced. Such reactions are used in treatment of metal-bearing wastes, sulphides, cyanides
and chromium and in the treatment of many organic wastes such as phenols, pesticides and
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sulphur containing compounds. Since these treatment processes involve chemical reactions, both
reactants are generally in solution. However, in some cases, a solution reacts with a slightly
soluble solid or gas.
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4. Evaporation: Evaporation is defined as the conversion of a liquid from a solution or slurry

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into vapour. All evaporation systems require the transfer of sufficient heat from a heating
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medium to the process fluid to vaporise the volatile solvent. Evaporation is used in the treatment
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of hazardous waste and the process equipment is quite flexible and can handle waste in various
forms – aqueous, slurries, sludges and tars. Evaporation is commonly used as a pre-treatment
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method to decrease quantities of material for final treatment. It is also used in cases where no
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other treatment method was found to be practical, such as in the concentration of trinitrotoluene
(TNT) for subsequent incineration.
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5.2.2 Thermal treatment

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Incineration: Incineration can be regarded as either a pre-treatment of hazardous waste, prior to

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final disposal or as a means of valorizing waste by recovering energy. It includes both the
burning of mixed solid waste or burning of selected parts of the waste stream as a fuel. The
concept of treating hazardous waste is similar to that of municipal solid waste.

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

Pyrolysis: This is defined as the chemical decomposition or change brought about by heating in
the absence of oxygen. This is a thermal process for transformation of solid and liquid
carbonaceous materials into gaseous components and the solid residue containing fixed carbon
and ash. The application of pyrolysis to hazardous waste treatment leads to a two-step process
for disposal. In the first step, wastes are heated separating the volatile contents (e.g., combustible
gases, water vapour, etc.) from non-volatile char and ash. In the second step volatile components
are burned under proper conditions to assure incineration of all hazardous components. To
elaborate, pyrolysis is applicable to hazardous waste treatment, as it provides a precise control of
the combustion process. The first step of pyrolysis treatment is endothermic and generally done

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at 425 to 760C. The heating chamber is called the pyrolyser. Hazardous organic compounds can
be volatilized at this low temperature, leaving a clean residue. In the second step, the volatiles

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are burned in a fume incinerator to achieve destruction efficiency of more than 99%. Separating
the process into two very controllable steps allows precise temperature control and makes it

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possible to build simpler equipment. The pyrolysis process can be applied to solids, sludge’s and
liquid wastes. Wastes with the following characteristics are especially amenable to pyrolysis:

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● Sludge material that is either too viscous, too abrasive or varies too much in consistency
to be atomized in an incinerator.
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● Wastes such as plastic, which undergo partial or complete phase changes during thermal
processing.
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● High-residue materials such as high-ash liquid and sludge’s, with light, easily entrained
solids that will generally require substantial stack gas clean up.
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● Materials containing salts and metals, which melt and volatilize at normal incineration
temperatures. Materials like sodium chloride (NaCl), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb), when
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incinerated may cause refractory spalling and fouling of the heat-exchanger surface.
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5.2.3 Biological treatment

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1. Land treatment: This is a waste treatment and disposal process, where a waste is mixed with
or incorporated into the surface soil and is degraded, transformed or immobilised through proper
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management. The other terminologies used commonly include land cultivation, land farming,
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land application and sludge spreading. Compared to other land disposal options (e.g., landfill and
surface impoundments), land treatment has lower long-term monitoring, maintenance and
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potential clean up liabilities and because of this, it has received considerable attention as an
ultimate disposal method. It is a dynamic, management-intensive process involving waste, site,
soil, climate and biological activity as a system to degrade and immobilise waste constituents. In

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

land treatment, the organic fraction must be biodegradable at reasonable rates to minimise
environmental problems associated with migration of hazardous waste constituents.
2. Enzymatic systems: Enzymes are complex proteins ubiquitous in nature. These proteins,
composed of amino acids, are linked together via peptide bonds. Enzymes capable of
transforming hazardous waste chemicals to non-toxic products can be harvested from
microorganisms grown in mass culture. Such crude enzyme extracts derived from
microorganisms have been shown to convert pesticides into less toxic and persistent products.
The reaction of detoxifying enzymes are not limited to intracellular conditions but have been

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demonstrated through the use of immobilised enzyme extracts on several liquid waste streams.
The factors of moisture, temperature, aeration, soil structure, organic matter content, seasonal
variation and the availability of soil nutrients influence the presence and abundance of enzymes.

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Disposal
Regardless of their form (i.e., solid, liquid, or gas), most hazardous waste is disposed off either

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near the surface or by deep burial.

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Although, controlled landfill methods have been proved adequate for disposing of municipal
solid waste and limited amounts of hazardous waste, they are not suitable enough for the disposal
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of a large quantity of hazardous waste, due to the following reasons:
● possible percolation of toxic liquid waste to the ground water;
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● dissolution of solids followed by leaching and percolation to the ground water;
● potential for undesirable reactions in the landfill that may lead to the development of
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explosive or toxic gasses;

● Corrosion of containers with hazardous wastes.
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5.3 POLLUTION PREVENTION AND WASTE MINIMISATION

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Pollution prevention is the use of materials, processes, or practices that reduce or eliminate the
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generation of pollutants or wastes at the source. It includes practices that reduce the use of
hazardous and non-hazardous materials, energy, water or other resources as well as those that
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protect natural resources through conservation or more efficient use. Pollution prevention is the
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maximum feasible reduction of all wastes generated at production sites. It involves the judicious
use of resources through source reduction, energy efficiency, reuse of input materials and reduces
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water consumption.
Waste minimisation means the feasible reduction of hazardous waste that is generated prior to
treatment, storage and disposal. It is defined as any source reduction or recycling activity that

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

results in the reduction of the total volume of hazardous waste, or toxicity of hazardous waste, or
both. Practices that are considered in waste minimisation include recycling, source separation,
product substitution, manufacturing process changes and the use of less toxic raw materials.
Pollution prevention and waste minimisation provides us with an opportunity tobbe
environmentally responsible (http://www.ehs.umaryland.edu/waste/pollutio.htm) . While
pollution prevention reduces waste at its source, waste minimisation, including recycling and
other methods, reduces the amount of waste. In what follows, we will look at some of the factors
that can contribute to pollution prevention and waste minimisation.

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(i) Management support and employee participation: A clear commitment by management
(through policy, communications and resources) for waste minimisation and pollution prevention

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is essential to earn the dedication of all employees. For this to happen, a formal policy statement

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must be drafted and adopted. The purpose of this statement is to reflect commitment and attitude
towards protecting the environment, minimising or eliminating waste and reusing or recycling
materials by the laboratories, departments and industries. Creative, progressive and responsible

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leadership will serve to develop an environmental policy. However, the total employee workforce

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will need to be involved to realise the fruits of the planning.
(ii) Training: As with any activity, it is important for management to train employees so that
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they will have an understanding of what is expected of them and why they are being asked to
change the way things are done. Employees must be provided with formal and on-the-job
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training to increase awareness of operating practices that reduce both solid and hazardous waste
generation. The training programme should include the industries’ compliance requirements,
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which may be found in the waste management policies, occupational health and safety
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requirements. Additionally, training on waste minimisation and pollution prevention is necessary.

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(iii) Waste audits: A programme of waste audits at the departmental level will provide a
systematic and periodic survey of the industries designed to identify areas of potential waste
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reduction. The audit programme includes the identification of hazardous wastes and their
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sources, prioritisation of various waste reduction actions to be undertaken, evaluation of some

technically, economically and ecologically feasible approaches to waste minimisation and
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pollution prevention, development of an economic comparison of waste minimisation and

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pollution prevention options and evaluation of their results.

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(iv) Good operating practices: These practices involve the procedural or organisational aspects
of industry, research or teaching activities and, in some areas, changes in operating practices, in
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order to reduce the amount of waste generated. These practices would include, at a minimum,
material handling improvements, scheduling improvements, spill and leak prevention, preventive
maintenance, corrective maintenance, material/waste tracking or inventory control and waste
stream segregation, according to the toxicity, type of contaminant and physical state.

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

(v) Material substitution practices: The purpose of these practices is to find substitute
materials, which are less hazardous than those currently utilised and which result in the
generation of waste in smaller quantities and/or of less toxicity.
(vi) Technological modification practices: These practices should be oriented towards process
and equipment modifications to reduce waste generation. These can range from changes that can
be implemented in a matter of days at low cost to the replacement of process equipment
involving large capital expenditures.
(vii) Recycling options: These options are characterised as use/reuse and resource recovery

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techniques. Use and reuse practices involve the return of a waste material either to the
originating process or to another process as a substitute for an input material. Reclamation

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practices tender a waste to another company.

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(viii) Surplus chemical waste exchange options: Inter- and intra-department chemical
exchange is to be implemented and encouraged by employers/employees. Material exchanges not

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only reduce wastes but also save money – both are important considerations, during times of
fiscal crisis.

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In addition, by auditing each department or section, a knowledge base of chemical purchase and
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usage can be developed, allowing each department to develop and implement controls on the
purchase of chemicals, institute intra- departmental chemical sharing/swapping programmes and
eliminate excessive purchase and usage.
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Research protocols should also be examined and modified in a manner similar to the above.
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Facility operations need to be examined to determine whether changes in practices and

procedures will result in the generation of non- hazardous or less hazardous waste, or waste
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reduced in toxicity or volume. The specifics to be considered in this context include the
substitution of non-toxic materials for toxic ones, distillation or evaporation of water-based
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chemical end-products, reclamation and reuse of common solvents, use of non-chromate cleaners
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as a standard part of doing business to generate non-hazardous end products. By implementing

and adhering to the guidelines for handling and storing wastes at the point of generation, the
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costs associated with hazardous waste disposal will also be minimised.

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Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

5.4 HAZARDOUS WASTES MANAGEMENT IN INDIA
⮚ The amount of hazardous waste generated per annum is found to be 4.4 million tonnes as
per organization of economic cooperation and development (OECD).
⮚ Nearly 5 million tones of hazardous waste are being produced in the country annually.
⮚ This estimate of about 4.4 million is based on the 18 categories of wastes which appeared
in the Hazardous waste management (HWM) rules first published in 1989.
⮚ Among this 38.3% is recyclable, 4.3% is incinerable and the remaining 57.4% is

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disposable in secured landfills.

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⮚ Nearly about 13 States of the country contributes for about 97% of total hazardous waste
generation.

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⮚ The top five states include Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil

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Nadu.
⮚ On the other hand, states such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and all the North

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Eastern States excepting Assam generate less than 20,000 MT per annum.
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⮚ If the hazardous waste is not properly maintained, severe pollution of land, surface and
ground water will occur.
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⮚ As per industrial requirement category in India, every industry should have enough land
available within its premises for the treatment and disposal and or reuse/recycling of the
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wastes generated from it .

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⮚ There is a major concern all over the world for the safe disposal of hazardous waste.
Hazardous Wastes (HWs) can be disposed off at Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility
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(TSDF) as it is one of the centralized location for treatment of wastes. The TSDF helps
small and medium scale industries generating hazardous waste
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Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

5.5 E-WASTE
Electronics Waste: Popularly known as E Waste can be defined as electronic and electrical
equipment’s / Products (Including the connecting power plug and batteries) which has been
obsolete due to:
i. Changes in fashion, style and status
ii. Nearing the end of their useful lifes

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Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

Treating E-Waste
As of now, there are no proper methods being implemented even in the first world to eliminate
the problem of e-waste.
● The two methods found to be interesting for proper treatment of e-waste are recycling
and refurbishing.

● For recycling, there may be products that cannot be recycled completely. PVC layers, for

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example, stay as such for ages and cannot be recycled. It would be better if the
manufacturers use recyclable material so that the e-waste is converted into something that

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can be used again without harming the planet and its inhabitants. Thus, one of the major

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factors in treating e-waste is to compel manufacturers to use green elements.

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● If electronics are refurbished, they can be sold again at a lower price. Thus, both the

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society and environment will benefit. Instead of simply dumping your old TV into the
garbage bin, you might want to think about calling the vendor and ask him where to
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present the item for refurbishing. If you cannot find, consider donating the item to some
charity that can either use it as such or get it repaired and use it. I do not think it is a
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practice well implemented, but it would be nice if all vendors provide a refurbishing
facility.
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E -Waste Disposal Methods

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LANDFILLING
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This is the most common methodology of e-waste disposal. Soil is excavated and trenches are
made for burying the e-waste in it. An impervious liner is made of clay or plastic with a leachate
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basin for collection and transferring the e-waste to the treatment plant. However, landfill is not
an environmentally sound process for disposing off the e-waste as toxic substances like
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cadmium, lead and mercury are released inside the soil and ground water.
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ACID BATH

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Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

Acid bath involves soaking of the electronic circuits in the powerful sulphuric, hydrochloric or
nitric acid solutions that free the metals from the electronic pathways. The recovered metal is
used in the manufacturing of other products while the hazardous acid waste finds its ways in the
local water sources.

INCINERATION
This is a controlled way of disposing off the e-waste and it involves combustion of electronic

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waste at high temperature in specially designed incinerators. This e-waste disposal method is
quite advantageous as the waste volume is reduced extremely much and the energy obtained is
also utilized separately. However, it is also not free from disadvantages with the emission of the

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harmful gases mercury and cadmium in the environment.

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5.5.1 Step-by Step Process of E-waste Recycling

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The e-waste recycling process is highly labor intensive and goes through several steps. Below is
the step-by-step process of how e-waste is recycled,

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1. Picking Shed - When the e-waste items arrive at the recycling plants, the first step involves
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sorting all the items manually. Batteries are removed for quality check.
2. Disassembly - After sorting by hand, the second step involves a serious labor intensive
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process of manual dismantling. The e-waste items are taken apart to retrieve all the parts and
then categorized into core materials and components. The dismantled items are then separated
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into various categories into parts that can be re-used or still continue the recycling processes.
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3. First size reduction process -Here, items that cannot be dismantled efficiently are shredded
together with the other dismantled parts to pieces less than 2 inches in diameter. It is done in
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preparation for further categorization of the finer e-waste pieces.

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4. Second size reduction process - The finer e-waste particles are then evenly spread out
through an automated shaking process on a conveyor belt. The well spread out e-waste pieces are
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then broken down further. At this stage, any dust is extracted and discarded in a way that does
not degrade the environmentally.
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5. Over-band Magnet - At this step, over-band magnet is used to remove all the magnetic
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materials including steel and iron from the e-waste debris.

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6. Non-metallic and metallic components separation. - The sixth step is the separation of
metals and non-metallic components. Copper, aluminum, and brass are separated from the debris

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Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

to only leave behind non-metallic materials. The metals are either sold as raw materials or
re-used for fresh manufacture.
7. Water Separation- As the last step, plastic content is separated from glass by use of water.
One separated, all the materials retrieved can then be resold as raw materials for re-use. The
products sold include plastic, glass, copper, iron, steel, shredded circuit boards, and valuable
metal mix.

E-cycle components re-use

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1. Plastic. All the plastic materials retrieved are sent to recyclers who use them to manufacture
items such as fence posts, plastic sleepers, plastic trays, vineyard stakes, and equipment holders

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or insulators among other plastic products.

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2. Metal. Scrap metals materials retrieved are sent to recyclers to manufacture new steel and
other metallic materials.

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3. Glass. Glass is retrieved from the Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) mostly found in televisions and
computer monitors. Extracting glass for recycling from CRTs is a more complicated task since

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CRTs are composed of several hazardous materials. Lead is the most dangerous and can
adversely harm human health and the environment. Tubes in big CRT monitors can contain high
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levels of lead of up to 4 kilograms. Other toxic metals such as barium and phosphor are also
contained in CRT tubes. To achieve the best environmentally friendly glass extraction, the
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following steps ensure a specialized CRT recycling:
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● Manual separation of the CRT from the television or monitor body

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● Size reduction process where the CRT is shredded into smaller pieces. Dust is eliminated
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and disposed in an environmentally friendly way.

● All metals are removal through over-band magnets, where ferrous and non-ferrous
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components are eliminated from the glass materials.

● A washing line is then used to clear oxides and phosphors from the glass
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● Glass sorting is the final step whereby leaded glass is separated from non-leaded glass.
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The extracts can then be used for making new screens.

4. Mercury. Mercury containing devices are sent to mercury recycling facilities that uses a
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specialized technology for elimination for use in dental amalgams and metric
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instruments, and for fluorescent lighting. Other components such as glass and plastics are
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re-used for manufacture of their respective products.

15

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.

5. Printed Circuit Boards. Circuit boards are sent to specialized and accredited companies
where they are smelted to recover non-renewable resources such as silver, tin, gold, palladium,
copper and other valuable metals.
6. Hard Drives. Hard drives are shredded in whole and processed into aluminum ingots for use
in the automotive industry.
7. Ink and Toner Cartridges. Ink and toner cartridges are taken back to respective
manufacturing industries for recycling. They are remanufactured while those that can’t are
separated into metal and plastic for re-use as raw materials.

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8. Batteries. Batteries are taken to specialized recyclers where they are hulled to take out plastic.
The metals are smelted is specialized conditions to recover nickel, steel, cadmium and cobalt that

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are re-used for new battery production and fabrication of stainless steel.

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5.5.2 CONCLUSION

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1. As far as e-waste is concerned, it has emerged as one of the fastest growing waste streams
world wide today. Civ
2. Electronic equipment is one of the largest know sources of heavy metals without
effective collection, reuse, and recycling systems, they will be dangerous to environment.
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3. Reuse and recycling of electronic equipment is a beneficial alternative than disposal .

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4. Product design by using safe and environment friendly raw materials and most emerging
technologies.
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5. Awareness of e-waste.
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16

Prepared by Dr. ZOYA FATHIMA, Associate Professor & HOD, Civil Engineering Department,and

Mrs. ARPITHA L M, Assistant Professor, Civil Engineering Department BGSCET.