Solid Environmental

Toxic and Hazardous

Waste Treatment
 What is toxic waste?
O Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all
forms that can cause harm (e.g by being
inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the
skin)
O Toxic materials are poisonous byproducts as
a result of industries such as manufacturing,
farming, construction, automotive,
laboratories, and hospitals which may
contain heavy metals, radiation, dangerous
pathogens, or other toxins.
 The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has
identified 11 key substances that pose a risk to human health:

O Arsenic - used in making electrical circuits, as an

ingredient in pesticides, and as a wood
preservative.
O Asbestos - is a material that was once used for
the insulation of buildings, and some businesses
are still using this material to manufacture
roofing materials and brakes.
O Cadmium - is found in batteries and plastics. It
can be inhaled through cigarette smoke, or
digested when included as a pigment in food.
O Chromium - is used as brick lining for high-
temperature industrial furnaces, as a solid
metal used for making steel, and in chrome
plating, manufacturing dyes and pigments,
wood preserving, and leather tanning.
O Clinical wastes - such as syringes and
medication bottles can spread pathogens
and harmful microorganisms, leading to a
variety of illnesses.
O Cyanide - a poison found in some pesticides
and rodenticides. In large doses it can lead
to paralysis, convulsions, and respiratory
distress.
O Lead - is found in batteries, paints, and
ammunition.
O Mercury - used for dental fillings and
batteries. It is also used in the production of
chlorine gas.
O PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are used
in many manufacturing processes, by the
utility industry, and in paints and sealants.
O POPs, persistent organic pollutants. They are
found in chemicals and pesticides, and may
lead to nervous and reproductive system
defects.
O Strong acids and alkalis used in
manufacturing and industrial production.
What is hazardous waste?
O Hazardous waste is waste that has
substantial or potential threats to public
health or the environment.

O Hazard – a source of danger

 Hazardous Waste
O The most overlooked toxic and hazardous
wastes are the household products in
everyday homes that are improperly
disposed of such as old batteries,
pesticides, paint, and car oil. Hazardous
waste is waste that has substantial or
potential threats to public health or the
environment.
 Characteristics of Hazardous
Waste
O Ignitability - Combustible materials are those which
can combust, i.e. burn in air. Flammable materials
are combustible materials that can be easily ignited
at ambient temperatures whereas those that are
harder to ignite are just considered combustible.
O Reactivity - A reagent is a substance or compound
added to a system to cause a chemical reaction, or
added to test if a reaction occurs. The terms reactant
and reagent are often used interchangeably—
however, a reactant is more specifically a substance
consumed in the course of a chemical reaction.
Characteristics of Hazardous
Waste
O Corrositivity - A corrosive substance is one
that will damage or destroy other
substances with which it comes into contact
by means of a chemical reaction.
O Toxicity - In biology, poisons are substances
that cause death, injury or harm to
organisms, usually by chemical reaction or
other activity on the molecular scale, when
an organism absorbs a sufficient quantity.
Household hazardous waste
O Solvent-based paints
O Pesticides and other garden chemicals
O Batteries
O Motor oils
O Petrol and kerosene
O Swimming pool or bath chemicals
O Pharmaceuticals (all medicines)
Treatment, Storage,
And Disposal
Treatment, Storage, And Disposal
O Several options are available for hazardous-
waste management. The most desirable is to
reduce the quantity of waste at its source or to
recycle the materials for some other productive
use. Nevertheless, while reduction and recycling
are desirable options, they are not regarded as
the final remedy to the problem of hazardous-
waste disposal. There will always be a need for
treatment and for storage or disposal of some
amount of hazardous waste.
 Treatment
O Hazardous waste can be treated by
chemical, thermal, biological, and physical
methods. Among thermal methods is high-
temperature incineration, which not only can
detoxify certain organic wastes but also can
destroy them. One problem posed by
hazardous-waste incineration is the
potential for air pollution.
 Treatment
O Biological treatment of certain organic
wastes, such as those from the petroleum
industry, is also an option. One method used
to treat hazardous waste biologically is
called landfarming. In this technique, the
waste is carefully mixed with surface soil on
a suitable tract of land.
 Treatment
O The chemical, thermal, and biological
treatment methods outlined above change
the molecular form of the waste material.
Physical treatment, on the other hand,
concentrates, solidifies, or reduces the
volume of the waste.
Surface storage and land disposal

O Hazardous wastes that are not destroyed by

incineration or other chemical processes
need to be disposed of properly. For most
such wastes, land disposal is the ultimate
destination, although it is not an attractive
practice, because of the inherent
environmental risks involved. Two basic
methods of land disposal include landfilling
and underground injection.
 What is landfill?
O A landfill is an engineered method for land
disposal of solid and hazardous waste?

O Landfilling is the term used to describe the

process by which solid waste is placed in the
landfill.
 Secure landfills
O Landfilling of hazardous solid or
containerized waste is regulated more
stringently than landfilling of municipal solid
waste. Hazardous wastes must be deposited
in so-called secure landfills.
 Remedial Action
O Disposal of hazardous waste in unlined pits,
ponds, or lagoons poses a threat to human
health and environmental quality. One
option for remediation is to completely
remove all the waste material from the site
and transport it to another location for
treatment and proper disposal. This so-
called off-site solution is usually the most
expensive option.
 Remedial Action
O An alternative is on-site remediation, which
reduces the production of leachate and
lessens the chance of groundwater
contamination. On-site remediation may
include temporary removal of the hazardous
waste, construction of a secure landfill on
the same site, and proper replacement of
the waste.
 Remedial Action
O A less costly alternative is full containment
of the waste. This is done by placing an
impermeable cover over the hazardous-
waste site and by blocking the lateral flow of
groundwater with subsurface cutoff walls.
 What is the difference between
toxic waste and hazardous waste?

Toxic waste is, simply put, a waste that is

poisonous while hazardous waste is a waste
that can bring harm or danger to ourselves or
the environment. A toxic waste is always a
hazardous waste while hazardous waste may
not always be a toxic waste.
 End of Report
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