CIVE 4310 HAZARDOUS NURAZIM IBRAHIM, PHD.

WASTE MANAGEMENT CIVIL ENGINEERING PROGRAMME

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING &
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY, IUKL
If we are going to LIVE so
intimately with these chemicals –

eating and drinking them, taking

them into the marrow of our
bones

we had better know something about

their NATURE and THEIR POWER
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
Outlines

• Definition

• Impacts and Magnitude of the Problems

• Hazardous Waste Management Industries

• Toxicology & Risk Management

INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
Before 1970 : Industrial Waste or Chemical Waste
1970 - 1976 : “Hazardous Waste” without clear definition
1976 : EPA come out with first hazardous waste law and
give a definition to “Hazardous Waste”

Waste
“ A Waste is a moveable object which has no direct use and is
discarded permanently” – Solid Waste

Hazardous Waste
“ Include of solids, sludge, liquids and containerized gases”
DEFINITION
Hazardous wastes
“wastes (solids, sludges, liquids, and containerized gases) other
than radioactive (and infectious) wastes which by reason of their
chemical activity or toxic, explosive, corrosive, or other
characteristics, cause danger or likely will cause danger to health
or the environment, whether alone or when coming into contact
with other waste.”

United Nations Environment Program, (1985)

DEFINITION
Researchers have defined and classified hazardous waste as
waste with inherent chemical and physical characteristics,
such as toxicity, ignitability, corrosivity, carcinogenicity, or
other properties (Gu et a., 1999).

Wastes are classified as being hazardous when they display one

or more radioactive or hazardous properties, including
explosive, oxidizing, flammable, irritant, harmful, toxic,
carcinogenic, as well as harmful effects on the environment
and human health (Kummer, 1999).
DEFINITION

In Malaysia, Hazardous Waste is defined as Schedule Waste

“Schedule Waste”
Any unwanted matters whether in solid, semi-solid, liquid, or
gases which if emitted, release, deposited or discharged to
environment, can be potential hazard to human and the
environment (Artika et al., 2019).
Sources
Hazardous wastes are materials which are discarded after use
from e‐products, vehicles, clinical and medical products,
fuel products (e.g. oil), gas exploration and extraction.
Sources: Households, small businesses, farms, and the
healthcare and construction sectors also generate quantities of
hazardous waste

China: Hazardous waste has been classified into three types,

household hazardous waste, industrial hazardous waste, and
medical waste
In developing countries: only industrial hazardous and
medical waste are disposed separately. Other hazardous waste
type, such as household hazardous waste (HHW) are somewhat
neglected
Hazardous Waste
Example of hazardous products:

Industrial Industrial Chemical

Waste Oils
Solvent Sludge Waste

Electrical Healthcare Solvent

Batteries
Equipment Risk Waste based paint

Impacts: Poses risks to the surrounding air, water, and soil,

and also do harm to the ecological environment and human
health through diversified channels (Li e al., 2015)
Impacts
Main Producer: Developed countries such as United States,
European Union members state, and China (Samanlioglu,
2013; Zhao et al., 2016).

Problems:
1) The past two decades the world experienced a dramatic
increase in the amount of hazardous waste generated.
2) In developing countries, the management of hazardous is
exacerbated by lack of comprehensive legislation, unauthorized
scrap yards dealing with e‐waste, and end of life vehicles.
3) Poor conduct and inappropriate disposal methods exercised
during the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes are
increasing significant health hazards and environmental
pollution due to the harmful nature of the waste
Current Situation
Developed Country:
Many of the environmental problems dealing today are actually is a
result of bad management of hazardous waste in the last 200 years
In developing countries:
1) The quantities of hazardous wastes has not been documented
because these waste streams are incorrectly managed, thereby
posing greater environmental impacts than reported
2) No commercial hazardous waste collection services, retail take back
systems and periodic drop‐off services provided by the
municipalities
3) Not designed and implemented producer responsibility for
hazardous waste materials including human and farm animal
medicines, waste oil, oil filters, paint and paint containers,
pesticides and herbicides (household), ink and ink containers from
publishing
Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous waste management is multidisciplinary field
Which involved scientific (technical issue) and non-
technical disciplines (social and economic issues).

It is also required for the practitioner to understand and

deal with number of areas such as water pollution, air
pollution, solid waste and groundwater aspects.

Practitioner is encourage to utilize technology and concepts

gained from another field to find more cost-effective tools
in both technical and non-technical
HISTORY
Event that lead to hazardous waste generation:
1) Industrial Revolution
2) Advance in medical science and public health,
3) Reduced the death rate, increase human population
4) Grew of human consumption by expanding industrial production,
5) Resource extraction, and
6) Intensive agriculture

“Every GOOD THINGS in life COMES WITH a PRICE...And

MOST OF THE TIMES IT’S OVERPRICE”

-Night Crawler-
HISTORY
Before 1980 : Simply disposing of waste without appropriate
precautions.
Impacts : Exposure to hazardous substances occurred
outside the workplace via various environmental
pathway

Consequences
• 1950 - DDT residuals on birds population (https://
web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/DDT_and_
Birds.html
)
• 1956 - Mercury poisoning of human population in Japan
(Minamata disease)
• 1960 and 1970 -Episodes of PCBs, Dioxin, and other organic
substances
Regulatory Initiative
In the U.S., It is generally known that the beginnings of
the nation’s effort to gain control of hazardous waste begin
1) Love Canal Episode
• Love Canal, a water conveyance originally excavated
for a hydroelectric project in Niagara Falls, New York,
was used by Hooker Chemical Company as a dump
site for nearly 22,000 tons of waste chemicals
2) The discovery that the circle of environmental laws
(CWA, CAA, TSCA, SDWA) required closure by the
enactment of a hazardous waste control measure.
Regulatory Initiatives

Following the Love Canal disclosures, the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and others mounted studies which
determined that more that 750,000 generators had deposited
almost 60 million tons of hazardous waste in as many as
50,000 sites. (Even these seemingly shocking numbers did
not adequately describe the problem.)
Regulatory Initiatives

In response to acute public perceptions, possibly spurred

by environmental journalism, the U. S. Congress along
with state and local governments, enacted sweeping
legislation on two fronts:

1) Management of currently generated hazardous waste

2) Remediation of contaminated sites

1) Currently Generated Waste
• U.S. Congress first addressed hazardous waste by including with solid waste law of minor significant
• No comprehensive programme for regulating hazardous waste
1970 • Addressed slightly in wastewater regulation and air emission

• EPA completed its report to Congress

• Found that “the magnitude of hazardous waste problem was larger than originally anticipated”

1973 • Found that current disposal practices are inadequate cited arsenic poisoning in 1972 in Minnestosa.

• Congress included in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 Subtitle C:
Empowering federal regulation of hazardous waste for the first time
1976 • The law focused on the recovery and recycling of solid waste.

• Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (Federal Standards 40 CFR Parts 260 to 299)

1984
1) Currently Generated Waste

Waste Sources:
• Generator- Company which generates or produce
hazardous waste.
• Large-Quantity – more than 1000kg of waste per month
• Small Quantity – 100kg to 1000kg of waste per month
• Conditional Exempt Small –Quantity Generators-[less than
100kg]
• Note: LQG (90day storage) and SQG (180 day storage)
must obtain a EPA Id, Must handle waste properly before
transport, and keep good records.
Hazardous Waste Generators
Responsibility
• Obtain EPA Generator ID number.
• Determine if waste id hazardous
• Adhere to land disposal restrictions
• Small Quantity – 100kg to 1000kg
• Manifest waste shipments
• Designate a transport and a Treatment, Storage and
Disposal Facility (TSDF) that each possess an EPA ID
number
• Prepare and implement a contingency plan
• Perform record keeping and reporting requirements
• Pay all applicable fees
Training Requirement

• As documented in NJAC: 26-9.4 and 40CFR263.34(d)(5)(iii)

• Hazardous waste generators must ensure that al employees
are thoroughly familiar with proper waste handling and
emergency procedures, relevant to their responsibilities
during normal facility operations and emergencies
• Initial training with annual review
 1) Currently Generated Waste
Four Primary Characteristics of hazardous waste under RCRA

Ignitability Reactivity Corrosivity Toxicity

Ignitability: burns when temperature is less than 60oC

Reactivity: cause an explosion when mix with other
Carcinogenic
Corrosivity: – includes strong alkaline or acidic & mutagenic
substances (ph<2 or ph>12.5)
Carcinogenic: cancer causing
mutagenic: causes biological changes in children or
offspring
1) Currently Generated Waste
Other developed nations:

1972: United Kingdom passed its Deposit of poisonous Waste

Act in response to public outcry over drums of heat
treatment cyanide wastes disposed on waste ground used
by children to play
1974: More comprehensive legislation (Control of pollution Act)
was introduced by UK
1978: A European Union directive on “toxic and dangerous
waste” was issued to harmonized control over hazardous
waste across all its member states
Before 1980: Similar legislation was introduced in Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany and the Netherland
1) Currently Generated Waste in Malaysia
• Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Gazetted on 14 March 1974)
• EQA come into force in 1975
1974

• Under Sewage and Industrial Effluent Regulations, 1979, industries in Malaysia required to
treat their wastewaters to the acceptable limit of discharge prior to discharging into any
1976 inland waterways

• DOE initiated the feasibility studies for treatment and disposal hazardous waste generated
1981

• A set of Regulations known as the Environmental Quality (Schedule Wastes) was drafted
• The main purpose is to provide a good management approach to treat or disposed the toxic
1984 and hazardous waste
1) Currently Generated Waste in Malaysia
• DOE reported that about 380,000 m3 of hazardous waste was
generated yearly.
• Very little treatment, recovery, and recycling is carried out.
1987 • Addressed slightly in wastewater regulation and air emission

• Regulations were gazetted on 27 April 1989 and come into force on

1st May 1989
1989
• Kualiti Alam Sdn. Bhd. (KASB), was awarded the exclusive right to implement and operate
the fully integrated facility for collection, transport, treatment and disposal of scheduled
waste. (at that time, state of the art facility – first in the region)
• Except radioactive, explosive and clinical wastes

1995 • Environmentally sound management of toxic and hazardous wastes in Malaysia

• Assurance that such wastes will be collected, treated and disposed in a proper and safe
manner.
Legislation
Section 34B, Environmental Quality Act, 1974

Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises)(Scheduled Wastes

Treatment & Disposal Facilities) Regulations 1989

Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises)(Scheduled Wastes

Treatment & Disposal Facilities) (Amendment) Regulations 2006

Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005

Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) (Amendment) Regulations

2007

Environmental Quality (Dioxin and Furan) Regulations 2004

Environmental Quality (Prescribed Conveyance) (Scheduled Wastes)

Order 2005

Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Scheduled Wastes

Treatment And Disposal Facilities Order) 1989
1) Highlight of the Schedule Waste Management

• Scheduled wastes can be stored, recovered or treated

within the premises of the waste generators. Such activities
do not require licensing by the Department of Environment.

• A waste generator may store scheduled wastes generated

for 180 days or less after its generation provided that the
quantity of scheduled wastes accumulated on site shall not
exceed 20 metric tonnes. However, waste generators may
apply to the Director General in writing to store more than
20 metric tonnes of scheduled wastes.
1) Highlight of the Schedule Waste Management

• The containers that are used to store scheduled wastes shall

be clearly labeled with the date when the scheduled wastes
are first generated as well as the name, address and
telephone number of the waste generator
• Land farming, incineration, disposal and off-site facilities for
recovery, storage and treatment can only be carried out at
prescribed premises licensed by the Department of
Environment
• With the agreement between the GOM and Kualiti Alam Sdn.
Bhd on 18 December 1995, integrated treatment facilities
for treatment and disposal, off-site facilites, off site
incinerators and secure landfills for scheduled wastes is not
allowed.
1) Highlight of the Schedule Waste Management

• Agreement between the Government of Malaysia and Kualiti

Alam Sdn. Bhd on 18 December 1995 on exclusivity ends in
the Year 2015 ….

Special Management
• Waste generators may apply for special management of
scheduled wastes to have the scheduled wastes generated
from their particular facility or process excluded from being
treated, disposed of or recovered in premises or facilities
other than at the prescribed premises or onsite treatment or
recovery facilities, as stipulated under Regulation 7(1),
Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005
1) Trans boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes

• Malaysia on 8 October 1993 acceded to the Basel

Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of
Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, 1989

• Principles of environmentally sound waste management, to

protect human health and environment and to prevent
dumping.

• Element of prior informed consent

• Section 34B, EQA and Amendments to the Customs

Prohibition of Import and Export Order (1988) facilitated this
process
Amendments of the EQA 2012

• Introduction of new provisions to enhance the effectiveness

of enforcement - amongst others to address illegal
disposal of schedule waste

• These include new provisions for:-

• reward to informers,
• power of arrest without warrant,
• a clause on “presumption” where it is sufficient to just
analyze a reasonable number of samples and presume
• competent person : industries to employ a competent
person to manage schedule waste
Policies on Hazardous Waste Management

• Does not allow the importation of hazardous waste including

e waste, for recovery or disposal
• Allows importation of used electronic and electrical
equipment waste for direct reuse, provided such equipment
shall not be more than 3 years from date of manufacture
• Refer to ‘Guidelines for the Classification of Used Electrical
and Electronic Equipment in Malaysia DOE, 2008
• Does not allow hazardous waste to be exported out of the
country (recovery facilities already established)
• Only allow exportation if the local recovery facilities do not
have the capability to carry out such activity, and proves to
be submitted before approval, and is on case by case basis
• Exportation for final disposal is not allowed
2) Contaminated Sites

1980
Advance in Unfortunately, No proper law or
Allowed the
analytical impacts of toxic legislation
identification of
chemistry to exposure to provided the
Allowed detection the widespread
higher level multiple mechanism to
of compounds at presence of
enable routine compounds at a address inactive
part per billions potentially toxic
detection and low concentration sites
(ppb) or lower compounds in the
measurement of over a long period contaminated by
environment (Air,
contaminants at of time was not past practices
Water and Land)
smaller well understood. until 1980
concentration.
 Foundation of a Regulatory
Structure in U.S
Two hazardous laws (RCRA and CERCLA) were
• based on the legal concept that generators are liable for the long-term
impact of their waste management practices (including past practices)
• Fostered a futuristic perspective
• Most generators endeavours to minimize waste, and many
manufacturers even consider the life cycle of their products
• Giving considerable insight into particular problem areas that the laws
were intended to address
• Evolve and operated separately
• Resource Conservation and Recovery (RCRA) - focused on
currently generated wastes (e.g. residue of industrial)
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability (CERCLA) – focused on contaminated sites cause by
previous mismanagement (e.g. soil and groundwater pollution)
Foundation of a Regulatory
Structure in Europe
Key issues in developing legislation include
• How to define soil pollution
• Acceptable risk levels and whether they are reasonably
achievable
• Generic clean-up criteria or site-specific approaches
• Generic soil quality criteria or criteria related to land use
• Priorities and objectives to remediation
• Soil and groundwater pollution from past practices as
significant problem
• To find the proper balance between generic criteria and site-
specific criteria for site remediation.
 Foundation of a Regulatory
Structure in Malaysia
Why land contamination is a concern?
• Groundwater pollution: groundwater has been deteriorated
and become not suitable for drinking purpose without
treatment.
• Land is considered one of the limited resources –contaminated
land depletes our land resources for other usages
• Significant liability issues associated with land contamination –
unlike wastewater discharge or air emission, land contamination
stays long after chemicals releases
• Land contamination normally goes unnoticed and Severe
contamination will have significant impacts on human health
and the environment
 Contaminated Land Management in Malaysia

Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127)

Approach;
1) Remedial through Enforcement of EQA.
2) Preventive such as:-
Land use planning;
Environmental input to resource & regional planning; and
EIA
Control Pollution through:-
1) Standards
2) Written permission
3) Licensing
Contaminated land
 According to EQA 1974,
the term “soil” includes
earth, sand, rock,
shales, minerals and
vegetation in the soil
 Section 24, EQA, 1974
has described the
restrictions on pollutant
dumping or discharge
on or in any soil by any
person unless licensed.

42
Section 24 of the EQA 1974:
A person shall be deemed to pollute any soil or surface of
any land if –
1) he places in or on any soil or in any place where it may
gain access to any soil any matter whether liquid, solid, or
gaseous; or
2) He establishes on any land a refuse dump, garbage pit, soil
and rock disposal site, sludge deposit site, waste injection
well or otherwise used land for the disposal of or a
repository for solid or liquid wastes so as to be obnoxious
or offensive to human beings or interfere with underground
water or detrimental to any beneficial use of the soil or the
surface of the land.

43
EQA, 1974 - Relevant Sections
Section 31–require of a premises to install pollution control
equipment, conduct a study on environmental risk, and
maintain a monitoring program;
Section 34B –No person may deposit or dispose of
scheduled wastes except at prescribed premises;
Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes)
Regulations2005;
1) Scheduled Wastes code SW408 –Contaminated soil, debris
or matter resulting from cleaning – up of a spill of
chemical, mineral oil or scheduled wastes.
2) Require specific way to adequate treat and dispose of the
waste.
44
Guideline for Contaminated Land Management and
Control in Malaysia
Three (3) series of guidelines were developed and published under the Ninth Malaysia
Plan (2006-2010) a study on the ‘Criteria and Standards for Managing and Restoring
Contaminated Land in Malaysia’.

Guideline No.1 Guideline No. 2 Guideline No. 3

45
Public Perception

The public perceived

hazardous waste to represent
greater relative risk than
most other environmental
problems

Table 1 show the different in

the risk perception between
the experts and public for the
hazardous waste
Public Perception
Why do public
perception is not
correlate with expert Factors that influence public
assessment perception
• Involuntarily encountered
• Having little apparent
benefits
• Uncontrollable or controlled
by others
• Having unknown but
substantial consequence
Public Perception
Involuntarily Encountered
People who choose to live or work with hazardous waste –
perceived as having been imposed upon a community or a
person
Having little apparent benefits
Not useful or don’t have any personal advantage to individual
Uncontrollable or controlled by others
Impacts of uncontrolled or mismanagement hazardous waste
see by the public
Having unknown but substantial consequence
The information produce by researcher is only a prediction
Obstacle

Technological obstacles
Limited financial resources
Risk assessment
An extremely complex time and resource –consuming legal and
regulatory process
BE THE CHANGE

you want to see

IN THE WORLD. Mahatma Gandhi – Civil Rights Activist

ACTIVITY 1
ACTIVITY 1
Name one of hazardous waste event that happened in your
country which lead to the environmental pollution and/or
or cause a toxicity to human. From this event, explain
• The cause of the event and sources of the hazardous
waste
• Effect of the event
• The action taken by the government to manage the event
• What you learn from this event as an engineer and
proposed a method to improve the current management
system to prevent the same event from re-occuring

53
Questions:
1. What is the type of Waste
Produce from the activity show
in the picture
2. Identify the impacts and
magnitude of the problems
cause by the activity
3. In your opinion, what should be
done to reduce the impacts?