Meaning of Improper Waste Disposal:
Improper waste disposal means the lack of proper waste management systems, which ensure the safe disposal of waste. When waste from industries is improperly disposed of, it may release toxins into the air, water, and land. There is also a risk of greenhouse gases being released. Some wastes also contain substances that are inherently dangerous when not properly disposed of, such as plastics, electronic waste, or e-waste (Improper waste disposal, 2010).
The sources, types, and effects of air pollution are well-known and can be monitored. Scientists examine the sources of emissions that release pollutants into the air and their effects on the natural environment. Some types of air pollution can be perceived or detected by humans, while others cannot. Pollutants can be transported long distances and are measured as concentrations of ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide, among other components. Scientists have proven that a high concentration of all the above causes discomfort such as eye irritation and respiratory problems.
Effects of Improper Waste Disposal:
We all know that throwing everyday items into the garbage can seem like second nature to many people. By implementing recycling techniques into our lifestyle, we are taking a positive step toward helping the environment. Improper refuse disposal isn’t just an eyesore; it poses a serious threat to nature (Coleene, 2012).
Every household has some hazardous products stored inside the home, and most of them are thrown away without regard to proper disposal. Chemicals are poured down drains, leak into stormwater systems, and eventually pollute the drainage system, posing a direct threat to human health. Products such as aerosols, bleaches, paints, batteries, waste oil, pesticides, and electronics contain hazardous materials.
They contain solvents that affect the lungs, impact the body and skin, and some of these items contain petroleum products that can ignite. Car batteries contain lead, which is slow to degrade and can affect the health of thousands of people over a long period of time. Burning waste creates atmospheric pollutants that affect the air we breathe, causing asthma and other health problems to increase (What are the environmental impacts of improper disposal of waste, 2012).
Some of the effects:
Soil Contamination: It is important to learn the basics of recycling so that waste that does end up in landfills can be disposed of properly. Plastics, metals, paper, and certain types of glass can all be recycled at your local recycling center. If you take the time to send these items to recyclable locations, they can be reused and returned to consumers, preventing them from becoming waste or harming the environment.
If recyclables are thrown into the ground, they can potentially pollute the surrounding soil. The Western Courier reports that as plastic water bottles break down, they can release DEHA, a type of carcinogen that can cause reproductive problems, liver issues, and weight loss. This type of chemical can leach into the soil and cause contamination that can harm plant and animal life as well as water sources. Newspapers or paper that contains ink can also be toxic to the soil. If waste is not contained properly in a landfill, it will pollute the surrounding land (Boehlke, 2010).
Air Contamination: When disposing of waste that contains harmful chemicals such as bleach, acid, or oil, it is important that it is disposed of in sanctioned containers and labeled correctly. Burning paper, plastics, and other materials can pollute the air. Over time, the chemicals can build up in the ozone layer (Boehlke, 2010).
Garbage Disposal: Humans have always had an impact on their environments. Garbage is one of our biggest impacts on nature. Unlike other animals, humans create too much waste for nature to keep up. Americans create about 210 million tons of waste a year, and almost 42 percent of that waste is paper. With the continually rising Earth’s population, the situation is going to get harder and harder to slow or solve (Garbage Reduction, n.d.).
With waste comes pollution. In our combustion of waste, we are destroying the atmosphere just as fast as we are just leaving the waste on the ground. When garbage is burned, it emits highly toxic gases into the atmosphere. If a person breathes this air, it can harm their lungs and, if untreated, can result in death. Even if we bury our waste, it will not disappear. By contaminating the land, it can seep into our agricultural soil and even into our groundwater (Garbage Reduction, n.d.).
Improper Waste Disposal Consequences. Most people know that certain types of waste need to be disposed of in specific ways in order to keep from polluting the environment through improper waste disposal. Taking old paint to the hazardous facility, keeping recyclables out of the trash, and various other rules of disposal are all designed as a form of protection for the world around you.
However, not everyone realizes the major effects that can come from ignoring these rules. Everyone slips at one time or another and disposes of waste in an irresponsible manner, but once you’re aware of what improper waste disposal can do – and once you realize the scope of the problem if everyone in the world keeps slipping once or twice – you’ll likely pay a lot more attention to the issue (Improper Waste Disposal Consequences, 2013).
Few side effects of improper waste disposal: Litter can pose a threat to the health and well-being of various animals: the stories about fish stuck in six-pack rings that blew into the water aren’t fictions (Improper Waste Disposal Consequences, 2013). Hazardous waste, if dumped into the environment, percolates into the land – and the groundwater.
The groundwater is used for lots of things you may not realize, including irrigating the local fields, which grow the food people eat. Oh, and most communities get their drinking water from down there, too (Improper Waste Disposal Consequences, 2013). Waste disposal procedures exist because people have realized that certain types of waste can cause damage if they’re just thrown anywhere.
The system of waste disposal was developed through lots of research and is carefully planned to funnel waste into various places and through various disposal methods in order to ensure the safety and health of humans as well as the planet.
The problem is that this carefully planned system doesn’t work if people don’t participate in it. When you dispose of your waste, you’re the first step in the chain. If you do it properly, the waste goes on to its safe destination. If you don’t – or if anyone else along the chain doesn’t – do it right, the waste gets sent off into places where it can do a lot of harm (Improper Waste Disposal Consequences, 2013).
Definition:
Principles and Concepts of Waste Management
Waste management shall mean the collection, transportation, and disposal of refuse, sewage, and other waste products. Waste management encompasses management of all processes and resources for proper handling of waste materials, from maintenance of waste transportation trucks and dumping facilities to compliance with health codes and environmental regulations (Waste Management, 2013).
A. Basic Principles and Concepts of Waste Management
Waste is introduced into the environment due to the daily activities of humans. Waste management refers to the many methods and processes of dealing with waste at every stage, from generation and collection through to final disposal. Waste needs to be managed in order to prevent contact with humans or their immediate environment. Therefore, the main purpose of waste management is to isolate waste from humans and the environment and, accordingly, safeguard individual, family, and community health. In addition, the aesthetic value of a better outlook and a clean physical environment is important for our emotional well-being (Basic Principles and Concepts of Waste Management, n.d.).
The waste that people produce can be categorized as liquid waste or solid waste, depending on its physical state. It can also be categorized as hazardous or non-hazardous (Basic Principles and Concepts of Waste Management, n.d.).
Hazardous wastes are not classified by their physical state (solid, liquid, or gas) but by their properties and potential to cause harm. Hazardous wastes are defined as wastes that have one or more of the following properties. They may be:
- Corrosive (substances that cause harm on contact, e.g., acids)
- Ignitable (materials that can catch fire easily like benzene)
- Toxic (materials that can be poisonous to humans when inhaled or ingested or come in contact with skin or mucous membranes)
- Reactive (substances that can produce a harmful chemical if they react with other substances)
- Infectious (substances that are capable of causing or transmitting infection).
Non-hazardous wastes include all other types of waste.
I. Liquid Waste
Liquid waste includes human waste, overflow (storm water or floodwater), sullage, industrial effluent, and other forms of effluent from different sources. Human waste is primarily composed of feces and urine, which together are known as body waste. All human body waste is classified as liquid waste. The mixture of human waste with effluent is known as sewage and also sometimes known as blackwater.
Runoff is simply rainwater that collects on the ground and runs off into channels, ditches, and rivers. Sullage, also known as greywater, is water that has been used for washing in bathrooms and kitchens; it does not include human waste (Basic Principles and Concepts of Waste Management, n.d.).
Human waste is biodegradable, and when contained in a waste containment facility (for example, a pit latrine or septic tank), it undergoes a biological digestion process by which microorganisms, particularly bacteria, break down the organic matter.
The decomposing bacteria found in pit latrines and septic tanks do not require oxygen and are called anaerobic bacteria. The digestion process may take from several days to a few months, depending on the atmospheric temperature and other local conditions, before it is completely decomposed or degraded. The digested waste matter is called sludge (Basic rules and concepts of waste management, n.d.).
Biodegradable wastes are those that can be broken down (decomposed) into their constituent elements by bacteria and other microorganisms. The term can be applied to both liquid and solid waste. Human and animal wastes, food waste, paper, and agricultural wastes are all biodegradable. This natural biological decomposition process ensures that, under the right conditions, these wastes do not accumulate in the environment (Basic rules and concepts of waste management, n.d.).
Solid waste is defined as any waste that is dry in form and is discarded by people as unwanted. You can describe the solid waste from general housework as residential waste, garbage, household waste, or domestic waste. Waste produced in other areas is defined as industrial, commercial, institutional, or agricultural waste, or street sweepings, depending on its source.
In urban settings, municipal waste refers to the solid waste that is collected by local government (the municipality) and may include household, commercial, industrial waste, and street sweepings. The solid waste that is produced as a result of food preparation or any food residue after eating is called kitchen waste or refuse (Basic rules and concepts of waste management, n.d.).
Understanding the appropriate methods for the direction of solid waste is closely related to the features of the waste and hence to its source. Sing the sources one by one:
- Residential waste or domestic waste is generated from households. It is largely characterized as non-hazardous waste, particularly in rural households. It may include rubbish such as packaging materials, kitchen waste, ash, etc. (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
- Agricultural solid wastes could include nutrient residues, animal droppings, harvest residues, grass, and foliage. Such wastes are mostly non-hazardous and biodegradable in nature. However, containers for used or disused pesticides, weedkillers, and rodenticides could be a health hazard to households and sprayers. Therefore, these items should be safely removed in collaboration with the agricultural development extension agents in your kebele (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
- Commercial waste is generated from business establishments, food and drink service establishments, stores, or open marketplaces. These vary greatly but may include boxing paper, cardboard, electronics, lumber, wire, metals, plastic bags, tin cans, garbage, and other wastes that are generally of a non-hazardous nature (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
- Industrial waste can be produced from small, medium, or large-scale industries. The type of waste produced may vary depending on the raw material used and the product of the industrial process. These wastes may be hazardous or non-hazardous, depending on the process. The solid waste produced could contain chemicals, wood, metal, ceramic, or other components (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
- Institutional solid waste is produced from public or government institutions, offices, schools, universities, religious establishments, sporting fields, etc. It can be very diverse in its constituents (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
- Healthcare waste is produced from healthcare facilities such as Health Posts, health centers, and hospitals. This category of waste is composed of both hazardous (infectious) and non-hazardous wastes (also referred to as general waste) (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
Improper disposal of wastes, such as solid waste, human body waste, and sewage, is one of the major risk factors that affect the health and comfort of individuals in rural Ethiopia where municipal or onsite facilities do not exist or are not functional. Poor waste handling and disposal can lead to environmental pollution, promote the breeding of disease-vector insects, animal scavengers, and rodents, and result in a range of diseases through different paths of exposure such as feco-oral and soil-transmitted mechanisms (Basic rules and concepts of waste direction, n.d.).
This figure shows how these paths of exposure are connected graphically. In this figure, you can see that fecal matter is the common source of contamination to the other “Fs” – fluids, fingers, vehicles, and flies. These then contaminate our food and, accordingly, a new susceptible human host (Basic rules and constructs of waste direction, n.d.).
According to studies conducted in different parts of Ethiopia, there are many highly prevalent fecal-orally transmitted intestinal parasites and other infectious agents (bacteria and viruses) in our environment. To break the transmission path of these disease agents, there needs to be complete sanitation, which means the prevention of any human contact with waste, i.e., no open defecation and the proper handling of solid waste.
The broken lines in the figure show the points at which a barrier or intervention can be made to prevent transmission. The first line of defense is to contain the fecal matter. The second is to protect the food from contamination, and the third is to protect the potential host, the person who may become infected, from contaminated food, fingers, drinking water, or other objects.
To achieve complete sanitation, the community needs to be involved in any plan to clean the local environment and must initiate its own waste disposal methods (Basic rules and constructs of waste direction, n.d.).
In addition to the dangers of disease transmission, health hazards associated with improper solid or liquid waste disposal include:
- Public or community nuisance due to foul odor and unsightliness of open defecation, fecal matter, and openly dumped solid wastes.
- Obstruction of drainage systems leading to the creation of favorable conditions for disease vector breeding sites.
- Fire hazards.
- Psychological health hazards.
Main components of waste management: In any waste management process, there is a stage when waste will be temporarily stored or contained onsite (i.e., in the place where the waste is produced). This may be temporary or be a final disposal site. If storage is temporary, then subsequent stages will be the transportation or conveyance to a treatment facility or technology, followed by final disposal offsite (i.e., away from the waste generation site).
