Is the Disposal of Solid Waste to Land an Environment Sustainable Option - Assignment Example

Is the disposal of solid waste to land an environment sustainable option?  With the increasing pollution and the hazards posed by the different forms of pollution, it has become essential that proper methods and techniques should be employed for the disposal of different kinds of wastes. Many techniques and methods have been chosen for the disposal of these wastes. This paper will work towards explaining the fact that whether the disposal of solid waste to land is an environment sustainable option. Solid waste is a broad term which includes trash that is thrown away that is food material, other unused non organic products which include metal, wood, paper, plastics, glass as well as cans, substances that remain after the process of demolition which include pieces of bricks and pipes as well residue that remains after the sewage undergoes treatment which includes sludge and other solids as well as animals that die along with other substances that are thrown away. The amount of the solid waste that is produced depends upon different factors which include the eating choices as well as the way of living along with the degree of the industries and whether the area is rural or urbanized. 0.5 to 2.5 kg everyday per capita is counted as an estimated value of the turnout of the amount of solid waste in countries around the globe (Clark & Macmohan1981). If proper disposal of solid waste does not occur, it can serve as a reason for many health problems. The solid waste has the tendency to undergo the process of decomposition as well as serve as a ground for increased number of flies and insects. This solid waste might also be a location for the gathering of pests and rodents. It can also serve to have an impact on the health of the people because the microorganisms in the waste might be transferred to the food that people consume by means of flies. Pollution of the soil and the water is also possible and large amount of solid waste can present as a site which will be disliked by all and the smell produced by the waste can be intolerable. Proper disposal of waste is hence very important to prevent the untoward happenings (Clark & Macmohan1981 and Williamson 1972). Sources of this refuse can be many which include the waste coming from industries, refuse coming from houses, waste from the stables as well as waste from the street which can comprise of fallen leaves or the excreta of birds. Refuse collection may be done by day to day collection or public bins can also be used as method for collection of the solid waste and other methods might also be employed (Clark & Macmohan1981 and Williamson 1972). The ways in which solid waste may be disposed onto land are many and each of the method chosen is employed according to the amount of waste and suitability. Dumping, controlled tipping and incineration are a few of the methods that may be used. In the process of dumping as the name implies, waste is disposed in areas which lie on lower levels. This is a very crude method and it has many disadvantages which include the spread of diseases as well as the chances of contamination of water as well as the soil (Baum & Parker 1973). In the year 1967, an Expert Committee of the WHO strongly termed against the use of dumping in the following words, “a most insanitary method that creates public health hazards, a nuisance and severe pollution of the environment” (WHO 1967). Controlled tipping is another method which is considered to be above the method of dumping. For this purpose, in which many piles of the solid waste are created and then they are covered with earth. This serves to assist in the early decomposition of the waste as well as the fact that light substances cannot be moved away by the wind due to the presence of earth on top. Incineration is also another method and it is considered to be hygienic because the waste does not remain anymore. In this method, all the waste is burnt. It is used in areas where sufficient land is not available for the purpose of discarding the solid waste. This method can serve as a reason for leading to air pollution and thus it also harms the environment (Baum & Parker 1973). The dumping of solid waste onto land can have many consequences. The leachate that is produced due to the dumping of the waste onto the sites can seep into the ground water. This seepage is possible despite of the fact that methods are employed for draining and then treating the leachate. The disposal of solid waste onto the land is not a very suitable option from the environmental point of view because it poses many hazards and risks. When the solid waste is dumped in the landfills, it leads to increased dust and unpleasant smell in the environment. It also harbors microorganisms as well as other gases that are produced from here. These include the land fill gases which are methane and carbon dioxide as well as other gases as well s exhaust gases which are emitted due to the combustion of the landfill gases. These gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide. Increased quantities of carbon dioxide and methane can be harmful for the environment as they promote global warming. On the other hand carbon monoxide can affect the normal respiration in the human beings the other gases are also harmful. These factors can serve to be harmful for the people who would be living near to the site of where the solid waste is dumped. These gases can also result in contaminating the soil as they are acidic in nature and hence they can serve to decrease the pH of the soil making it more acidic in nature and hence hindering the growth of normal vegetation. The soil might also be infiltrated with heavy metals and oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide can be very harmful for the crops that are already present. These substances can also have an impact of the health of the human beings and can serve as a reason for many health conditions which include congenital deformities, asthma, cancer as well as other pathologies of the respiratory tract might also result. The leachate contains different types of salts, heavy metals, sewer as well as other harmful substances. After the leachate leaks from the landfills through the possible sites, it goes to join the groundwater and the surface water and contaminates it with different metals as well as organic wastes. It can hence, be very harmful for the people who live nearby and consume the groundwater as well as the surface water for any purpose. They are hence exposed to disease and hence are vulnerable to develop health problems. Metals which include zinc, copper, lead, arsenic and other compounds can contaminate the land where the solid is dumped. This contamination can make this land unusable for any other purpose. The flora and the fauna which are associated with the land may get infiltrated and there may be deposition of these harmful metals within them (Chinese University of Hong Kong1984 and Sergi1990) The solid waste that is dumped onto land may contain plastics and other non biodegradable material which may persist for years without getting decomposed. These plastics and other substances might be drained into rivers and seas during rains if the landfill site if it is not properly isolated. This can have dire consequences for the life of the marine life and then also have secondary effects for human beings as well. The entering of contaminated water from landfill sites which might contain heavy metals can lead to infiltration of lakes, rivers or seas. This water can result in death of marine life. Those which actually survive might have very high amounts of metals like mercury present. This seafood might then be consumed by human beings and consumption of heavy metals can result in very serious health conditions. The plastics that float on the water might also be consumed by birds. If they are not consumed and left, they serve as spoiling the beauty of these water reservoirs (Clark & Macmohan1981 and Sergi 1990) There is no one best practicable environmental option to overcome the issues related with disposing of solid waste. It needs to be met and dealt by means of integrated pollution control methods so that not only the waste is disposed but also the environment is protected from any harm. The first and foremost step is reduction of the creation of unnecessary waste which could otherwise be prevented. The Environmental Protection Agency in the United States has upheld the creation of composts in each house’s yard. The compost may be filled with fallen leaves as well as branches of tress. Compost actually prevents the escaping of gases into the environment and also reduces the solid waste that reaches the landfill site. It also is a way of providing nutrition to the soil as the organic matter will eventually decompose naturally. Incineration is also an easy step but it may be performed after harmful substances are removed which when burnt can release harmful gases. Certain filtering mechanisms can be used to avoid the release of gases which are acidic into the environment. Recycling is also one of the best methods to reduce waste and put it into efficient use. Hence, people need to be informed about things and substances which can be recycled and they should be guided to prefer the recyclable ones. Proper awareness and education amongst the general public with regard to waste disposal as well as saving the environment is very important for preventing pollution as well as for the protection of the environment. Landfill sites if used need to properly checked and regulated. They should have proper boundaries and protection to prevent the seeping of leachate as well as the chances of the moving out of the solid waste from the landfills (United States1991 and Williamson 1972) With the increasing population of the world, there has been a rise in pollution and hence also a subsequent rise in the solid waste around the world. This has called for the employment of better techniques to overcome this problem as the unchecked dumping of the solid waste can be very hazardous for the human beings as well as for the environment that surrounds them. It can be a reason for water and soil pollution and it can also serve as a reason for many diseases in the human beings. Awareness and education regarding this matter needs to be spread amongst the general public. Environment friendly methods which include composting and recycling should be used more and more and the landfills should be properly monitored. Bibliography: Top of Form BAUM, B., & PARKER, C. H. (1973). Solid waste disposal. Ann Arbor, Mich, Ann Arbor Science Publishers. Top of Form CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG. (1984). Ecological aspects of solid waste disposal: proceedings of. Conservation & Recycling. 7, 2-4. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form CLARK, D. W., & MACMAHON, B. (1981). Preventive and community medicine. Boston, Little, Brown. Top of Form SERGI, T. L. (1990). Environmental & social impact of solid waste disposal. Thesis (M.B.A.)--Waynesburg College, 1990. Bottom of Form Top of Form UNITED STATES. (1991). Solid waste disposal. EPA technical information packages. Washington, DC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Office of International Activities, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form WHO (1967). Techn. Rep. Ser., No. 367 Top of Form WILLIAMSON, W. (1972). Aspects of waste disposal. [Toronto], Waste Management Branch, Ministry of the Environment. Bottom of Form Read More