Environmental Impacts of an Organisation - Coursework Example

Student Name : xxxxxxxxxx Tutor : xxxxxxxxx Title: Environmental impact assessment. Date: xxxxxxxxxx ©2016 Environmental impact assessment. Introduction Universities and organizations around the world have various environmental impacts to the immediate environment. We settled on the University of Tripoli which is in Libya a third world country in North Africa. It is the largest university in Libya with a student population of more than 45000 students and located in the center of Tripoli (the capital city of Libya). Having been formed as a branch of the University of Libya in 1957 and later became independent in 1973. Environmental impact refers to the effect of a given feature to the immediate environment. It involves analyzing how a particular project affect, that is its impact and the extent to which it will have on the physical environment, the biochemical and the socioeconomic environment. Especially around the area of the project. Most of the times the environmental impact assessment gets carried out before the construction begins, as the building is constructed and after the construction. However, the environmental impacts are felt continuous to the immediate environment as long as the institution exists. Here, we will concentrate on the consequences after the facility is constructed. This is because, at the moment the university is already up and running and thus the data of the solid waste during construction is not possible to ascertain. Therefore our research will be considering the solid waste generated after construction. Case Study – Solid Waste After consultation with the other group members, we settled on pollution due to waste disposal. Each person had their proposal as shown in the summary of the minutes taken out of the group meeting. Minutes of a meeting held on 15th of January, 2016 to determine the environmental impact problem to discuss among many others that may arise. Each of the group members had their suggestions, and thus, we had to come up with the most deserving environmental impact. A suggested that we look at the noise pollution and its effect on the environment. Noise is one of the menaces affecting most of the urban centers. However, being an institution of higher learning, noise is highly reduced, and most of the noise come from the busy Tripoli city. Therefore, noise pollution was not an important factor affecting the institution. I suggested water pollution. Being in an environment that is well built, and having the various institution such as the school of medicine, chemicals from the University of Tripoli. It would lead to acid rains caused by released gases such as SO2, CO2, etc. Also, if the chemicals are released into the water bodies without being treated can damage the ecosystem of the water body. It can also lead to eutrophication which causes a rapid growth of phytoplankton that can be detrimental to the survival of aquatic life. M suggested air pollution which is as a result of the chemicals released into the air. The toxicants such as COx, SOx, when released into the air from the laboratories, can lead to pollution of the air. However, this effect is at a very low rate that the effects are less significant. Mitigation measures have been put in place, and thus, air pollution is minimal. M suggested waste disposal as an environmental impact. Waste originates from various locations the institution. Ranging from foods stuff to polyvinyl plastics and e-waste all this waste if not well handled can result in a negative impact on the environment. Looking at the present state of the university we decided to base our research on solid waste and how it is managed. Below are the various images of the waste around the university. Figure 1: Sample image of poor solid waste management Accumulation of waste and poor dumping can lead to a poor aesthetic rating of the scene, a collection of insects such as mosquitos which carry the Malaria virus. The impact process map showing the environmental impact due to the University of Tripoli. In waste disposal, the following got looked at. a) Hazardous waste- Persistent Organic Compounds (POCs) form a significant proportion of the compounds found in solid waste, with an infinite possibilities to combine new substances. Severe environmental damage is caused by some of these POCs in the sea especially since most of the chemical refuse from the University labs gets disposed into the Mediterranean Sea. Effects take place at metabolic and physiological levels, both in marine vertebrates and invertebrates. In addition to the persistent organic compounds, other hazardous waste such as insecticides, especially from the school’s agricultural farms may be washed into the sea via rain water or canals. The pharmaceuticals and solvents from the University’s medical labs is channeled into the sea accidentally when some of it is untreated and hence toxic to the environment. The high number of organic substances are due to the numerous possible substituents and substitution patterns. In fact, there are only a few hazardous chemicals, and in the marine environment, the acute toxicity of components is only relevant after accidental spills where the hazardous waste is released from the university untreated (Townley, 1969; pp.63-65). The more significant side-effects that poor management could pose to Tripoli University students and staff may result from chronic exposure to even relatively low concentrations. This may affect reproduction, immunology, and carcinogenicity of those exposed. b) Biodegradable waste- It includes food stuff such as fruit peels and food leftovers. Most of this biosolids spill over the cans which have well been distributed throughout the institution. However in the residential halls, the dumpsites are littered with all manners of the waste of which 70% is biosolids. The rise in methane releases into the atmosphere which is a greenhouse gas is a result of this phenomenon. The dump site also produces a pungent smell and makes the place disgusting and unaesthetic (Williams, pp.45-50). c) Non-biodegradable waste- Includes the polyethylene bags and the plastic bottles which are generated by both student fraternity and the university’s departments, for instance, the medical department and the students’ hostel and shops. This waste having been thrown everywhere is a source of anesthetic scenes. This plastics also become a brooding place for the disease-causing microorganisms or insects. Mitigation Measures 1. Landfills Waste which is biodegradable can be disposed off in landfills and dump sites in a designated place within the university land. The university can use the local authorities to collect this biodegradable waste into the municipal landfills or dumpsites (McBean, pp.23-27). Financial Implications The cost of constructing a land fill ranges from US $ 100,000-500,000 depending on the size of the land fill and the amount of waste to be put there. This cost is to be used to purchase the construction materials and their transportation, pay for the labor, and expertise required. The overall payback period for the landfill is estimated 4 years if the leachate and the gas obtained from the land fill is put to economic use. This is the time that it will take the landfill to pay back or generate enough money to cover for the cost used for the construction. Advantages Landfills are advantageous in that the leachate collected could be used as fertilizer for the agricultural farms (Renou, pp.468-493). Also, the landfills could be used for alternative activities such as scenic parks where people can relax or recreational activities such as a football pitch (Kjeldsen, pp.297-336). Disadvantage The use of the landfills is however more expensive compared to other measures such as composting. They require expertise to construct and also they require a huge area of land with a generally flat topography. 2. Compost pit Thus is used to store biodegradable waste till it decomposes and turns to manure. A compost pit is dug where the dirt is put. Financial Implications The cost of constructing a compost pit is relatively low, since it involves digging a pit which can be done manual and thus depended on the cost of labor which the engineer can determine on site. The total cost for a compost pit is roughly 2000 dollars. This cost is to be used to purchase the construction materials and their transportation, pay for the labor, and expertise required. The overall payback period for the compost does not exceed 3 years if the manure obtained from the compost is put to economic use. This is the time that it will take the compost pit to pay back or generate enough money to cover for the cost used for the construction. Advantages Home composting promotes onsite recycling of plant nutrients contained in yard trimmings and reduces the potential for nutrients to enter surface waters (Simmons, pp.13-18). Unlike most commercial fertilizers, compost releases nutrients slowly and is a source of trace metals. When added as a change to lawn or garden soils, compost raises the organic content of the soil, which then increase infiltration, reduces surface runoff, and decreases the need for watering. Sediment and bound nutrients in soils with high organic content are less mobile and less likely to migrate from the site. The application of compost may also result in increased plant health and vigor, allowing for the reduced use of pesticides. Disadvantage The dirt can easily be blown off by the wind and thus causing the whole area to be littered with waste. 3. Public awareness Promote public awareness programs regarding proper use and disposal of household hazardous materials and chemicals (Simmons, pp.13-18). It is crucial especially since this is a student setting. Most of the waste are thrown around are by students who dispose of the solid waste especially the polyvinyl bags. By educating the students on the appropriate solid waste disposal measures. The provision of information regarding the environmental impacts of everyday household activities can produce long-term changes in behavior and could result in significant reductions in hostel-generated pollutants. School curricula on watershed protection, including nonpoint pollution control, have been developed for elementary and secondary school education programs. An example is a program developed by the Washington State Office of Environmental Education (Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, pp 38-45). Incorporating such ideas into regular school curricula is an effective way to raise awareness among the youth. The importance aspects ought to be the significance of environmentally conscious behavior, which in turn can help reduce the need for and cost of technology-based pollution control. Support and collaborate with the private sector and other organizations to undertake campaigns and public relations, for the public and operators or owners of commercial facilities to gain knowledge, understand and participate in responsible for the management of water quality and control of wastewater discharge at its origin (Naja, pp.312-325). Advantage By educating the students on the appropriate solid waste disposal measures and also, it provides for a long term solution to waste disposal management compared to other methods. 4. Incinerators Use of incinerators especially for plastics which are non-recycled due to the presence of chemicals especially from the medical and food processing plants (Tchobanoglous, pp 45-47). The incinerators would be fitted with wire mesh chambers which trap the poisonous gas particles and only allow non-pollutant gas to pass. Incinerators are important because they reduce the number the amount of space that could be wasted by dumpsites or dug pits for burying the toxic plastic storages (Lee, pp.143-151). Incinerators are cheap to construct except for the toxic fumes removal chamber. Financial Implication The cost of putting up an incinerator plant for the University would be $250-1000 according to www.acted.org . This cost is to be used to purchase the construction materials and their transportation, pay for the labor, and expertise required. The payback period for the incinerator on the other hand would be 3.2 years according to www.wt-energy.com. This is the time that it will take the landfill to pay back or generate enough money to cover for the cost used for the construction. Advantages Reduce the number the amount of space that could be wasted by dumpsites or dug pits for burying the toxic plastic storages. Incinerators are cheap to construct except for the toxic fumes removal chamber. The incinerators would be fitted with wire mesh chambers which trap the poisonous gas particles and only allow non-pollutant gas to pass. Disadvantages Incinerators with the fumes removal chamber require expertise to construct. Conclusion Poor solid waste management can be a hazardous public menace but with sufficient management and control, solid waste can even be used economically References Naja, G.M. and Volesky, B., 2013. Sewage of Tripoli: a review of the current situation and of the future planning. International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, 16(4), pp.312-325. McBean, E.A., Rovers, F.A. and Farquahar, G.J., 1995. Solid waste landfill; engineering and design. Prentice Hall. Tchobanoglous, G., Theisen, H. and Vigil, S., 1993. Integrated solid waste management: engineering principles and management issues. McGraw-Hill, Inc.. Townley, D.A., 1969. Solid Wastes Problems and Programs: A Challenge to the Professional Sanitarian. Journal of Milk and Food Technology (JMFT), 32(2), pp.63-65. Williams, P.T., 2013. Waste treatment and disposal. John Wiley & Sons. Renou, S., Givaudan, J.G., Poulain, S., Dirassouyan, F. and Moulin, P., 2008. Landfill leachate treatment: review and opportunity. Journal of hazardous materials, 150(3), pp.468-493. Kjeldsen, P., Barlaz, M.A., Rooker, A.P., Baun, A., Ledin, A. and Christensen, T.H., 2002. Present and long-term composition of MSW landfill leachate: a review. Critical reviews in environmental science and technology, 32(4), pp.297-336. Simmons, D. and Widmar, R., 1990. Motivations and barriers to recycling: Toward a strategy for public education. The Journal of Environmental Education, 22(1), pp.13-18. Lee, C.C. and Huffman, G.L., 1989. Incineration of solid waste. Environmental progress, 8(3), pp.143-151. Read More