154
• Problems linked with aviation due to birds flying above dump sites
• Erosion and stability problems in land fill or waste dump
• Increase in rodents and vectors
• Poor aesthetics
The word waste has many definitions. Primarily, it is any matter that does not
have an immediate use. However, a substance that is useless to some could be useful
to other persons.
A vegetarian can find a dead animal useless, but, for non-vegetarian, it is food.
Similarly, the excess food leftover in his or her plate may be useless to him or her,
but it is useful for piggeries, compost maker, and biogas generator.
The old tires may not be useful for the vehicle owner. However, cement kilns
may find it useful as fuel.
Any waste that is solid can be termed as solid waste. Waste in semisolid form is
semisolid waste. The semisolid waste will not have any definite shape and, also,
may not qualify to become liquid due to its resistance to flow. Many slurries from
industries and waste clotted blood from slaughterhouses may be considered as
examples of semisolid waste.
Solid waste is not something a developer or city planner thinks of in the early
stages of planning. Most often development authorities are different from that of
urban bodies. In the developing world, the city grows haphazardly without planning
engulfing the villages and agricultural area nearby, catering to the demand of
housing and development. As people start moving into new area and start generating
waste, the local bodies will then gear up to pick the waste either by outsourcing the
garbage collection service or recruiting new personnel.
The inability to pay salaries to waste collecting personnel or delay in payment to
waste collection subcontractors may add to additional burden on public health.
The non-identification or non-availability of waste disposal sites near urban bodies often results in disposal of waste in outskirts on common property such as forest,
lakes, wetlands, and beaches.
Some of the cities have seen sudden population explosion before administrators
can cope with the challenge. Delay in the recruitment of new personnel, indenting
contractors, locating suitable place for processing disposal, training new personnel,
hiring/buying new vehicle, allocating budget, etc. add to mismanagement of waste
at the cost of public health.
Solid waste can not only cause injury (due to sharp objects, slipperiness, fall of
objects, obstruction to movement, and other physical hazard) but also it can lead to
air and water pollution (Fig. 4.27) resulting in associated diseases.
Air pollution due to poor solid waste management can cause increase in the rates
of respiratory tract infections, intrauterine and infant mortality, behavioral problems, childhood asthma, congenital defects, decreased lung growth, neurocognitive
decrements, cardiovascular diseases, silicosis, and asbestosis.
Water pollution due to poor solid waste management can cause an array of diseases depending on the pollutants it carries, which can be communicable or
non-communicable.
4 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
• Problems linked with aviation due to birds flying above dump sites
• Erosion and stability problems in land fill or waste dump
• Increase in rodents and vectors
• Poor aesthetics
The word waste has many definitions. Primarily, it is any matter that does not
have an immediate use. However, a substance that is useless to some could be useful
to other persons.
A vegetarian can find a dead animal useless, but, for non-vegetarian, it is food.
Similarly, the excess food leftover in his or her plate may be useless to him or her,
but it is useful for piggeries, compost maker, and biogas generator.
The old tires may not be useful for the vehicle owner. However, cement kilns
may find it useful as fuel.
Any waste that is solid can be termed as solid waste. Waste in semisolid form is
semisolid waste. The semisolid waste will not have any definite shape and, also,
may not qualify to become liquid due to its resistance to flow. Many slurries from
industries and waste clotted blood from slaughterhouses may be considered as
examples of semisolid waste.
Solid waste is not something a developer or city planner thinks of in the early
stages of planning. Most often development authorities are different from that of
urban bodies. In the developing world, the city grows haphazardly without planning
engulfing the villages and agricultural area nearby, catering to the demand of
housing and development. As people start moving into new area and start generating
waste, the local bodies will then gear up to pick the waste either by outsourcing the
garbage collection service or recruiting new personnel.
The inability to pay salaries to waste collecting personnel or delay in payment to
waste collection subcontractors may add to additional burden on public health.
The non-identification or non-availability of waste disposal sites near urban bodies often results in disposal of waste in outskirts on common property such as forest,
lakes, wetlands, and beaches.
Some of the cities have seen sudden population explosion before administrators
can cope with the challenge. Delay in the recruitment of new personnel, indenting
contractors, locating suitable place for processing disposal, training new personnel,
hiring/buying new vehicle, allocating budget, etc. add to mismanagement of waste
at the cost of public health.
Solid waste can not only cause injury (due to sharp objects, slipperiness, fall of
objects, obstruction to movement, and other physical hazard) but also it can lead to
air and water pollution (Fig. 4.27) resulting in associated diseases.
Air pollution due to poor solid waste management can cause increase in the rates
of respiratory tract infections, intrauterine and infant mortality, behavioral problems, childhood asthma, congenital defects, decreased lung growth, neurocognitive
decrements, cardiovascular diseases, silicosis, and asbestosis.
Water pollution due to poor solid waste management can cause an array of diseases depending on the pollutants it carries, which can be communicable or
non-communicable.
4 Introduction to Environmental Sciences