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Table 4.3 Examples of solid waste categorization and health hazard
Sl.
no. Type
Subtype
Health hazard
1. Municipal solid
waste
Metal waste
May cause injury
Food waste
Hosts pathogen, attracts rodents
Ash
Heavy metal contamination
Waste leather
Hosts infectious fungus
Waste rubber
Combustible material, may cause injury
Waste glass
May cause injury
2. Electronic
waste
End-of-life (EOL)
electronic
equipment
Some metal may be poisonous (mercury, lead, etc.)
Some chemicals used in consumables may be toxic
(mercury, cadmium, lead, etc.)
End-of-life
electronic
consumables
Rejected electronic
components during
manufacturing
Electronic items
damaged during
transportation
Waste generated
due to absolute
technology
3. Biomedical
waste
Anatomical waste Causes infection, toxic
Radiotoxicity, injury, and infection
Pharmaceutical
waste
Radioactive waste
Waste sharps
Soiled waste
Ash of incinerated
biomedical waste
Animal waste
Chemical waste
Genotoxic waste
Pathological waste
4. Slaughter waste Bones
May cause injury and infection; may host rodents
and vectors
Feathers
Waste from
digestive system
(continued)
4 Introduction to Environmental Sciences