162
The health impact of solid waste management as well as disposal activities is
partly understood. Living in the surrounding area of a landfill and incinerator can
result in risk for health of people through inhalation, contact with polluted water/
soil, consumption of contaminated food, etc. Contamination of food traded in
unsanitary conditions near waste in developing countries causes major health hazards since food is handled and piled on the ground.
Municipal solid waste composition is not uniform. While some substances in the
waste exist in large quantities, others will be present at extremely low levels
(Johnson and DeRosa 1997). But the substances in low quantity can have high
health risks. Similarly, the composition of landfill gas will have gases in small quantities, which would cause health hazards. Landfill gases comprise mainly of carbon
dioxide and methane, while mercury vapor, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic
compounds are at around 0.5% (Zmirou et al. 1994). WHO expert group recommended priority pollutants must be defined on the basis of mobility, environmental
persistence, bioaccumulation toxicity, and other hazards such as explosivity
(WHO 2000).
Table 4.4 Some of the major disasters due to improper waste disposal
Incident
Description
Date
Location
Aberfan accident
Spillage of coal waste
1966
United
Kingdom
Acerinox disaster
Contamination with radioactive
substance
1998
Spain
Addis Ababa
Garbage landslide
2017
Ethiopia
Ajka alumina plant disaster
Spillage of caustic waste
2010
Hungary
Atari video game burial
disaster
Burial of electronic hardware
1983
United States
Bajzë Rail Station disaster
Contamination with chemical
1991
Albania
Buffalo Creek Flood
Coal slurry impound spill
1972
United States
Friendly Floatees
Flotsam
1992
Ocean
Goiânia accident
Radioactive contamination
1987
Brazil
Hansa Carrier
Flotsam
1990
Ocean
Kingston Fossil Plant disaster Coal fly ash slurry spill
2008
United States
Mapua contaminated site
disaster
Toxic waste
1932–
1988
New Zealand
Maputo
Garbage landslide
2018
Mozambique
Martin County sludge spill
Water pollution
2000
United States
Mayapuri
Radioactive contamination
1986
India
Meethotamulla
Garbage landslide
2017
Sri Lanka
Minamata Bay mercury
poisoning
Cause of Minamata disease
1932–
1968
Japan
Pune
Garbage landslide
2014
India
Seveso disaster
Toxic pollutant
1976
Italy
Source: Wikipedia (2018), Pappas (2017), Xinhua (2018), and India Times (2014)
4 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
The health impact of solid waste management as well as disposal activities is
partly understood. Living in the surrounding area of a landfill and incinerator can
result in risk for health of people through inhalation, contact with polluted water/
soil, consumption of contaminated food, etc. Contamination of food traded in
unsanitary conditions near waste in developing countries causes major health hazards since food is handled and piled on the ground.
Municipal solid waste composition is not uniform. While some substances in the
waste exist in large quantities, others will be present at extremely low levels
(Johnson and DeRosa 1997). But the substances in low quantity can have high
health risks. Similarly, the composition of landfill gas will have gases in small quantities, which would cause health hazards. Landfill gases comprise mainly of carbon
dioxide and methane, while mercury vapor, hydrogen sulfide, and volatile organic
compounds are at around 0.5% (Zmirou et al. 1994). WHO expert group recommended priority pollutants must be defined on the basis of mobility, environmental
persistence, bioaccumulation toxicity, and other hazards such as explosivity
(WHO 2000).
Table 4.4 Some of the major disasters due to improper waste disposal
Incident
Description
Date
Location
Aberfan accident
Spillage of coal waste
1966
United
Kingdom
Acerinox disaster
Contamination with radioactive
substance
1998
Spain
Addis Ababa
Garbage landslide
2017
Ethiopia
Ajka alumina plant disaster
Spillage of caustic waste
2010
Hungary
Atari video game burial
disaster
Burial of electronic hardware
1983
United States
Bajzë Rail Station disaster
Contamination with chemical
1991
Albania
Buffalo Creek Flood
Coal slurry impound spill
1972
United States
Friendly Floatees
Flotsam
1992
Ocean
Goiânia accident
Radioactive contamination
1987
Brazil
Hansa Carrier
Flotsam
1990
Ocean
Kingston Fossil Plant disaster Coal fly ash slurry spill
2008
United States
Mapua contaminated site
disaster
Toxic waste
1932–
1988
New Zealand
Maputo
Garbage landslide
2018
Mozambique
Martin County sludge spill
Water pollution
2000
United States
Mayapuri
Radioactive contamination
1986
India
Meethotamulla
Garbage landslide
2017
Sri Lanka
Minamata Bay mercury
poisoning
Cause of Minamata disease
1932–
1968
Japan
Pune
Garbage landslide
2014
India
Seveso disaster
Toxic pollutant
1976
Italy
Source: Wikipedia (2018), Pappas (2017), Xinhua (2018), and India Times (2014)
4 Introduction to Environmental Sciences