Waste Management — I Impact of Waste Accumulation

The term 'waste' refers to any material that is discarded because it has served its purpose and is no longer useful.

Two sources of waste are-

1. Domestic waste like food leftovers, bits of paper etc.
2. Industrial waste like paints, sand, fly ash etc.

The 'use and throw' concept means to use any product only once and then dispose it.

For example, suppose we purchase a pen. After the ink is finished, we throw it away and buy a new pen instead of buying a refill and reusing the pen. If this example is followed by many people, the amount of waste will definitely increase in volume.

Thus, the 'use and throw' concept is responsible for the increase in waste generation.

Acid rain means the presence of excessive acids in rainwater.

Burning of coal, wood and petroleum produce sulphur and nitrogen. These two react with oxygen and are converted into their respective oxides- sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are soluble in water.

During rain, these oxides react with large quantities of water vapour in the atmosphere to form acids like sulphuric acid, sulphurous acid, nitric acid and nitrous acid. These acids, when they precipitate together with rain or snow form acid rain.

Impact of acid rain on the environment are as follows-

1. Acid rain increases the acidity in the soil and destroys forests and crops.
2. It corrodes buildings, monuments, statues, bridges, fences and railings.
3. It poses a serious threat to human health, since it contaminates air and water.
4. Aquatic species are affected due to acid rain.
5. Acid rain affects plant growth. Plant leaves get burnt and dry.

Ozone layer depletion is the thinning of the ozone layer present in the upper atmosphere. This happens when the chlorine and bromine atoms in the atmosphere come in contact with ozone and destroy the ozone molecules.

It is harmful because the ozone layer absorbs ultraviolet rays of the sun. But depletion of ozone layer allows the ultraviolet rays of the sun to reach the Earth directly without any obstacle or filtration.

Ultraviolet rays can harm the environment in the following ways-

1. They cause many diseases like skin cancer and cataract.
2. They can cause genetic disorders which ultimately affect heredity.
3. They disturb the ecological balance in marine ecosystem.
4. They can damage physical and chemical properties of any complex chemical substance.

E-waste or electronic waste refers to discarded electrical or electronic devices that are no longer useful to their users. This can happen due to redundancy, replacement by newer models, or damage.

Managing e-waste is challenging for several reasons:

• Rapid advances in technology lead to frequent upgrades and shorter product lifespans.
• E-waste contains hazardous substances like lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can harm the environment and human health if not disposed of properly.
• It requires specialised recycling and disposal processes, which are often lacking or poorly implemented in many areas.

As a result, e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world, accounting for more than 5% of all municipal solid waste.

Industries dealing with chemicals, pulp and paper, food processing, etc. produce various kinds of waste material. The smoke coming out from the factories has small particles of dust, carbon, metals, other solids, liquids and radioactive materials which get mixed in smoke and pollute the air.

The burning of sulphur in coal or heavy oil in thermal power plants releases sulphur dioxide in the air. Sulphur dioxide combines with oxygen and water to form sulphuric acid in the atmosphere which is a health hazard. Besides, it produces acid rain.

In winter, smog, a combination of smoke and fog envelopes many cities creating health hazards and traffic problems. Smog is harmful for health as it causes asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, eye and nose irritation, etc. It also reduces visibility and leads to problems in traffic movement.

Industrial waste like heavy metals or synthetic organic compounds reach water bodies either through direct discharge or by leaching from waste dumps. Among the heavy metals, cadmium, lead, mercury, copper, chromium etc., get into water.

The industrial waste mixed with water makes it poisonous and unhygienic. It may also cause various diseases in humans and animals, if consumed without treatment.

(i) Poor waste management leads to soil depletion because improper disposal of waste, especially in open dumps, leads to soil contamination with harmful chemicals and pollutants, reducing its fertility and overall health.

(ii) COVID-19 pandemic increased waste production because of the extensive use of single-use protective gear like masks, gloves, PPE kits, and sanitization products, which were often disposed of improperly. These items, mostly made of plastic, significantly contributed to biomedical and plastic waste during the pandemic.

(iii) With advancement in Information Technology, new electronic goods are being produced at a fast rate and this results in an increase in volume of obsolete electronic products. This is why e-waste is rapidly increasing.

Eutrophication is the process of depletion of oxygen from water bodies occurring either naturally or due to human activities.

Under normal conditions, algae and phytoplankton use carbon dioxide, inorganic nitrogen and phosphate from the water as food. They serve as food for the zooplankton, which in turn are eaten by fish.

When nutrients become abundant due to waste accumulation, the growth of phytoplankton and algae increases. They reduce the penetration of oxygen, light and heat into the water body. As a result, the aquatic plants are unable to carry out photosynthesis reducing the content of oxygen in the water. This causes death of most of the aquatic organisms, draining water of all its oxygen.

Waste dumped near a water source percolates through the soil into the water bodies and contaminates the water. This results in the accumulation of toxic substances in the water bodies and further in the food chain through plants and animals that feed on it.

The contaminated water may cause various water borne diseases like typhoid, cholera etc., if the water is consumed without treatment.

(i) Marine animals and turtles are found dead in many coastal areas due to plastic debris in the ocean. More than 80% of this plastic comes from land. It washes out from the beaches and streets. It travels through storm drains into streams and rivers. It flies away from landfills into seas. In the ocean, this plastic waste breaks down into smaller pieces, which are easily ingested by marine animals causing blockages in their digestive tracts and eventual death. Marine turtles are more susceptible to the effects of consuming marine debris because they have downward facing spines which prevent the possibility of regurgitation.

(ii) Radioactive waste is more harmful than other waste because radioactive wastes cause pollution and damage the environment and the high level products of nuclear wastes remain in the environment for several hundred years.

(iii) Uncontrolled burning of waste creates smoke and other air pollutants that release toxic substances into the environment and cause air pollution.

Biomagnification refers to the increase in the concentration of various toxic substances along the food chain.

Toxic substances at the level of primary producers get concentrated at each trophic level as they move up the food chain. The phenomenon of concentrated toxic deposition at the higher trophic level is known as bio-accumulation.

For example, if there are traces of toxic chemicals in water, then their concentration in algae will be much higher. When fish eat the algae, the concentration of toxins will increase further. Therefore, accumulation of a small amount of toxic chemicals in water can have a serious impact on the fish that live in it. Further, when the fish are consumed by humans and other animals, these toxins can cause various kinds of diseases in them.

Two diseases which occur because of waste accumulation on land are-

1. Malaria
2. Dengue

Two common diseases caused as a result of gaseous pollution are-

1. Bronchitis
2. Lung cancer

Three water-borne diseases are-

1. Diarrhoea
2. Cholera
3. Typhoid

The problem with waste is that it remains in our environment. We move waste from one place to another but never get rid of it completely. Nature has recycled waste materials for millions of years. However, human population has increased so rapidly during the last century that the environment is now threatened by our activities and the wastes they produce. Much damage is done to the environment by the pollution of air, degradation of soils and contamination of water sources like rivers, lakes etc.

There is a close connection between the waste, pollution and the damage to the environment. Waste causes pollution, which in turn causes the damage. The dangers posed by global pollution due to accumulation of wastes, threaten the survival of the ecosystem and call for the need to manage waste.

To reduce its waste, Mumbai can take the following steps:

1. Waste Segregation at Home: People should separate wet waste (like food) and dry waste (like plastic and paper) before throwing it out. This makes it easier to recycle or compost the waste.

2. Composting Wet Waste: The wet waste can be turned into compost or used to make biogas, instead of sending it to landfills.

3. Recycling Dry Waste: Mumbai can set up more centers to recycle dry waste like plastic, glass, and metal.

4. Awareness Campaigns: The government can run campaigns to teach people how to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.

5. Company Responsibility: Companies should be made responsible for collecting and managing the waste created by their products.

6. Better Waste Collection: Making sure garbage is collected regularly can stop people from dumping it in the open.

7. Reduce-Reuse-Recycle the waste.

Methane gas is gas produced by the decomposition of accumulated waste.

This gas is highly inflammable, and can cause an explosion if not managed properly.

(i) 'Use and throw' concept generates more waste because this concepts means to use any product only once and then dispose it. Therefore, after using a product only once, it is neither re-used nor recycled, but disposed once and for all. And since people are using this concept in modern times, the generation of waste is increasing to new levels.

(ii) Run off from fields leads to death in adjacent water bodies because the fertilisers and pesticides used in the fields have chemicals. When they reach the water bodies, the toxins present in the waste can kill aquatic organisms directly by sufficiently changing the pH of water, covering the water surface and causing a reduction in dissolved oxygen. The aquatic organisms may also become victims of bio-magnification and bio-accumulation.

(iii) Birds feeding on agricultural waste are at the brink of extinction because feeding on agricultural waste affects them adversely. Such birds have thinner and weaker egg shells and increased mortality.

The rise in average mean temperature of the earth on account of enhanced concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is known as global warming.

Two Greenhouse gases are-

1. Carbon dioxide
2. Methane

(a) The cause for the massive municipal solid waste management problem in Delhi is excessive generation of solid waste combined with inadequate waste processing and disposal systems.

(b) Three different methods of treating municipal solid waste like the type generated in Delhi are:

1. Composting: Organic waste such as food scraps and garden waste can be biologically decomposed to form compost, which can be used as a natural fertilizer.
2. Incineration: This involves burning waste at high temperatures to reduce its volume and sometimes generate electricity. However, it must be done in a controlled environment to avoid air pollution.
3. Recycling and Resource Recovery: Waste materials like plastic, paper, glass, and metals can be sorted and processed to be reused in manufacturing new products, reducing the need for raw materials and saving energy.

(c) An individual can reduce waste generation in the following ways:

1. Use reusable items like cloth bags, metal bottles, and containers instead of single-use plastics.
2. Avoid the use-and-throw habit by repairing and reusing items instead of discarding them quickly.
3. Segregate waste at home into dry, wet, and hazardous categories to help in proper recycling and disposal.
4. Compost kitchen waste like fruit peels and vegetable scraps at home.
5. Buy only what is needed to avoid wastage of food and other goods.

(d) Delhi can manage its waste more effectively by learning from Indore, which has been ranked as India’s cleanest city for several years. Here’s how Delhi can follow Indore’s example:

1. Door-to-door waste collection: Like Indore, Delhi can ensure that waste is collected daily from each household and shop to prevent roadside dumping.
2. Waste segregation at source: Indore citizens separate dry and wet waste before disposal. Delhi can promote awareness and strict rules to do the same.
3. Use of composting and recycling plants: Indore processes almost all of its waste. Delhi can increase its number of compost and recycling centers to reduce landfill use.
4. Strict monitoring and fines: Indore uses CCTV and teams to check for violations. Delhi can adopt similar systems to encourage discipline.
5. Public participation: Indore succeeded due to citizen involvement. Delhi can launch awareness drives and school programs to promote cleanliness as everyone’s responsibility.

(a) Rag pickers play a very important role in managing the waste generated in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. They are an important part of the waste management system in cities because they help in:

1. Reducing the amount of waste going to landfills by collecting recyclable materials like plastic, glass, and metal.
2. Saving energy and resources, as the materials they collect can be reused or recycled.
3. Supporting the environment by reducing pollution and helping in proper waste segregation.

(b) Schools and educational institutions can aid in reduction of waste through following ways:

1. Spreading Awareness about waste segregation, recycling, and the harmful effects of plastic.
2. Set up separate bins for dry and wet waste in school premises to teach proper waste segregation.
3. Encourage digital homework, double-sided printing, and reusing notebooks to minimize paper use.
4. Start eco-clubs where students take up green projects like making compost pits, collecting e-waste, or organizing clean-up drives.
5. Ban single-use plastics in canteens and during school events; promote cloth bags, steel bottles, and tiffins.

(c)

(i) Lower per capita waste generation in Bengaluru could be due to several possible reasons:

1. Higher Public Awareness
2. Better Waste Management Policies
3. Tech-Savvy Population
4. Composting and Recycling practice in households
5. Greater Use of Reusables

(ii) Lower per capita waste generation in Mumbai could be due to the following reasons:

1. High Population Density
2. Limited Living Space
3. Informal Recycling Sector (Rag pickers and waste workers)
4. Economic Constraints
5. Strict Civic Monitoring

(d) The high per capita waste generation in Ahmedabad and Chennai can be explained by the following reasons:

1. Higher Consumption Patterns: Both cities have growing urban middle-class populations with higher purchasing power, leading to more consumption and consequently more waste.

2. Urban Lifestyle: The use-and-throw culture is more prevalent in urban areas which generates more non-biodegradable waste.

3. Economic Growth: With industrialization and better living standards, more waste is generated through commercial and domestic activities.

4. Lack of Awareness and Segregation: In many parts of these cities, awareness about waste segregation is still developing, and mixed waste disposal contributes to higher measurable waste volumes.

5. Rag pickers and waste workers may not be very active.

waste

Both A and R are true but R does not explain A.

Explanation — Assertion (A) is true because the "use and throw" culture leads to rapid disposal of items, especially plastics and electronics, contributing significantly to waste accumulation.
Reason (R) is also true; technological development has led to increased production and consumption, which in turn increases waste generation.
However, R does not directly explain A—the "use and throw" mindset is a social and consumer behaviour issue, not just a result of technological development.

construction waste

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation — Agricultural wastes cause environmental problems because if they are not disposed of properly, they become breeding ground for pathogens.

Steel

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation — With advancement in Information Technology, new electronic goods are being produced at a fast rate and this results in an increase in volume of obsolete electronic products. This is why e-waste is one of the fastest growing waste.

Eutrophication

Toxic waste

Both A and R are true but R does not explain A.

Explanation — Assertion (A) talks about the factors contributing to rise of Biomedical waste, while Reason (R) talks about the sophisticated processes required for proper disposal of biomedical waste. Hence, Reason (R) does not explain Assertion (A).

fermentation

Biomagnification

Bio-accumulation

Big fish

Global Warming

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Explanation — Use of fossil fuels, population growth and reduced green cover result in GHG emissions, which further leads to climate change.

India's GHG emission are lower than China's.

Five measures to reduce accumulation of waste are:

1. Implement comprehensive waste reduction and recycling programs to encourage waste separation and divert waste from landfills.
2. Adopt extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies to hold manufacturers accountable for product lifecycle and promote sustainable design and disposal practices.
3. Transition to a circular economy model that emphasizes reusing, repurposing, and refurbishing products, reducing waste generation.
4. Conduct education and awareness campaigns to inform the public about responsible consumption, waste segregation and recycling techniques.
5. Promote composting and organic waste management to divert organic waste from landfills and produce nutrient-rich compost for agricultural purposes.

These measures can help reduce waste accumulation, conserve resources and mitigate the environmental impact of waste generation.

Three global environmental challenges and their probable remedies are as follows:

Land and soil pollution —

Both open dumps and landfills may contain toxins that seep into the soil and cause soil pollution. Scavengers and stray animals invade the open garbage dumps and spread the waste over a large area, thereby, spreading germs and diseases as well as destroying the beauty of the place.

Remedy —

1. Implement strict waste management practices, including proper landfill design, lining, and leachate collection systems.
2. Promote waste reduction, recycling, and composting to minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Air pollution —

Improper waste incineration and open burning release harmful pollutants into the air, contributing to air pollution and respiratory health issues. As accumulated waste decomposes, it produces a large quantity of methane gas. This is highly inflammable, and can cause an explosion if not managed properly.

Remedy —

1. Promote waste-to-energy technologies that use proper incineration methods and emissions control systems.
2. Encourage the adoption of cleaner energy sources and waste management strategies that prioritize recycling and composting over incineration.

Water pollution —

Water pollution occurs when people discharge large amount of waste into water bodies, and the natural cleansing process in the water bodies cannot function properly. The process of eutrophication takes place due to introduction of nutrients and chemicals through discharge of domestic sewage, industrial effluents and fertilizers from agricultural fields. This causes death of most of the aquatic organisms, draining water of all its oxygen.

Remedy —

1. Implement effective waste management systems, including proper waste collection, recycling, and awareness campaigns to discourage littering.
2. Encourage the use of reusable and sustainable materials to reduce plastic waste.