HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT

(SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT)

UNIT 5
 Topics
1. Definition of Hazardous Waste
2. Source of Hazardous Wastes
3. Characteristics of Hazardous Waste
4. List of Hazardous Waste
5. Hazardous Chemicals
6. Waste Control Measures
7. Waste Treatment Methods
8. Waste Disposal Methods
 Hazardous Waste
A Hazardous Waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or
capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment.

Examples include drain cleaners, oil paint, motor oil, antifreeze, fuel,
poisons, pesticides, herbicides and rodenticides, fluorescent lamps, lamp
ballasts, smoke detectors, medical waste, some types of cleaning
chemicals, and consumer electronics (such as televisions, computers, and
cell phones).
 Source of Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste is generated from many sources, ranging from industrial
manufacturing process wastes to batteries and may come in many forms, including
liquids, solids gases, and sludges. It includes
 Clinical wastes;
 Waste oils/water, hydrocarbons/water mixtures, emulsions;
 Wastes from the production, formulation and use of resins, latex, plasticizers,
glues/adhesives;
 Wastes resulting from surface treatment of metals and plastics;
 Residues arising from industrial waste disposal operations;
 Wastes which contain certain compounds such as: copper, zinc, cadmium,
mercury, lead and asbestos.
 Household waste; or Residues arising from the incineration of household waste.
 Concern about Hazardous Waste
• Cause of mass life and material damage and loss (disability, death, fire,
explosion)
• Cause of environmental damages: water, solid and air pollution (under
ground and surface drinking water)
• Cause of potential increased chemical bioaccumulation that is hard for
biodegradability (chlorine containing chemicals)
• Cause of long term irreversible health risks
• High concern of trans-boundary movement of toxic waste
• Cause of massive toxic health damages
 How to classify whether the waste is
Hazardous or not?
• Using defined list of criteria (as specified by US-EPA)
• Identifying components of Waste
• Based on Characteristics of Waste
• Reviewing literature about the inherent characteristics of Waste
 Classification of Hazardous Waste
1. Listed Waste by US Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA)
a) F-List
b) K-List
c) P-List and U-List
2. Characterized Waste
a) Ignitability
b) Corrosivity
c) Reactivity
d) Toxicity
3. Universal Waste
a) Batteries
b) Pesticides
c) Equipment containing mercury
d) Lamps containing mercury
4. Mixed Waste: Radioactive + Hazardous
5. E-Waste: Electrical Waste, Electronic Waste
 US-EPA: List of Hazardous Waste
Hazardous Waste categorized by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
F-List:
Wastes on this list are created from common manufacturing and industrial processes. Because
these wastes are produced in multiple industries, they are known as “non-specific source
waste.”

K-List:
Wastes, including sludge or wastewater, from a selection of specific industries, such as
petroleum refining or pesticide manufacturing, are included on this list. Since we know the
industry they are produced in, they are called “source-specific wastes.”

P-list and U-list:

Wastes on this lists are commercial chemical products being discarded in their unused form.
They become hazardous when discarded.
 Characteristics of Hazardous Waste
 Explosive
 Flammable and Ignitable (flash point < 600c): Solvent washes, petroleum wastes, waste oil,
alcohols, paint wastes, cleaning solvents etc.
 Corrosive: acid sludges, battery acid waste, caustic waste water, alkaline cleaning waste,
rust remove waste, etc
 Poisonous
 Toxic
 Ecotoxic
 Infectious Substances: medical waste containing microbial cultures, pathological wastes,
contaminated human blood, etc.
 Reactive: Cyanide Plating waste, waste containing strong oxidizers such as chlorine,
ozone, peroxides, permanganates, Hcl etc.
 Radioactive: Uranium, molybdenum, cobalt, iodine etc.
 Bioaccumulate: Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), dioxin
 Hazardous Chemicals
1. Arsenic: Arsenic gets released into groundwater through agriculture, wood preservatives, and glass
production. It can cause cancer, respiratory, and circulatory problems.

2. Lead: Lead is a hazardous chemical that often occurs near mining sites. It can get into the food chain
and cause heart disease.

3. Benzene: Benzene can be released into the environment because of gasoline vapors and automobile
exhaust, and has been linked to leukemia.

4. Chromium: Chromium has been used in the natural gas industry to prevent machinery from rusting.

5. Toluene: Toluene can enter the environment through its use in solvents and petroleum products. If
inhaled at heavy doses, it can damage the central nervous system.

6. Cadmium: Highly toxic even in low doses, cadmium is most found in industrialized areas and is released
into the environment through fuel combustion, incorrectly handled sewage sludge, and fertilizers.
 Hazardous Chemicals
7. Zinc: Zinc can be released into the atmosphere due to galvanized metal surfaces, motor oil
spills, and tire dust, and can accumulate through stormwater runoff and harm fish and other
aquatic life.

8. Mercury: Mercury gets into the atmosphere through metal processing, coal burning, medical
waste, and more. The health problems it engenders are many: brain damage, and kidney and
immune system problems can result from overexposure to mercury.

9. Pesticides: Used in industrial-scale agriculture, pesticides accumulate through water runoff

and find their way into water supplies. They can cause neurological and reproductive disorders.

10. E-Waste: When electronics are incorrectly disposed of, hazardous substances like lead,
mercury, and arsenic can leak out, contaminating their surroundings, such as when they’re in a
landfill. Over time, these metals and compounds seep into the soil, and through
bioaccumulation are passed along the food chain.
 Hazardous Waste Control Measures
1. Source Reduction
a) Technological Efficiency
b) Material Substitute
c) Good Management Practice
2. Waste Avoidance
3. Waste Minimization
4. Water Recycling
a) Direct Reuse
b) Reclamation
5. Waste Treatment
6. Waste Disposal
 Hazardous Waste Treatment Methods
1. Physical Methods:
a) Drying
b) Screening
c) Grinding
d) Evaporation
e) Sedimentation
f) Filtration
g) Fixation
2. Chemical Methods:
a) Oxidation
b) Reduction
c) Neutralization
d) Hydrolysis
 Hazardous Waste Treatment Methods
3. Biological Methods
a) Composting
b) Aerobic and Anaerobic Decomposition
c) Activated Sludge
d) Enzyme treatment
4. Thermal Methods
a) Incineration
b) Boiling
c) Autoclaving
d) UV Treatment
e) Microwave Use
 Hazardous Waste Disposal Methods
1. Land Farming: Treated waste can be used as a fertilizer or soil conditioner
2. Deep well Injection:
3. Surface Impediment: Encapsulation, Fixation, or containment of the waste. This
method involves arresting or demobilizing the movement or migration of waste by
containing it in a hard core: clay soil, thermo plastic polymers, non-corrosive
metallic containers etc.
4. Ocean Dumping:
HAZARDOUS WASTE CLASSIFICATION:
1.IGNITABILITY -IGNITABLE WASTES
2.CORROSIVITY -CORROSIVE WASTE
3.REACTIVITY -REACTIVE WASTE
4.TOXICITY -TOXIC WASTE
RULES & REGULATIONS OF HW:
Aim at providing control
Specify the responsibilities
Regulations governing generators of HW
1.preparation for transport
2.manifest requirements
3.record keeping & reporting
Regulations governing transporters of HW
1.notification prior to transport
2.manifest requirements
TRANSPORTATION & STORAGE OF HW:
 The CRADLE TO GRAVE concept
HW generated at source requires movement
by trucks to further.
Requires serious care & attention while
moving
HW to be properly packed & labelled for
transport to ensure safe handling
Storage facilities are used to store waste
temporarily before treatment & disposal.
HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY:
OBJECTIVES:
1. Waste minimization
2. Detoxification & neutralization of waste by
treatments
3. Destruction of combustible waste by
incineration
4. Solidification of sludge & ash from steps from 2
&3
5. Disposal of residues in landfills.
1.Waste minimization:
 helps in resource conservation, economic
efficiency & environmental protection.
The strategies include—
source reduction,
recycling and
waste exchange
Physical treatment :
• Involves variety of seperation techniques
• Whenever a waste containing liquid & solid
must be treated.
• Physical processes are
• Screening, sedimentation, centrifugation,
flotation, adsorption, stripping and RO.
Chemical treatment:
To make the complete breakdown of HW into
non toxic form and
To reduce the hazard of a particular waste
Chemical methods are ::
Neutralization, precipitation, oxidation and
reduction.
• Neutralization: carried out when the waste
contains excessive amount of acid or alkali.
• Chemical oxidation:used to destroy toxic
cyanide molecule with oxidising agents
• Reduction: used in the conversion of hexa
valent chromium into trivalent chromium
before it can be precipitated.
• Anodic electrolysis: used for the destruction
of cyanide in spent stripping & plating
solutions.
Biological treatment:
 Differnet types of microorganisms are used for
degradation of specific compounds of HW
 Some microbes found in soil & sewage sludge
have been tested in the degradation of organic
chemicals
 Tests have been conducted to degrade PCBs using
pseudomonas & flavo bacterium.
 Psuedomonas bacteria – benzene, phenol ,cresol.
3. INCINERATION:
 able to achieve 99.99% destruction & removal
efficiency of hazardous components in waste.
Primary products are CO2, vapour & ash
Sulphur bearing wastes gives off SO2, CO2,
H2O when incinerated.
By products of incomplete combustion are
sometimes more harmful.
Two types of incinerators: liquid injection
system, rotary kilns.
4.Solidification or Stabilization:
Convert the waste into an insoluble,rock hard
material.
Additive materials used to reduce the mobility
of pollutants in the waste.
Certain materials like nickel cannot be
destroyed or detoxified by above methods.
The residues that are left out are solidified to
reduce the leachability.
5.DISPOSAL METHODS:
The options for disposal include land disposal,
underground disposal & deep well injection.
The choice of disposal method should be
based on evaluation of economics & potential
pollution risks.
To prevent environmental pollution from
landfills , it is essential that site c/s are taken
into account.
THANK Q