Solid waste relates to the unwanted solid matter or substances generated by various human activities in commercial, industrial, or residential areas. Solid waste is any refuse, herbage, or sludge from air pollution control facilities, water supply treatment plants, or wastewater treatment plants and other disposed substances which includes semi-solid, liquid, solid, or contained gaseous substances derived from various agricultural, mining, commercial, and other community activities (Chandrappa & Das, 2012). Solid waste does not include the dissolved materials in industrial discharges, domestic sewage, and irrigation return flows. Solid waste management involves the collection, treatment, and disposal of solid wastes. Solid waste management involves processes such as incineration, composting, the use of sanitary landfills, and recycling. Incineration is an effective procedure for reducing the weight and volume of solid waste. Studies indicate that incineration can reduce solid waste volume by over ninety percent (Chandrappa & Das, 2012). In contemporary incinerators, waste is usually combusted inside an appropriately designed furnace under controlled conditions. The waste’s combustible portion often combines with oxygen to release heat, water vapor, and carbon dioxide. The gaseous by-products due to incomplete combustion and fine particulate matter, commonly referred to as fly ash are usually carried along in the airstream. Composting is a biological procedure that involves the decomposition of organic refuse under carefully controlled environmental conditions. Composting presents an appropriate procedure for the processing and recycling of sewage sludge and garbage within one operation. Microbes often metabolize the organic waste matter and lower its volume by approximately fifty percent (Rao, Sultana, & Kota, 2017). The stabilized product due to the composting processes is commonly referred to as humus or compost. Sanitary landfills relate to the disposal sites that have been cautiously selected, designed, built, and utilized to protect public health and the environment. During the construction of a landfill, engineers often ensure that the buried solid wastes do not come into contact with groundwater or surface water. Recycling involves the isolation, recovering, and reusing of solid waste components which may still possess an economic value. For instance, the reuse and recovery of heat energy. Hazardous waste relates to waste typified by features that make it potentially harmful to the environment and public health. Hazardous waste may be contained gases, solids, or liquids. The storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes in the United States are governed under the RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act). Under the RCRA, hazardous wastes are categorized into two primary entities: listed wastes and characteristic wastes (Rao, Sultana, & Kota, 2017). Listed wastes are waste substances identified as hazardous by the U.S. regulatory entities; these wastes may be from disposed of chemical products, specific sources, and non-specific sources. Listed waste is often categorized into four primary divisions: U-list, P-list, K-list, and F-list. K-list incorporates wastes from specific industries, for instance, petroleum or pesticide industries. The industrial waste production and treatment procedures generate specific forms of sludge and wastewater, which are categorized as source-specific wastes.
The U-list and P-list involve disposed commercial chemical substances in an unused form. The F-list involves the wastes derived from non-specific sources. The EPA regulates the collection, management, and disposal of listed waste. Characteristic wastes, on the other hand, are substances whose laboratory test analysis reveals one of the following hazardous attributes: toxicity, corrosivity, reactivity, and ignitability. The EPA regulates the collection, management, and disposal of listed waste. Universal wastes incorporate elements such as bulbs, mercury-containing instruments, batteries, and pesticides. The EPA (Environment Protection Agency) oversees the management of universal wastes to ensure they have been subjected to proper treatment or recycling strategies and prevent their disposal in landfills. Mixed wastes often consist of both radioactive and hazardous waste components. The collection, management, and regulation of mixed waste are usually complex and, therefore, overseen by various governmental entities; this includes the EPA, the United States Department of Energy, and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (VanGuilder, 2018). Hazardous wastes are typified by various human health and environmental risks. Hazardous wastes such as mercury may accumulate in animal and human tissues, thereby, compounding their impacts. Hazardous waste may expose an individual to cancer. The EPA has categorized fifteen commonly used pesticides as cancer-causing agents or carcinogens (VanGuilder, 2018). Cancer has also been associated with industrial air pollution. For instance, radon, a by-product as a result of the decomposition of uranium, has been identified among the leading causes of lung cancer by the National Cancer Institute. Human exposure to hazardous wastes may also trigger respiratory conditions among individuals. Air pollution has been directly associated with various respiratory diseases, for instance, asthma. Hazardous waste exposure due to emissions often irritates the mucous membranes located in the throat and the mouth. A study conducted by VanGuilder (2018) revealed that individuals residing near hazardous waste sites have an increased exposure risk to respiratory disorders. Additionally, hazardous waste emissions have been associated with an increased risk of exposure to heart diseases such as stroke due to the thickening of the arteries, and heart attack. A particular study revealed that pregnant women residing within a mile of a hazardous waste emission site were likely to expose their offspring to a congenital heart disorder. Major institutions involved in environmental and occupational health in the U.S. include the EPA, DOE, CDC, NIOSH, and the FDA. The EPA was established in 1970 with the aim of abating and controlling pollution methodically through the proper integration of research, standard setting, monitoring, and enforcement activities. The agency supports and coordinates antipollution operations and research among educational institutions, local and state governments, and public and private groupings (Rao, Sultana, & Kota, 2017). The DOE agency provides a structure for a balanced and comprehensive energy plan through the administration and coordination of the federal government’s energy functions. The DOE’s Safety Health and Environment department provides oversight on the implementation of occupational safety and health, environmental, and nuclear security and safety policies, regulations, and laws. The CDC is often tasked with the duty of protecting the nation’s public health through the provision of effective leadership and guidance in the control and prevention of disorders and conditions. The FDA conducts inspections in warehouses and manufacturing plants, collects, and evaluates food, cosmetics, and drug samples. FDA’s responsibilities extend to sanitary food handling and preparation, disposal of wastes on interstate carriers, and the execution of the Radiation Control Act. NIOSH was developed in 1970 by the Occupational Safety and Health Act to carry out studies on various occupational disorders, offer training in occupational health and safety issues, evaluate issues regarding safety and health in the workplace, and propose regulatory standards to the OSHA and MSHA (Chandrappa & Das, 2012). The RCRA provides the Environment Protection Agency with the jurisdiction to oversee the management of hazardous wastes from the “Cradle-to-Grave.” The EPA was, therefore, tasked with the duty of collecting, transporting, treating, storing, and disposing of hazardous waste in the U.S.A. Additionally, the RCRA stipulates a structure for the management of solid wastes (non-hazardous) (VanGuilder, 2018). The amendments under the RCRA (Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments) enhanced EPA’s capacity to address various environmental issues that may arise from multiple hazardous substances, for instance, underground petroleum storage tanks. The HSWA focuses on the minimization of waste and the minimization of hazardous waste disposal on land.
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References
Chandrappa, R., & Das, D. B. (2012). Solid waste management: Principles and practice . Berlin: Springer.
Rao, M. N., Sultana, R., & Kota, S. H. (2017). Solid and hazardous waste management: Science and engineering . Oxford, England: Butterworth-Heinemann.
VanGuilder, C. (2018 ). Hazardous waste management: An introduction . Dulles, Va.: Mercury Learning and Information.
