Chapter: three

Waste Management
 Definition of terms
Waste: Unwanted substance/material( solid,
liquid, gases) for the time being.
Solid waste
• The waste that includes any garbage, refuse,
sludge from waste and water treatment
plants, or air pollution control facilities and
other discarded materials
• It does not include solid or dissolved material
in domestic sewage
Sewage
• Consists of the liquid wastes from house-hold
effluents, commercial effluents, and industrial
liquid wastes.
• It is carried in a system of pipes and other
means of conveyance called a sewage system.
Garbage:
• Decomposable wastes resulting from growing,
handling, preparing, cooking and consumption
of food
• It needs careful handling because
– attracts and helps for the breeding of files and other
insects
– supply food for rats and for other vermin’s
– produce unpleasant odor as result of decomposition
Rubbish
• Denotes all non decomposable wastes except
Ash. It consists both combustible and non
combustible substances.
• It creates nuisance if it is not properly handled.
Ashes
• Are waste product of coal and other fuels
• They are non- decomposable wastes
Night soil
• Excreta that has been collected from box, toilet
and privy. Can be used as fertilizer
Liquid waste
• Is essentially the water supply of community
after it has been fouled by variety of uses.
• It has adverse effect to human health and the
environment if it is not managed properly.
 Sources of community waste

• Households
• Health care industries
• Commercial areas
• Recreational areas
• Industrial area
 How wastes generated in the
community?
wastes are generated in the form of
• garbage
• refuse
• street cleanings
• human and animal discharges
• kitchen wastes etc.
 Challenges in waste management
The problem of waste management is relative to
times because as the time goes:
• The population to land mass ratio increases,
as result quantity of waste produced
increased
• Complexity of the waste increases
 Classification of waste

The broad classification of waste are:

– Solid waste
– Liquid waste
 Solid waste management

• is the process by which workable alternative

programs and plans are developed to solve solid
waste problems.
– Types of solid waste
1. Residential
which include Food waste, Ashes, rubbish, sludge’s
etc.
2. Commercial
include Hazards wastes, paper products, food waste,
& fire residues (Ashes) etc
3.Municipal
• Street sweepings, dead animals, card boards and
Animal waste
4.Infectious waste
• Is suspected to contain pathogens (bacteria, viruses,
parasites, or fungi) in sufficient concentration or
quantity to cause disease in susceptible hosts.
• This category includes: Cultures ,Excreta, dressings
from infected or surgical wounds etc
5. Pathological waste
• Pathological wastes consist of tissues, organs, body parts,
human fetus and animal carcasses, blood, and body
fluids
6.Sharps
• are items that could cause cuts, or puncture wounds,
including needles, knives, saws, broken glass, and nails.
• Whether or not they are infected, such items are usually
considered as highly hazardous health care waste.
7. Pharmaceutical waste
• Includes expired, unused, spilt, and
contaminated pharmaceutical products, drugs
vaccines, and sera that are no longer used.
• Required and need to be disposed of
appropriately
 Public health importance

The proper storage at the points of generation,

collection and disposal of the refuse is part of
the environmental health service which must
be accomplished effectively in a community.
If domestic or community refuse is not disposed
of properly, it crate many problems
Improper disposal solid waste can crate the following
conditions:
• attractive media for the growth and multiplication of
flies.
• a good harborage for rats.
• bad odor, unsightly conditions etc.
• Possible fire hazards by instantaneous combustion
• Pollution and contamination of natural environment (
water, air or land)

•
 Functional Elements of solid Waste
management system
• There are six functional elements in the activities
associated with the management of solid wastes
from the point of generation to final disposal
site. These are:
1. Waste generation
2. On-site handling, storage and processing
3. Collection
4. Transfer and transport
5. Processing and recovery
6. Disposal
 Solid waste disposal methods

• Incineration
• Sanitary land fill
• Controlled dumping
• Hog feeding for garbage
• Open dumping
 Incineration
Incineration: is a high temperature dry oxidation
process that reduces organic and combustible
waste to inorganic, incombustible matter and
resulting in a very significant reduction of
waste volume and weight.
• Waste types not to be incinerated:
• Pressurized gas containers
• Large amount of reactive chemical waste
• Silver salt and photographic or radiographic wastes
• Halogenated plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Waste with high mercury or cadmium content, such as
broken thermometers, used batteries
 Sanitary landfill
• A method of disposing a refuse on land
without creating nuisances or hazards to
public health or safety.
• The characteristics of sanitary landfill that
distinguish it from an open dump are the
waste is placed in a suitably selected and
prepared land fill site in a carefully
prescribed manner, the waste materials is
spread out and compacted with appropriate
heavy machinery and the waste is
coveredeach day with a layer of compacted
soil.
 open dumping
- Disposal of waste in open field.
-The most insanitary disposal method.
 Health care waste management
methods

• Incineration
• Placenta pits
• Controlled dumping
 Liquid waste management
Definition of terms:
• Sanitary sewage /domestic sewage: contains
human wastes and wastewater from homes,
public buildings or commercial and industrial
establishments.
• Industrial sewage: is the used water from
manufacturing processes, usually carrying a
variety of chemical compounds,
• Storm sewage, or storm water : is the surface
run off caused by rainfall
• Excreta: the waste matter mainly faeces and
urine eliminated from the body.
• Liquid waste is the water supply of a
community after it has been fouled by variety
of uses. It may contain:
• disease causing organisms
• toxic chemicals
• organic materials and nutrients
Effect of indiscriminate discharge of
liquid waste
1. Pollution of water supply sources
2. Emission of malodorous gases from
accumulated wastes.
3. Unsightly condition
4. Crate favorable conditions for disease
transmission.
Immediate and nuisance free removal of liquid
is essential
• To protect public from different types of
disease.
• To prevent contamination of ground and
surface water
• To preserve fish and wild life population
• To maintain attractiveness of the area
 Disposal Methods of human
waste/excreta
The purpose of human excreta disposal include:
• To prevent contamination of water sources
(surface and ground).
• To prevent contamination of surface – soil.
• To prevent accessibility of flies and other
animals to human wastes
• To avoid or minimize the direct handling of
fresh excreta.
• To provide privacy and convenience.
• To eliminate bad odor, which attract flies, and
the unpleasing sight of areas.
 Common methods of human
waste/excreta disposal methods
• Non- water carriage system: is a system which
normally does not use water for carrying away
or transporting human wastes
• Water carriage system: the excreta are
deposited directly into properly constructed
sanitary fittings, and are then carried away by
water through a closed piping system (drainage)
to the final disposal site.
 Non-water carriage systems
1. The pit latrine: is a hole dug in the ground
according to specified dimensions, and usually
provided with means for squatting or sitting. It
is mostly circular in shape, 80-
120 cm in diameter and 2.5-5m depth.
• It may need squat hole cover to avid fly
breeding
• There may be problem of odor
2. The ventilated improved pit latrine (VIPL):
it is a modification of pit latrine, but had
additional refinements to prevent the
development of fly population and to
control odor. Vent pipe is installed which
extends from the top of the pit to up to
50 cm above the roof of the latrine.
How the VIP latrine eliminate odor
3. Deep Trench latrine
it is a variation of the pit latrine, dug in the
form of a trench or ditch in one horizontal
level. It is used in army camps, in settlement
sites, work camps etc, where many people live
in a communal way of life. It has dimensions
of 60-90 cm width, 2-3m depth and 3m length
4. The shallow trench/ shallow hole latrine: trench
should be dug 25-30 cm wide, 60 cm deep, and as
long as desired (depending on the number of users).
Shovel or scoop should be placed in each pile of
earth and each person after relieving himself should
immediately cover the excreta by the dug earth.
Soldiers, boy scouts or school clubs, campers,
worshippers at festival sites , etc, as a temporary
measure, use this type of latrine and very suitable for
people who are on movement
5. The compost latrine or double – vault latrine: it is
a latrine with two compartments and each
compartment used alternatively. When the first
compartment is filled to within about 40cm from the
top of the pit, it should be covered with dry earth or
ashes up to the top and left undisturbed for 6- 9
months, after which the compost should be shoveled
out and used as fertilizer.
6. Water seal (Pour- flush) latrine:
• The essential feature differentiating it from
other systems is the specially designed
squatting- plate with a trap attachment, which
retains water.
• The squatting plate is made from cement
elements.
• A jug or pail of water is kept in the latrine
shelter
• After depositing excreta in to the pan, each user
pours water (1-3 liters) from the jug from which
the name pour-flush given
 7. Chemical toilet: it is a type of latrine
which contains a solution of chemical;
disinfectant in specially designed tank.
• The tank is designed with toilet seat, with
cover, flushing device and a discharge
drain for bailing out the contents when
the tank is full.
• This latrine is commonly used in
transportation facilities like airplane, ship
etc.
 Water carriage system
• The requirements for this type of system
include piped water supply, sanitary fittings or
appliances inside the house, to receive excreta
and wastewater and a network of connecting
pipes to collect sewage from individual’s
houses in a neighbor, and to convey in to the
final disposal site.
 Common liquid treatment methods

- Screening : To remove large objects

- Septic tanks
- Oxidation ponds
- Soakage pit or seepage pit
- Bio-digesters
 Final liquid waste disposal methods

- Dilution in to water bodies

- Land application (irrigation)
- Evaporation