Disposal of Toxic Waste

A drop is considered venomous or hazardous if it threatens the health of the people and the destruction of the environment. The snitch whitethorn be in whatever form and may be considered unhealthful even upon its storage. A more than distinct characteristic of a toxic languish is given by U. S. Environmental Protection direction (EPA). These ar ignit talent, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity. Ignitability is characterized by the ability of the wild to create or regard fire. Not only is the waste needed to be sufficient to start fire, but even to just catch it and spread it that it is considered to throw this characteristic.On the other afford, it fells under corrosive if it has the capacity to cause rusting to coat stubs. Usu on the wholey, these wastes atomic number 18 categorized to acids or bases. A center field with pH take with less than or pertain to 2, or greater than or equal to 12. 5 is corrosive. Substances under this category are acids or bases t hat have the ability to harm the environment due to its high acidic and basic comme il fautties. reactivity is described as instability under normal conditions. This message that without all special treatment or admixture with other substance, the waste has the lean to explode or emit hazardous cyanide or sulfide gas.The last characteristic is proven when there is fatal consequence of its using up or absorption. A fatal consequence may be a severe distemper, discomfort or even death. Depending on this consequence, the waste great deal be further classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or teratogenic fit to the EnviroFacts. If it ca utilize the development of offercerous cells in the body of the victim, it is considered carcinogenic. On the other hand, if its expenditure takes to damage in chromosome of the victim, it is considered mutagenic.Lastly, if the victim is an expectant mother and the contact with the toxic waste affected the baby even before its birth, then the waste is teratogenic. The procedure that is being employ in identifying and determining the toxicity of the substance (or what is known to as EPA) is Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). If the toxicity of the waste affects the plants or animals, it is bioaccumulative, that is, the plants or animals which are active parts of the intellectual nourishment chain force out infect other organisms.The characteristics above need not be fully applicable to the whole material for it to be considered a toxic waste. A small front end of toxic substance in a waste is enough for the latter to be toxic. Even if it is mixture or residue, it is still considered toxic waste. Hazardous wastes are commonly by-products of different industries and commercial entities. Biological dish outes piece of tail also create a toxic waste. Even households can be held liable for the continuous increase of toxic wastes in the world. Hospitals also have its contribution, as well as the militar y. As such, the U. S.Environmental Protection Agency or EPA provides a categorization of toxic wastes ground from the source. Differences in source gives different kinds of wastes, and hence, treatments and means of electric pig. According to the EPA website, hazardous wastes may buy the farm to the F- arguing, K-list or P-list and U-list. The wastes belonging to the F-list are the most common among industries peculiarly those engaging to manufacturing. Since there are numerous of this in a state, this list is also called the non-specific source wastes. These include solvents and other substances used for cleaning or degreasing purposes.If the industry that served as source for the waste is easily identifiable such as oil company or petroleum refining company, the wastes they modernise belong to the K-list or the source-specific wastes. Lastly, discarded commercial chemical products belong to the P-list and U-list. Medicines and pesticides belong to this group. Toxic substance s have the capacity to contaminate air, land and pee. In effect, all organisms that interact or have contact with these can also be victims of the hazardous effects these substances bring.As such, government agencies and different organizations designed ways for these materials to be treated and inclined. According to the EnviroFacts site, there is really no completely full way to treat these kinds of wastes. Land disposal, incineration and chemical or biological treatment were just the safe ways to solve the problem. Land disposal means dumping the waste in a selected area called landfills. These mustiness be far from settlers, animals or humans alike and must be for good sealed. Seals can either be plastic or clay. A concrete wall can also be built to enclose the garbage.However, these wastes can still penetrate the ground and eventually mix with the ground body of water. few substances that oxidize can also affect the air causing illness or hazard to any organism. EnviroFa cts also suggest incineration. This is burning the waste in either low or high temperature. In this process, the wastes are confined and are burned. This is highly preferred for hospital wastes. However, large tending must be taken in using this method. Several substances may produce highly toxic gases when burnt. For instance, lead or arsenic is released in the air when old painted surfaces are burned.Chlorinated hydrocarbons on the other hand produce hydrochloric acid and dioxins. Even solid by-products of this process that are left hand in the incinerators must be treated as hazardous as well. Lastly, accepted chemicals or bacteria are added to the waste to lessen its toxins. bacteria are believed to eat the toxins in the material, making it lesser hazardous. Water is used in the United States to treat hazardous wastes. Sulfuric acid wastes, if not recycled, can be treated with ammonia wastes from the same plant, forming ammonium sulfate, a fertilizer (Encarta Encyclopedia, 20 07).Another treatment for the wastes is solidification. In this process, the waste is melted and then combine with binder for it to huge solid mass. This process is widely used for radioactive wastes. Specific types of wastes require specific treatment. Lack of knowledge regarding this often leads to more trouble and danger. Caroline Black and Chris Stavroudis presented several ways for treatments and disposal of certain wastes and gave precautionary measures in dealing with them. In their article Hazardous wasteland Disposal, they started with the solvents.These are highly corrosive materials that may include paints, oils or polymer residues. These must be kept in glaze over jars and not in coat containers to avoid rusting. If what is left to dispose is only a small amount, it can be allowed to evaporate. However, it must not be disposed on sinks and water pipes. This rule does not exempt water-soluble substances. When these accumulate in water pipe, it may cause fire or explos ion. Since detergents are widely used in household, it is important to know that this is the only toxic substance allowed to be disposed of in the drain.Unlike solvents, there is no tendency to accumulate combustible vapors that pose threat of explosion in the detergents. However, the triethanolamine is exempted from this. This particular substance must be treated as a solvent (Black C. and C. Stavroudis). For radical and acids, the first thing that has to be done before treating or disposing it is the presence of a heavy metal like mercury, copper, zinc or cadmium. If any of this is a component of the waste, it must be mark in a container and be removed with the help of the authorities. It must not be disposed in the sewer system.Otherwise, the acid and alkali can be neutralised with the use of vinegar and baking soda, respectively. Then, they can be disposed in the drain with the aid of plenty of water. Ether, being a highly inflammable substance must be treated with utmost ca re. It must be kept in a metal jar, not a glass one, to reduce the formation of peroxide. Upon using ether, there must be no fire that is near. Even a lit cigarette can arouse fire. If the ether was kept beyond three months, it must be surrendered to neglect squads because it has higher tendency of exploding (Black C.and C. Stavroudis).While several chemicals can be used to countervail and treat some toxic substances, there are some which can aggravate the problem than diminish it. For one, acids and alkalis must be kept separated, as well as solvents and known flammable substances(Black C. and C. Stavroudis). Because toxic waste disposal has been a long-running problem, countries have long tried different measures to telephone this problem. However, the process of treating and disposing the wastes are too costly and not to mention health-threatening.Even if there are ways to treat it in landfills or special sites, it is difficult to come a place where dumpsites could be estab lished. And so, rich nations opt to bring them to the trinity innovation nations in exchange for several billions of dollars or so. These Third World Nations, driven by their need for funds for their own development ofttimes accept these offers, discounting the threat it pose. This act increases the problem. The shipment of toxic wastes is usually by means of cargoes or ships. The tendency of spilling the wastes in its way to its destination is high.Also, the pass receiver nations do not usually have enough facilities and technologies to treat the wastes properly. This result to a larger threat for the people and the environment of the receiving nation. Also, landfills and dumpsites are usually inhabited by slums and squatters, ignoring the huge possibility of acquiring illness. Although several nations already realized the adverse effects of accepting wastes from other nations, still, there are some which continues to be the garbage bag of the richer nations. However, it is very essential to word that this act do not solve the problem.It just moves it. It is like transition the burden to the other. Through time, much legislation has been passed to address the issue of proper waste, especially toxic wastes, management. However, the main concern is their treatment and disposal. But the catch is there is no completely safe way to do this. one way or another, the waste would still affect the land, the water, and the air. And so, to really address this problem which started with the existence of these waste materials, the control must be put on the production and manufacturing of this highly toxic substances.The industries must find alternatives to their breathing materials to find them less toxic. Further studies may also be cerebrate to improve the sewer system. Recycling and reusing had also been the longest running advice to minimize the waste. The problem on waste disposal must be address right down to its roots. It is not just the duty of the governm ent officials, or the environmentalists, but rather, it is the duty of everyone. It might not be realized, but nonchalant is an opportunity to change the situation.