ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL

PROJECT & ACTIVITY

Final Report on

By Rohit Reddy 2010A1Ps398P Mudit Chauhan 2010A1PS349P

Submitted to Dr. A K Sharma

At Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani (Rajasthan) 333031

PREFACE

We feel immense pleasure in presenting before you this end-term report on project and activity undertaken by us under the course Environmental Pollution and Control. Part 1 of the report encompasses the project work. The topic chosen is RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL EPISODES: LEARNING AND PREPARING FOR FUTURE keeping in mind the basic theme of the course i.e. saving environment. Here we tried to explore some major environmental disasters from past century and understand their impact on the environment. 6 events are chosen for this purpose namely, London smog, ozone layer depletion, Bhopal gas tragedy, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Fukushima nuclear disaster and deepwater horizon oil spill. Attempt was made to choose one major event each from air pollution, water pollution and nuclear disaster. Each of these events is discussed in a comprehensive manner. The chronological order followed in discussion is- introduction, causes, and effects, measures for containment and learning and preparing for future. In last section for each event we have tried to discuss the lessons learnt from that particular event and lessons that still needed to be learnt. Each event is concluded by proposing the measures that are needed to be taken to prevent occurrence of such events in the future. Second part of this report discusses the activity we took up. Under this activity we conducted an online survey for understanding peoples awareness about solid waste management. A questionnaire is designed covering wide array of topics on solid waste management. People were asked in to fill the survey through forums like social networking sites. The collected responses are analyzed and methods are suggested for improvements. Suitable graphs and tables are provided where ever necessary We hope you have good time reading this report and find it informational and useful. Mudit & Rohit

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A comprehensive report always requires the goodwill, encouragement, guidance and support of many people so we would like to start by thanking our Instructor for this course Dr. A K Sharma for giving us opportunity of working on this project. His constant support and mentorship right from suggesting the topic till the completion of report is highly appreciated. Also, we take this opportunity to thank Chemical engineering department, BITS Pilani for conducting a course like Environmental Pollution Control. The course is an excellent way for undergraduate students like us to understand the basics of Environment protection methodologies and arousing an interest to carry forward the topic of environmental protection to higher studies. We also express our deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Ishwar Bhatt, Librarian for allowing us to use the BITS library which was our major source of gathering information. Thanks to our families & friends for their encouragement and patience throughout the period of preparation of this report. Thank you all

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface Acknowledgement List of tables & figures Part-1(Project) Abstract Introduction

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 London smog Bhopal Gas tragedy Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Ozone layer depletion Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster_ Deepwater horizon oil spill___ __________________________

2 3 5

7 8
9 -14 15- 17 18-20 21-28 26-29__ 30-33

Part-2 (Activity)
Abstract Report 35 36-43

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Figure No. I-1 G-1 G-2 G-3 G-4

Page No. 30 40 41 41 41

Description Causes of deepwater horizon oil spill Categories of solid waste Pie chart of modes of waste collection Modes of solid waste disposal Activities at individual level to help the cause of solid waste management

PART 1

PROJECT REPORT ON

RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL EPISODES: LEARNING AND PREPARING FOR FUTURE

ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS: Environmental disasters, London smog, Bhopal gas tragedy, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, deepwater horizon oil spill

ABSTRACT: Human exploitation of the nature to fulfil his need has left it in a very bad shape. During the continued phase of exploitation there were some incidents which left a wider impact than other and made us think about where we went wrong. The nuclear disasters of Chernobyl and Fukushima had proved again and again how unsafe the nuclear energy is what risks it poses in case of failure of a nuclear power plant. There is therefore a need to completely shift away from nuclear energy and focus on the development of cleaner sources of energy. Bhopal gas tragedy is the worst industrial disaster in the history of humankind and made us realized what an improperly managed chemical plant can led to. The deepwater horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico proved the lack of safety culture among the oil and gas industries and left hundreds of square kilometre of sea covered with oil damaging the marine ecosystem. Then there was the air pollution incident of London in early 1950's popularly known as the London smog which killed more than 12,000 people. It brought immediate attention of the government on the excessive use of low grade coal that was taking place at that time. The legislations helped in bringing down pollution levels to some extent at that time but the rapid industrialisation taking place currently in countries like India and china has again ignored the effects of air pollution. Sadly we have failed to learn from these incidents, year after we keep on committing the same mistakes. We are at this delicate phase if no immediate steps are taken the future of our environment (and therefore us) would become very bleak.

INTRODUCTION

Humans are blessed with an excellent mind which has helped us in growing from a nomad hunting animals in Jungle to the one exploring Mars for water. Rapid growth and industrialization brought with itself the increased demand for resources. To fulfil this increased demand humans exploited nature in every possible way. We cleared forests after forests, burned fossil fuels, released harmful chemicals into our water bodies etc. But all this exploitation left our environment in a very bad state. Today we live in world where air is not safe to breathe, water not safe for drinking and land not good enough for growing food. A world whose glaciers are melting, Its protective layer of ozone depleting and its bio-diversity becoming endangered.

Now some of the incidents during this phase of human exploitation of environment hold vital importance. Our project report focuses on these important environmental episodes of last century like the Bhopal gas tragedy, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Ozone layer depletion etc. Each of these incidents had a huge impact on us and our environment and provides us with an opportunity of understanding where we went wrong and correcting those mistakes in the future. But sadly we have failed to do so, year after we keep on committing the same mistakes. Recent incidents of oil spill in Gulf of Mexico, the Fukushima daiichi nuclear disaster proves that. We are at this delicate phase if no immediate steps are taken the future of our environment (and therefore us) would become very bleak.

London Smog (1952)

WHAT HAPPENED The Great Smog or Big Smoke was a severe air pollution event that affected London in December 1952. A period of cold weather combined with anticyclone and windless conditions, collected airborne pollutants mostly from the use of coal to form a thick layer of smog over the city. It lasted from Friday 5th to Tuesday 9 December 1952, and then quickly dispersed after a change in the weather. In the following weeks, medical reports estimated that 4,000 had died prematurely and 100,000 more were made ill due to the smog's effects on the human respiratory tract. More recent research suggests that the number of fatalities was considerably higher at around 12,000. It is considered the worst air pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom, and the most significant in terms of its impact on environmental research, government regulation, and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health

WHAT CAUSED IT The weather preceding and during the smog meant that Londoners had to burn more coal than usual to keep warm. Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively low-grade, sulphurous variety, which increased the amount of sulphur dioxide in the smoke. There were also numerous coal fired power stations within the Greater London area including Battersea, Bank side, and Kingston upon Thames, all of which added to the pollution levels. In addition there was pollution and smoke from vehicle exhausts particularly from diesel-fuelled buses which had replaced the recently scrapped electric tram system and from other industrial and commercial sources. Prevailing winds had also blown heavily-polluted air across the English Channel from industrial areas of Europe. On Thursday 4 December 1952, an anticyclone settled over a windless London, causing a temperature inversion with very cold, stagnant air trapped under a layer of warm air. The resultant fog, mixed with chimney smoke, particulates (e.g. from vehicle exhausts) and other pollutants (particularly sulphur dioxide) resulted to form a persistent smog The absence of significant wind prevented its dispersal and allowed an unprecedented build up of pollutants.

IMPACTS 1. Visibility Although London was accustomed to thick fogs, this one was denser and longer lasting than any previously seen. Visibility was reduced to a few yards making driving difficult or impossible. Public transport ground to a halt apart from the London Underground and the ambulance service stopped running, forcing the sick to make their own way to hospital. The smog even seeped indoors, resulting in the cancellation or abandonment of concerts and film screenings.

2. Health Impact Initially, there was no great panic, as London was renowned for its fog. In the weeks that followed, however, statistics compiled by medical services found that the fog had killed 4,000 people. Deaths in most cases were due to respiratory tract infections from hypoxia, and due to mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused by the smog.

ACTIONS TAKEN FOR CLEANUP The death toll formed an important impetus to modern environmentalism, and it caused a rethinking of air pollution, as the smog had demonstrated its lethal potential.

In response to the 1952 smog the Government passed various legislations to phase out coal fire. Financial incentives were offered to householders to replace open coal fires with alternatives, (such as installing gas fires) or for those who preferred, to burn coke instead (a bi-product of town gas production) which produces minimal smoke.

1. The 1956 Clean Air Act The Government could not ignore the Great London Smog and so the first Clean Air Act was eventually introduced in 1956. This Act aimed to control domestic sources of smoke pollution by introducing smokeless zones. In these areas, smokeless fuels had to be burnt. The Clean Air Act focused on reducing smoke pollution but the measures taken actually helped to reduce sulphur dioxide levels at the same time. The city grew noticeably cleaner very quickly 2. The 1968 Clean Air Act: Tall Chimneys

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The Clean Air Act of 1968 brought in the basic principle for the use of tall chimneys for industries burning coal, liquid or gaseous fuels. At the time of this legislation it was recognised that smoke pollution could be controlled, but that sulphur dioxide removal was generally impracticable. Hence, higher the chimney better is the dispersal of the air pollution.

Air pollution has decreased in many ways in London due to:

Domestic emissions reduced because of smoke control areas; Electric and gas usage increased and the use of solid fuels decreased; Cleaner coals were burnt which had lower sulphur content; Use of tall chimney stacks on power stations; Relocation of power stations to more rural areas; Continued decline in heavy industry

. London today no longer suffers from killer fogs.

LESSONS STILL NEED TO BE LEARNT

When it comes to urban air pollution, it is anything but ended. Economic growth has left air quality in many cities notoriously poor, putting millions upon millions of urban resident at risk of death and severe health problems. Thought the awareness about air pollution has increased, but the level of air pollution has itself not decreased. Today we face the dangers of Global warming, ozone layer depletion etc. due to highest ever levels of CO2, NOx. Following are the recent examples of cities reeling under severe air pollution. In December 2012, some 60 years after Londons killer fog, Tehran was hit with what has become an annually worsening smog event pollution so thick this year that authorities closed schools, universities, banks, and government offices in an attempt to decrease the haze. Air pollution in the Chinese capital Beijing has reached levels judged as hazardous to human health. The air tastes of coal dust and car fumes, it was so thick you could see just a few hundred metres in the city centre. The health impact is vast. Tens of thousands of Chinese are reckoned to die each year because of foul air.

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Some of the reasons for recent increase in air pollution are: 1. Rapid industrialization at the cost of environment. Though new laws and technologies have come up, but the small economic and political gains have made them of no use. 2. The increasing world population has led to an increase in energy demands. New and new coal fed power plants came up to satisfy these demands. 3. Number of vehicles on road has increased exponentially over the last 50 years. They now form the single largest source of pollutants like NOx, particulate matter etc. 4. New sources of pollution like nuclear facilities have come up.

Sixty years after the killer fog lifted in London, people are dying preventable deaths and suffering life-changing illnesses, simply because they must breathe the air of the cities where they live.

PREPARING FOR FUTURE Our knowledge of the health consequences of both local and global pollution is more detailed and accurate than it has ever been. We are now in a position to make informed choices as a society about what risks we will accept and how much were willing to pay to change them. Some have argued that a dirty world is the unavoidable cost of economic growth. People who have a vested interest in not changing the causes of pollution will too often use this claptrap as an excuse for doing nothing and learning nothing.

1. Changing fuel use (switching to cleaner source of energy) Coal fed power plants are the biggest source of green house gases like Carbon dioxide, particulate matter etc. There is an immediate need to switch to cleaner and renewable source of energy like solar, wind, hydro power, bio-fuels etc. This will not only control the level of pollutants but also reduce our over dependence on dwindling resources of coal and petroleum

2. Controlling emissions from vehicles Switching from petroleum based vehicles to hydrogen/bio-fuel powered ones, Stricter environmental regulations on emissions from vehicles, Increasing the engine efficiency.

3. Carbon capture and storage

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Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) consists of the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants and/or CO2-intensive industries such as refineries, cement, iron and steel, its subsequent transport to a storage site, and finally its injection into a suitable underground geological formation for the purposes of permanent storage. It is considered to be one of the medium term 'bridging technologies' in the portfolio of available mitigation actions for stabilising concentrations of atmospheric CO2, the main greenhouse gas.

4. Improve the pollution-monitoring network. Numerous sensors regularly collect data about air quality that can be sent to an EPA database to determine if the air in a community meets national standards. Yet the instruments are installed only in about 1,000 of the nations 3,141 counties, and budget cuts have forced states to reduce the number of sensors or staff that maintain them and analyze the data. Emerging science indicates that some areas with no monitoring face serious health risks, particularly poor neighbourhoods adjacent to highways or dirty industries. The EPA should work with scientists and state officials to lower monitoring costs and expand the ability to track pollutants.

5. Proper Enforcement of environmental laws Since 1970 the Clean Air Act has driven the nations ability to curb air pollution. But rules have eroded as political decisions have taken the place of scientific ones and as delay after delay in enforcing specific requirements have mounted until only costly lawsuits prompt action. By restoring a commitment to science and law, the nation can make great strides

6. Controlling emissions from industries Effective use of available technologies like liquid scrubbing, adsorption etc. to control the stack emissions. Controlling the emissions at source is more effective than allowing it to escape and then controlling it. Researchers should continue working on cleaner process technologies with little or no emissions. Careful environmental analysis of effects of an industry before it is set up in an particular area. In order to reduce global air pollution, many environmental experts believe that all countries across the world should have the same emissions standards. This way, air pollution can be managed on a global level. Presently, a worldwide emissions standard has not been established, though many are hopeful that this will change within the near future. The developed countries should take up more responsibilities for reducing emission and an global consensus should be reached for a better future of earth.

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REFRENCES Research Papers

1. Davis, Devra L. "A look back at the London smog of 1952 and the half century since." Environmental Health Perspectives 110.12 (2002): A734.

2. Bell, Michelle L., Devra L. Davis, and Tony Fletcher. "A retrospective assessment of mortality from
the London smog episode of 1952: the role of influenza and pollution." Environmental Health Perspectives 112.1 (2004): 6. Web Links

1. http://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/
2. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killerfog-1952/4660/

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BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY (1986)

WHAT HAPPENED The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident in India considered the worlds worst industrial disaster. It occurred on the night of 2 3 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited(UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals. The toxic substance made its way in and around the shantytowns located near the plant.The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Others estimate 8,000 died within two weeks and another 8,000 or more have since died from gas-related diseases.

HOW IT HAPPENED Most of the safety systems were not functioning and many valves and lines were in poor condition. In addition to this, several vent gas scrubbers had been out of service as well as the steam boiler, intended to clean the pipes was non-operational. Other issue was that, Tank 610 contained 42 tons of MIC which was much more than what safety rules allowed. During the night of 23 December 1984, water entered Tank E610 containing 42 tons of MIC. A run away reaction started, which was accelerated by contaminants, high temperatures and other factors. The reaction was sped up by the presence of iron from corroding non-stainless steel pipelines. The resulting exothermic reaction increased the temperature inside the tank to over 200 C (392 F) and raised the pressure. This forced the emergency venting of pressure from the MIC holding tank, releasing a large volume of toxic gases. About 30 metric tons of methyl isocyanate (MIC) escaped from the tank into the atmosphere in 45 to 60 minutes. Factors leading to the magnitude of the gas leak mainly included problems such as; storing MIC in large tanks and filling beyond recommended levels, poor maintenance after the plant ceased MIC production at the end of 1984, failure of several safety systems due to poor maintenance, and safety systems being switched off to save money including the MIC tank refrigeration system which could have mitigated the disaster severity. The situation was worsened by the mushrooming of slums in the vicinity of the plant, non-existent catastrophe plans, and shortcomings in health care and socio-economic rehabilitation. Other factors identified by the inquiry included: use of a more dangerous pesticide manufacturing method, large-scale MIC storage, plant location close to a densely populated area, undersized safety devices, and the dependence on manual operations. Plant management deficiencies were also identified lack of skilled operators, reduction of safety management, insufficient maintenance, and inadequate emergency action plans. EFFECTS

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The initial effects of exposure were coughing, vomiting, severe eye irritation and a feeling of suffocation. People awakened by these symptoms fled away from the plant. Within a few days, trees in the vicinity became barren, and 2,000 bloated animal carcasses had to be disposed of. The acute symptoms were burning in the respiratory tract and eyes, blepharospasm, breathlessness, stomach pains and vomiting. The causes of deaths were choking, reflexogenic circulatorycollapse and pulmonary oedema. Findings during autopsies revealed changes not only in the lungs but also, tubular necrosis of the kidneys fatty degeneration of the liver and necrotising enteritis. The stillbirth rate increased by up to 300% and neonatal mortality rate by around 200%.

STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE The company stressed the "immediate action" taken after the disaster and their continued commitment to helping the victims. On 4 December, the day following the leak, Union Carbide sent material aid and several international medical experts to assist the medical facilities in Bhopal. The corporation established the Employees' Bhopal Relief Fund in February 1985, which raised more than $5 million for immediate relief and according to Union Carbide, in August 1987; they made an additional $4.6 million in humanitarian interim relief available. A hospital was begun in October 1995 and was opened in 2001. The hospital catered for the treatment of heart, lung and eye problems. They also developed a responsible care system with other members of the chemical industry as a response to the Bhopal crisis, which was designed to help prevent such an event in the future. The plant as a whole was totally shutdown.

PREPARING FOR FUTURE To prevent such events in the future Union carbide members along with other members of the chemical industry developed a Responsible care system. Responsible Care is a global, voluntary initiative developed autonomously by the chemical industry for the chemical industry - it is run in 52 countries whose combined chemical industries account for nearly 90% of global chemicals production. It stands for the chemical industry's desire to improve health, safety, and environmental performance.

The signatory chemical companies agree to commit themselves to improve their performances in the fields of environmental protection, occupational safety and heal protection, plant safety, product stewardship and logistics, as well as to continuously improve the dialog with their neighbours and the public, independent from legal requirements.

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As part of Responsible Care initiative the International Council of Chemistry introduced the The Global Product Strategy (GPS) in 2006 designed to improve the management of chemical products, make available plain language safety summaries and strengthen product stewardship. GPS informs international efforts to enhance the safe production, use and disposal of chemical products, which is essential to meeting internationally recognized chemical management and safety goals

REFRENCES
Books 1. Jasanoff, Sheila, ed. Learning from disaster: Risk management after Bhopal. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994. Paper 1. Davis, D. L. (2002). A look back at the London smog of 1952 and the half century since. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110(12), A734. Internet links 1. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londonskiller-fog-1952/4660/ 2.vhttp://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/

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CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER (1986)

WHAT HAPPENED The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The Chernobyl disaster is widely considered to have been the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and is one of only two classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

HOW IT HAPPENED The accident occurred during an experiment scheduled to test a potential safety emergency core cooling feature, which took place during a normal shutdown procedure. There was a sudden and unexpected power surge, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, an exponentially larger spike in power output occurred, which led to a reactor vessel rupture and a series of steam explosions. These events exposed the graphite moderator of the reactor to air, causing it to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area.

EFFECTS Four hundred times more radioactive material was released than had been by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Approximately 100,000 km of land was significantly contaminated with fallout. In the aftermath of the accident, many people suffered from acute radiation sickness (ARS), beta burns and thyroid cancers. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is located next to the Pripyat River, which feeds into the Dnieper reservoir system, one of the largest surface water systems in Europe, which at the time supplied water to Kiev's 2.4 million residents, and was still in spring flood when the accident occurred. The radioactive contamination of aquatic systems therefore became a major problem in the immediate aftermath of the accident. In the most affected areas of Ukraine, levels of radioactivity (particularly from radionuclides 131I, 137Cs and 90Sr) in drinking water caused concern during the weeks and months after the accident. After the disaster, four square kilometres of pine forest directly downwind of the reactor turned reddish-brown and died. Some animals in the worst-hit areas also died or stopped reproducing. Most domestic animals were removed from the exclusion zone, but horses left 6 km (4 mi) from the power plant died when their thyroid glands were destroyed by radiation doses of 150200 Sv. Some cattle on the same island died and those that survived were stunted because of thyroid damage. The next generation appeared to be normal.

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STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE Rain was purposely seeded over 10,000 km2 by the Soviet air force to remove radioactive particles from clouds heading toward highly populated areas. The worst of the radioactive debris was collected inside what was left of the reactor, much of it shovelled in by liquidators wearing heavy protective gear. The reactor itself was covered with bags of sand, lead and boric acid dropped from helicopters: some 5,000 metric tons of material were dropped during the week that followed the accident. The whole place was completely shut down. The Chernobyl reactor was enclosed in a large concrete sarcophagus, which was built quickly to allow continuing operation of the other reactors at the plant. Some fuel remained in the reactors, most of it in each unit's cooling pond as well as some material in a small spent fuel interim storage facility pond. In 1999 a contract was signed for construction of a radioactive waste management facility to store 25,000 used fuel assemblies from reactor and other operational wastes. The contract included a processing facility able to cut the RBMK fuel assemblies and to put the material in canisters, which were to be filled with inert gas and welded shut. The canisters were to be transported to dry storage vaults, where the fuel containers would be enclosed for up to 100 years. This facility, treating 2500 fuel assemblies per year, was the first of its kind for RBMK fuel. An area extending 19 miles (31 km) in all directions from the plant is known as the "zone of alienation." It is largely uninhabited, except for a few residents who have refused to leave. The area has largely reverted to forest. Even today, radiation levels are so high that the workers responsible for rebuilding the sarcophagus are only allowed to work five hours a day for one month before taking 15 days of rest. Ukrainian officials estimate the area will not be safe for human life again for another 20,000 years.

PREPARING FOR FUTURE The United Nations Development Programme was launched in 2003 a specific project called the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme (CRDP) for the recovery of the affected areas. The programme was initiated in February 2002 based on the recommendations in the report on Human Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident. The main goal of the CRDP's activities is supporting the Government of Ukraine in mitigating long-term social, economic, and ecological consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

REFRENCES Research papers

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1. Howard, John. "Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster." Encyclopedia of Quantitative Risk Analysis and
Assessment.

2. Robbins, Jacob. "Lessons from Chernobyl: the event, the aftermath fallout: radioactive, political,
social." Thyroid 7.2 (1997): 189-192.

Web links 1.http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/ChernobylAccident/#.UZEo_7VTCrA 2. http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2005/ebsp2005n008.html

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OZONE LAYER DEPLETION (1970s)

WHAT HAPPENED Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere (the ozone layer), and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's Polar Regions. The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to these well-known stratospheric phenomena, there are also springtime polar tropospheric ozone depletion events. The details of polar ozone hole formation differ from that of mid-latitude thinning, but the most important process in both is catalytic destruction of ozone by atomic halogens The main source of these halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photo-dissociation of man-made halocarbon refrigerants (CFCs, Freons, Halons). These compounds are transported into the stratosphere after being emitted at the surface. Both types of ozone depletion were observed to increase as emissions of halo-carbons increased. CFCs and other contributor substances are referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS). Since the ozone layer prevents most harmful UVB wavelengths (280315 nm) of ultraviolet light (UV light) from passing through the Earths atmosphere, observed and projected decreases in ozone have generated worldwide concern. The Montreal Protocol that bans the production of CFCs, halons, and other ozone-depleting chemicals such as carbon tetrachloride and trichloro-ethane.

HOW IT HAPPENED Ozone is formed in the stratosphere when oxygen molecules photo-dissociate after absorbing an ultraviolet photon whose wavelength is shorter than 240 nm. This converts a single O2 into two atomic oxygen radicals. The atomic oxygen radicals then combine withseparate O2molecules to create two O3 molecules. These ozone molecules absorb UV light between 310 and 200 nm, following which ozone splits into a molecule of O2and an oxygen atom. The oxygen atom then joins up with an oxygen molecule to regenerate ozone. This is a continuing process that terminates when an oxygen atom "recombines" with an ozone molecule to make two O2 molecules. O + O3 2 O2

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The overall amount of ozone in the stratosphere is determined by a balance between photochemical production and recombination. Ozone can be destroyed by a number of free radical catalysts, the most important of which are the hydroxyl radical (OH), the nitric oxide radical (NO), atomic chlorine ion (Cl) and atomic bromine ion (Br). In the simplest example of such a cycle, a chlorine atom reacts with an ozone molecule, taking an oxygen atom with it (forming ClO) and leaving a normal oxygen molecule. The chlorine monoxide (i.e., the ClO) can react with a second molecule of ozone (i.e., O3) to yield another chlorine atom and two molecules of oxygen. The chemical shorthand for these gas-phase reactions is: Cl + O3 ClO + O2: The chlorine atom changes an ozone molecule to ordinary oxygen ClO + O3 Cl + 2 O2: The ClO from the previous reaction destroys a second ozone molecule and recreates the original chlorine atom, which can repeat the first reaction and continue to destroy ozone. Cl-catalyzed ozone depletion can take place in the gas phase, but it is dramatically enhanced in the presence of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). These polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) form during winter, in the extreme cold. Polar winters are dark, consisting of 3 months without solar radiation (sunlight). The lack of sunlight contributes to a decrease in temperature and the polar vortex traps and chills air. Temperatures hover around or below 80 C. These low temperatures form cloud particles. There are three types of PSC cloudsnitric acid tri-hydrate clouds, slowly cooling water-ice clouds, and rapid cooling water-ice cloudsprovide surfaces for chemical reactions whose products will, in the spring lead to ozone destruction. The role of sunlight in ozone depletion is the reason why the Antarctic ozone depletion is greatest during spring. During winter, even though PSCs are at their most abundant, there is no light over the pole to drive chemical reactions. During the spring, however, the sun comes out, providing energy to drive photochemical reactions and melt the polar stratospheric clouds, releasing considerable ClO, which drives the hole mechanism. Further warming temperatures near the end of spring break up the vortex around mid-December. As warm, ozone and NO2-rich air flows in from lower latitudes, the PSCs are destroyed, the enhanced ozone depletion process shuts down, and the ozone hole closes. Most of the ozone that is destroyed is in the lower stratosphere, in contrast to the much smaller ozone depletion through homogeneous gas phase reactions, which occurs primarily in the upper stratosphere. EFFECTS Ozone, while a minority constituent in Earth's atmosphere, is responsible for most of the absorption of UVB radiation. The amount of UVB radiation that penetrates through the ozone
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layer decreases exponentially with the slant-path thickness and density of the layer. Correspondingly, a decrease in atmospheric ozone is expected to give rise to significantly increased levels of UVB near the surface. Ozone-driven phenolic formation in tree rings has dated the start of ozone depletion in northern latitudes to the late 1700s. UV-215 and mor energetic radiation is responsible for creation ozone in the ozone layer from O2 (regular oxygen). UV-215 through UV-280 increases as a result of reduction in stratospheric ozone, but this is insufficient to do more than dissociate the single oxygen bond of ozone, and of course disrupt DNA bonding.Ozone depletion would change all of the effects of UVB on human health, both positive and negative. UVB (the higher energy UV radiation absorbed by ozone) is generally accepted to be a contributory factor to skin cancer and to produce Vitamin D. In addition, increased surface UV leads to increased tropospheric ozone, which is a health risk to humans. Studies are suggestive of an association between ocular cortical cataracts and UV-B exposure. Vitamin D is produced in the skin by ultraviolet light. Thus, higher UV-B exposure raises human vitamin D in those deficient in it. Recent research (primarily since the Montreal protocol), shows that many humans have less than optimal vitamin D levels. An increase of UV radiation would be expected to affect crops. A number of economically important species of plants, such as rice, depend on Cyanobacteria residing on their roots for the retention of nitrogen. Cyanobacteria are sensitive to UV radiation and would be affected by its increase. Ozone depletion and Global warming go hand in hand. The same CO2 radiative forcing that produces global warming is expected to cool the stratosphere. This cooling, in turn, is expected to produce a relative increase in ozone (O3) depletion in polar area and the frequency of ozone holes. Conversely, ozone depletion represents a radiative forcing of the climate system. There are two opposing effects: Reduced ozone causes the stratosphere to absorb less solar radiation, thus cooling the stratosphere while warming the troposphere; the resulting colder stratosphere emits less long-wave radiation downward, thus cooling the troposphere. Overall, the cooling dominates and results in stratospheric O3 losses.

STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. The treaty was opened for signature on September 16, 1987, and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Since then, it has undergone seven revisions, in 1990 (London), 1991 (Nairobi), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1993 (Bangkok), 1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), and 1999 (Beijing). It is believed that if the international agreement is adhered to, the ozone layer is expected to recover by 2050. Due to its widespread adoption and implementation it has been hailed as an example of exceptional international co-operation.

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 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Phase-out Management Plan

The stated purpose of the treaty is that the signatory states "Recognizing that worldwide emissions of certain substances, including ST, can significantly deplete and otherwise modify the ozone layer in a manner that is likely to result in adverse effects on human health and the environment, ... Determined to protect the ozone layer by taking precautionary measures to control equitably total global emissions of substances that deplete it, with the ultimate objective of their elimination on the basis of developments in scientific knowledge ... Acknowledging that special provision, including ST is required to meet the needs of developing countries..." Under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, especially Executive Committee (ExCom) 53/37 and ExCom 54/39, Parties to this Protocol agreed to set year 2013 as the time to freeze the consumption and production of HCFCs. They also agreed to start reducing its consumption and production in 2015. The time of freezing and reducing HCFCs is then known as 2013/2015. The HCFCs are transitional CFCs replacements, used as refrigerants, solvents, blowing agents for plastic foam manufacture, and fire extinguishers. HFCs replaced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that were phased out under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. HFCs pose no harm to the ozone layer because, unlike CFCs and HCFCs, they do not contain chlorine that depletes the ozone layer. But it has been established that HFCs are not innocuous either. They are super-greenhouse gases with an extremely high global warming potential. This means they are capable of trapping enormous amounts of infrared radiations in the atmosphere and can cause a greenhouse effect a thousand times stronger than carbon dioxide. It has been four years since the issue of bringing HFCs under the Protocols ambit was raised. Developed countries say that since the rise in the emission of super-greenhouse gases is a consequence of the phasing out of CFCs and HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol, the same agreement should monitor them. Developing countries like India, China and Brazil, however, say that the emission and regulation of greenhouse gases fall under the purview of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and HFCs already figure in the basket of six greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol. Developed countries following the Kyoto Protocol report their HFC emission data to UNFCCC; parties to the Montreal Protocol have no such obligation. REFERENCE Books
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1.Parson, Edward A. Protecting the ozone layer: Science and strategy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 2. Andersen, Stephen O., K. Madhava Sarma, and Lani Sinclair. Protecting the ozone layer: the United Nations history. Earthscan, 2002.

Research paper 1. Dameris, M., et al. "Assessment of the future development of the ozone layer." Geophysical
research letters 25.19 (1998): 3579-3582.

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FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR DISASTER (2010)

WHAT HAPPENED The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was a series of equipment failures nuclear meltdowns and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, following the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and only the second disaster (along with Chernobyl) to measure Level 7 on the International Nuclear Scale Event.

HOW IT HAPPENED The plant comprises six separate Boiling Water Reactors. At the time of the quake, Reactor 4 had been de-fuelled while 5 and 6 were in cold shutdown for planned maintenance. Immediately after the earthquake, the remaining reactors 13 shut down automatically and emergency generators came online to power electronics and coolant systems. However, the tsunami following the earthquake quickly flooded the low-lying rooms in which the emergency generators were housed. The flooded generators failed, cutting power to the critical pumps that must continuously circulate coolant water through a nuclear reactor for several days in order to keep it from melting down after being shut down. As the pumps stopped, the reactors overheated due to the normal high radioactive Decay heat produced in the first few days after nuclear reactor shutdown. At this point, only prompt flooding of the reactors with seawater could have cooled the reactors quickly enough to prevent meltdown. Salt water flooding was delayed because it would ruin the costly reactors permanently. Flooding with seawater was finally commenced only after the government ordered that seawater be used and at this point it was already too late to prevent meltdown. In the high heat and pressure of the reactors, a reaction between the nuclear fuel metal cladding, and the water surrounding them, produced explosive hydrogen gas. As workers struggled to cool and shut down the reactors, several Hydrogen air chemical explosions occurred. It is estimated that the hot cladding-water reaction in each reactor produced 800 to 1000 kilograms of hydrogen gas, which was vented out of the Reactor pressure vessel, and mixed with the ambient air, eventually reaching explosive concentration limits in units 1 and 3, and due to piping connections between unit 3 and 4, unit 4 also filled with hydrogen, with the Hydrogen air explosions occurring at the top of each unit.

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A 2012 report in The Economist said: "The reactors at Fukushima were of an old design. The risks they faced had not been well analysed. The operating company was poorly regulated and did not know what was going on. The operators made mistakes. The representatives of the safety inspectorate fled. Some of the equipment failed. The establishment repeatedly played down the risks and suppressed information about the movement of the radioactive plume, so some people were evacuated from more lightly to more heavily contaminated places". EFFECTS Radioactive material has been released from the Fukushima containment vessels as the result of deliberate venting to reduce gaseous pressure, deliberate discharge of coolant water into the sea, and accidental or uncontrolled events. Concerns about the possibility of a large scale release of radioactivity resulted in 20 km exclusion zone being set up around the power plant and people within the 2030 km zone being advised to stay indoors. The Fukushima accident has led to trace amounts of radiation, including Iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137, being observed around the world (New York State, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, California, Montreal, and Austria). Small amounts of radioactive isotopes have also been released into the Pacific Ocean. There were no casualties caused by radiation exposure, approximately 25,000 died due to the earthquake and tsunami. Predicted future cancer deaths due to accumulated radiation exposures in the population living near Fukushima are predicted to be extremely low to none. Area crops the year of the disaster (2011) were too contaminated for consumption and were banned by the government. Current crops are safe for human consumption; Cabbage in the area tested at 9 Bcq/kg, a fraction of 500 Bcq/kg radiation limit, and below the level found in other prefectures. Soil contamination has proven to be superficial. Food now shows normal radiation levels below the levels high enough to endanger human health. The potential negative health effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster include Thyroid abnormalities, infertility and an increased risk of cancer. One study conducted by a research team in Fukushima, Japan found that more than a third (36%) of children in Fukushima has abnormal growths in their Thyroid glands. Furthermore, a WHO report found that there is a slightly higher risk of developing certain cancers for people in the area worst affected by the accident. This includes a 70% higher risk of developing thyroid cancer for new-born babies (due to the low baseline rates of thyroid cancer, a small absolute increase in risks results in a large relative increase), a 7% higher risk of leukaemia in males exposed as infants, a 6% higher risk of breast cancer in females exposed as infants and a 4% higher risk of developing solid cancers for females. An increase in infertility has also been feared.

STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE A nuclear emergency was declared by the government of Japan on 11 March 2011. The Japanese government initially set in place a 4 step evacuation process; a prohibited access
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area out to 3 km from the plant, an on alert area 320 km from the plant, and an evacuation prepared area 2030 km from the plant. These evacuation areas were based on radioactivity levels above 20 mSv. On day one of the disaster nearly 134,000 people who lived between 3 20 km from the plant were evacuated. 4 days later an additional 354,000 who lived between 2030 km from the plant were evacuated. Measurements taken by the Japanese government 3050 km from the plant showed caesium-137 levels high enough to cause concern, leading the government to ban the sale of food grown in the area. Tokyo officials temporarily recommended that tap water should not be used to prepare food for infants. On 10 April 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began using remote-controlled, unmanned heavy equipment to remove debris from around Nuclear Reactors 14.On 21 December 2011, the Japanese government released a roadmap for the clean-up activities, which predicted that the full clean-up will take 40 years, though Toshiba claims to be able to open up the reactor and finish decommissioning in 10 years. In October 2011, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the government might have to spend 1 trillion yen ($13 billion) to clean up vast areas contaminated by radiation from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Hydrothermal blasting is one of several techniques being considered to be included in the effort to clean up radioactivity from Fukushima from as much land as possible. This technique will be able to strip out 80 to 95% of the caesium from contaminated soil and other materials. Caesium-137 (30 year half-life) is the major health concern in Fukushima. The aim is to get annual exposure from the contaminated environment down to 1 (mSv) above background. The most contaminated area where radiation doses are greater than 50 mSv/year must remain off limits. The big challenge is disposing of the Caesium-enriched ash that would end up in the atmosphere from burning all of the vegetation and litter layers of the forest ground, In order for the incineration to go on successfully without releasing too many harmful toxic substances into the atmosphere, a modified incinerator was created. Using several types of methods and HEPA filters, the scientist were able to protect the release of caesium into the atmosphere after the contaminants had been incinerated. These materials incinerated include wood ash, which came from Evergreen trees and deciduous trees, household garbage ash, and also sludge ash. After incineration, the ash had to be disposed of properly and decontaminated of its caesium contents.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE By March 2012, one year after the disaster, all but two of Japan's nuclear reactors had been shut down; some were damaged by the quake and tsunami. The government asked major companies to reduce power consumption by 15%, and some shifted their weekends to weekdays to even out power demand. Environmental activists at a 2011 United Nations meeting in Bangkok used the Fukushima disaster as an example to promote accelerated use of renewable energy.

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One result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster could be renewed public support for the commercialization of renewable energy technologies. In August 2011, the Japanese Government passed a bill to subsidize electricity from renewable energy sources. As of September 2011, Japan plans to build a pilot Floating wind farm, with six 2-megawatt turbines, off the coast.

After the evaluation phase is complete in 2016, "Japan plans to build as many as 80 floating wind turbines off Fukushima by 2020." In 2012, Naoto Kan said the Fukushima disaster made it clear to him that "Japan needs to dramatically reduce its dependence on nuclear power, which supplied 30% of its electricity before the crisis, and has turned him into a believer of renewable energy". Sales of solar cells in Japan rose 30.7% to 1,296 megawatts in 2011, helped by a government scheme to promote renewable energy. The facility is expected to have a capacity of 150 megawatts of solar panels a year, could go online as soon as 2013. Prime Minister Noda and the Japanese government announced a dramatic change of direction in energy policy, promising to make the country nuclear-free by the 2030s. There will be no new construction of nuclear power plants, a 40-year lifetime limit on existing nuclear plants, and any further nuclear plant restarts will need to meet tough safety standards of the new independent regulatory authority. The new approach to meeting energy needs will also involve investing $500 billion over 20 years to commercialize the use of renewable energy sources such as wind power and solar power.

REFRENCES Research papers 1. Braun, Matthias. "The Fukushima Daiichi Incident." PEPA4-G, AREVANP GmbH (2011). 2. Suzuki, Tatsujiro. "The Fukushima Nuclear Accident: Lessons learned (so far) and possible implications." Proceedings of the the 59th Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs. Dorothy Hodgkin: Berlin. 2011.

Web links 1. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/FukushimaAccident-2011/ 2.http://www.ibtimes.com/japan-embarks-long-journey-renewables-based-energyindependence-worlds-largest-wind-farm-project

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DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL (2010)

WHAT HAPPENED The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the US cost on a well operated by BP. It is considered largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. 4.9 million barrels of oil was discharged in to the sea. The spill directly impacted 180,000 km2 of ocean. 11 people died due to the blowout. It had a Wide impact on marine ecosystem. TIMELINE I. II. III. IV. Transocean rig, Deepwater horizon exploded and caught fire on April 20, 2010. A second explosion on 22 April causes deepwater horizon to sink Officials discovered that oil is seeping at a rate of 42,000 gallons a day Oil started to wash over shore by 6th of May.

CAUSES 6 major causes for the incident are explained below in the graphic(I-1):

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The causes of failures can be summed up as: Breach of safety standards Overworked crew Lack of proper contingency measures Lack of coordination among the stakeholders i.e. BP, Schlumberger & Macondo. Lack of a single decision making authority.

EFFECTS OF THE OIL SPILL 1. Environmental 2. Health Chemical poisoning Increased occurrences of certain diseases like asthma in surrounding areas. It led to petroleum toxicity, oxygen depletion. Damage to Beaches, Marshlands and Fragile Marine Ecosystems. Killed fish and other marine organisms and destroyed their natural habitat. Addition of dispersant Corexit increased the dangers.

3. Economic Compensation : In cases with irreparable or very long-term damage, compensation for lost income and damage to property Direct costs : Includes the loss of the oil Clean-up cost : Cleaning up spilled oil is very expensive

STEPS FOR CLEAN-UP 1. Containment: it included deploying many miles of containment boom to block oil from reaching marsh, mangrove & other ecologically sensitive areas 2. 3. Use of Corexit as dispersant Use of Oil eating microbes

4. Removal: 3 basic approaches for removing the oil from the water were: burning the oil, filtering offshore, and collecting for later processing.

LESSONS THAT NEEDS TO BE LEARNT

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There had been instances of big oil spill like Exxon Valdez in past but we never learnt any lessons from it and allowed a sad incident like deepwater horizon to happen. It is an incident which should have never happened in first place and proper preparedness and actions could have prevented the amount of damage even if it happened. The public, government, and the oil and gas industry need to understand what went wrong so they can pursue the changes required to prevent such devastating accidents from recurring. Mentioned below are some of the measures that should be adopted 1. Making safety the biggest priority for any industrial process There is absence of adequate Safety Culture in the Offshore U.S. Oil & Gas Industry. Inadequacies in federal standards Overworked crew, inadequate safety escort vessels, and a single hulled tanker have been cited among the causes of the accident Decreasing safety-related research and development

2. Industry Self-Policing as a Supplement to Government Regulation Industry self-policing is not a substitute for government but serves as an important supplement to government oversight

3. Industrys Responsibilities for Containment and Response Large-scale rescue, response, and containment capabilities need to be developed and demonstrated.

4. Develop options for guarding against, and mitigating the impact of, oil spills associated with offshore drilling 5. Increasing the role of agencies like API in setting the standards for industries.

PREPARING FOR FUTURE Currently oil fuels more than half of our energy needs. So In short term drilling in deepwater horizon cannot be abandoned but steps should be taken to do it safely. In the long term there is a need for a balanced energy policy which covers following points Requiring energy-efficient automobiles to reduce fuel use, and promoting energy-efficient transit alternatives; Promoting the development of clean and domestically produced alternative fuels or sources of power for transportation. Managing the inherent risks of domestic production of oil and gasincluding from offshore areaswhile considering the short- and long-term availability of these fuels
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Requiring safe operations to protect human health Protecting the natural environment, including steps to limit climate change. Policy Promoting Congressional Engagement to Ensure Responsible Offshore Drilling

REFRENCES Research paper 1. National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill and Offshore Drilling (US), Bob Graham, and William Kane Reilly. Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling: Report to the President. The Commission, 2011. 2.Crone, Timothy J., and Maya Tolstoy. Magnitude of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil leak. Science 330.6004 (2010): 634-634. Web Links 1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special_reports/oil_disaster/ 2.http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oilspill/index.ssf/2013/02/graphic_shows_how_bps_deepwate.html 3.http://environment.about.com/od/petroleum/a/oil_spills_and_environment.htm

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PART 2

ACTIVITY REPORT ON

SURVEY FOR ANALYZING PEOPLES AWARENESS ABOUT SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

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ABSTRACT
KEYWORDS: Solid waste management, Source segregation ABSTRACT: Solid waste refers to the common garbage and trash that we throw away along with other forms of municipal waste like construction wastes. The current situation of solid waste management in the urban areas of India is very bad. With the volume of waste set to double in next 5 years, the role of people and their awareness become s very important if we have to manage the solid waste effectively. To check people awareness about SWM a survey was conducted. A questionnaire covering wide array of question regarding the basics of solid waste, people's satisfaction of collection methodology and frequency, modes of waste disposal & activities that can be followed at individual levels to help the cause of SWM were asked. A total of 24 responses were collected. Results largely proved the people's dissatisfaction with the management policies of their cities and their lack of awareness about issues regarding solid waste management.

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INTRODUCTION Solid waste is a generic term used to describe the things we throw away. It includes things we commonly describe as garbage, refuse and trash. Various sub-categories that come under the classification of solid waste are:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Municipal (domestic/commercial/institutional) Industrial waste Construction and demolition waste Medical & other hazardous waste Sewage treatment residue

As long as humans have been living in settled communities, solid waste, or garbage, has been an issue, and modern societies generate far more solid waste than early humans ever did. Solid Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal, managing and monitoring of waste materials. An effective solid waste management policy is very important for any municipal corporation to see that the solid waste in its city is properly taken care of. There are 3 major objectives of any good solid waste management program:
1. To remove discarded materials from inhabited places in a timely manner 2. To dispose of these discarded materials in a manner that is environmentally friendly 3. Recycling, reusing whatever possible (like newspapers, glass bottles) and recovering energy from waste if possible.

Sadly the situation of solid waste management in the urban centres of India is very bad. Various studies reveal that about 90% of MSW is disposed of unscientifically in open dumps and landfills, creating problems to public health and the environment. With the volume of waste generated set to double in next 5 years the role of people become very important in addition to the local authorities. Peoples awareness about activities like source segregation, source reduction, recycling, composting etc. can mean a big difference in overall waste management scenario. AIM To conduct an online survey to study peoples awareness about the solid waste management practices in their cities. Analyze the peoples responses, finding the areas where improvements are possible and suggesting methods on how these improvements can be brought about.

POINTS TO BE COVERED Do people understand the meaning and types of solid wastes? Finding what kind of solid wastes are generated in residential areas? Finding what is the waste collection methodology adopted in different cities?

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Asking people about whether they are satisfied with the scenario of solid waste management (including collection methodology, frequency of waste collection etc.) in India in general and their city in particular. Do people understand the different methods like land filling, composting, incineration etc. which are followed for disposing wastes? How many cities have waste to energy conversion power plant? Are people aware of the concepts of source segregation and source reduction? Do people realize the importance of recycling, reusing and composting of organic wastes? Finding activities that the people are currently following at individual or community level to help the cause of solid waste management.

METHODOLOGY 1. Designing a questionnaire for people which cover all the above mentioned points and putting it up on the internet through Google form. 2. Using forums like social networking sites etc for collecting peoples responses 3. Analyzing peoples response. Finding the areas of improvements and coming up with methods to bring out these improvements. 4. Sending people who took part in the survey, the information about its results and things they can do to help in effective management of solid waste. THE QUESTIONNAIRE Online survey can be found out at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO 8/edit Following questions were asked:1. Choose your cities classification Tire 1 (Delhi, Mumbai etc.) Tire 2 (Lucknow, Patna etc.) Tire 3(Remaining) 2. Do you understand the meaning of solid waste? Yes No 3. Which among the following are solid waste sub-category? (More than 1 correct) Municipal waste (domestic/commercial/institutional) Industrial waste Nuclear waste
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Construction and demolition Medical waste 4. Please list some of the common types of solid wastes generated from your homes

5. Solid waste management is of the primary responsibility of Municipal Corporation in any city. Do you feel your city is doing enough in terms of proper solid waste management right from waste collection to disposal? Yes No 6. What is the collection methodology adopted in your city? Door to door pick-up Curb side pick-up (common dumpster where you empty your waste) No fixed method Other: 7. Is the frequency of waste collection satisfactory in your city? Yes No 8. Which among these is a possible solid waste disposal method? (More than one correct) Land-fill Recycling Composting Incineration/Pyrolysis (burning waste to recover energy) 9. Does your city have a waste to energy conversion plant? Yes No Don't know

10. Which of the following is the best way for disposing organic solid waste (eg. kitchen waste)?
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Composting (to produce manure) Land-fill Incineration Other: 11. Are you aware of the terms 'Source segregation' & 'Source reduction'? Yes No 12. Which of the following activities can be adopted at individual level to help the cause of solid waste management? More than one correct Source segregation (separate bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes) Composting (of organic waste) Recycle (selling waste paper, bottles to kabariwalla) Reuse Other: 13. Pick out the activities that you follow in your daily life to reduce the problem of solid waste management? Carry your own cloth or jute bag when you go shopping. As far as possible try to sell all the recyclable items (newspapers, plastic/glass bottles) that are not required to the Kabariwala. Segregate the waste in the house keep two garbage bins and see to it that the biodegradable and the non-biodegradable is put into separate bins and dispose off separately Dig a compost pit in your garden and put all the biodegradables into it Say no to all plastic bags as far as possible See to it that all garbage is thrown into the municipal bin as the collection is generally done from there 14. Do you feel that situation of solid waste management in India is very bad and lot needs to be done? Yes No 15. Are you interested in receiving the results of this survey and methods to improve the waste management at your level? If yes, please provide your email address. (Optional)
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RESPONSES So far 22 responses have been recorded. Following is the link where summary of these responses can be found: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO 8/viewanalytics Summary 1. Out of the 22 people who responded to this poll, 7 belonged to tire 1 cities, 10 to tier 2 cities and 5 to the tire 3 cities. 2. Majority of people (91%) understood the meaning of solid waste. 3. Following was the response when people were asked to choose solid waste categories from the 5 options; Municipal waste, Industrial waste, Construction & Demolition waste, Medical waste (correct) Nuclear waste (incorrect)

(G-1) 4. Following things were identified by people as solid waste packaging, plastic items, paper, cardboard, waste food, plastics, paper dust, kitchen waste etc... Kitchen Waste, Used up furniture, Clothes, Raddi, Metals Food waste, plastics, newspapers, cardboard, batteries Kitchen wet waste Paper, plastic covers Mostly Organic Waste (like peels of fruits dust etc. kitchen waste, papers, plastics, metals, glass containers , ceramics plastic covers paper Packaging garbage banana peels, wrappers, sewage, old gadgets wastes from electronic goods, plastic, scrap etc 5. 16 of the 20 people (80%) were not satisfied with the current state of solid waste management in their city. 6. Door to door was the most followed collection methodology (52%), followed by curb-side pickup (33%).
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(G-2)

7. 51% of the people claimed that the frequency of waste collection in their city was satisfactory. 8. Following was the response of people to the question of choosing the possible solid waste management methodology (all options are correct).

(G-3)

9. Only 4 cities had a waste to energy conversion power plant .Majority of cities did not have one (48%). Sadly 33% of people had no knowledge of this thing and couldnt give an answer. 10. 19 (90%) of the people got the answer correct for the question of best disposal method for organic solid waste i.e. Composting. 11. Only 12 people (55%) are aware of the term Source segregation. 12. Following is the response of the people when they were asked to choose activities which can be adopted at individual level to help the cause of proper solid waste management.

(G-4) 13. Carry your own cloth or jute bag when you go shopping - 17
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As far as possible try to sell all the recyclable items (newspapers, plastic/glass bottles) that are not required to the Kabariwalla - 18 Segregate the waste in the house keep two garbage bins and see to it that the biodegradable and the non-biodegradable is put into separate bins and dispose of separately - 6 Dig a compost pit in your garden and put all the biodegradables into it - 5 Say no to all plastic bags as far as possible - 15 See to it that all garbage is thrown into the municipal bin as the collection is generally done from there - 15

14. Almost everyone was of the opininon that the situation of solid waste mangemnt in India is very bad and lots need to be done.

OBSERVATIONS Majority of people are aware of the term solid waste. People are somewhat unsure about the classification of solid waste as many people wrongly classified nuclear waste as solid waste. People are not satisfied with the current scenario of solid waste management in their cities (including collection methodology frequency etc). Door to door collection is most popular in Indian cities. Majority of cities do not have a waste to energy conversion power plant Sadly half the people are not aware of the term source segregation and source reduction. Most of the solid waste is unscientifically disposed off in land-fills in India. Though people are aware of other methods like incineration, composting etc. but they are not followed. Condition s of land-fills is very bad. People are of composting as method for disposing off organic waste Recycling (paper/cans through kabariwallas) is the e most popular activity among Indians when asked to choose activities they follow to help cause of solid waste management at individual level. Composting came last. Everyone is of the opinion that situation of solid waste management in India is very bad and lots needs to be done.

CONCLUSION / SUGGESTIONS Increasing peoples awareness about source segregation & and activities like composting, recycling. Improving the overall collection methodology Partnership with private sector to help this cause of solid waste management.
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Setting up of waste to energy conversion plants Proper segregation of waste to separate out organic component, recyclable, components which can be used as fuel Stricter regulations with proper implementations on the use of plastics. Encouraging activities like setting composting pit among small communities (through subsidies etc.) Improving the conditions of landfills. Learning from success stories of Coimbatore, Kanpur.

REFRENCES

Books 1. Davis, Mackenzie Leo. "Solid Waste Management." Introduction to Environmental Engineering. 3rd ed. New Delhi: WCB McGraw-Hill, 2009. Page 11.1-1.3. 2. Wilson, David Gordon. Handbook of Solid Waste Management. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1977. Research Papers 1.Bajaj, Amrita. "Solid Waste Management in India." Solid Waste Management: Present and Future Challenges (2010): 105. 2.Gupta, Shuchi, et al. "Solid waste management in India: options and opportunities." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 24.2 (1998): 137-154. Web Links 1.http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/swm/swm_manual.htm 2.http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wonders-of-waste-disposal-in-kanpur/978894/ 3.http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-foreffective-waste-management/article4543946.ece

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