ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY

Lecturate
Unit 6:
Solid Waste Pollution

Presented By
Husnain Afzal
Executive Engineer (Civil), WAPDA
Solid Waste Pollution
 Solid waste is that material which arises from various
human activities and is normally discarded as useless
or unwanted. It consists of discarded materials from the
urban community as well as accumulation of agriculture,
industrial, and mining wastes.
Classification of Solid Waste
1. Garbage:
This is the decayable solid waste produced during the
preparation or storage of meat, fruit, vegetables, etc.
This waste has a moisture content
of about 70% and heating value of around 6 x 106J/kg. It
may contain valuable minerals and nutrients.
2. Rubbish:
It is a non-putrescible solid waste. It can either be
combustible (such as paper, wood, rubber, etc.) or non-
combustible (such as metals, glass, ceramics, etc.) The
water content is about 25% and the heating value of the
waste is around 15 x 106J/kg
Classification of Solid Waste
3. Pathological waste:
Dead animals, humans etc constitute pathological waste. It
has a moisture content of 85% and a heating value of
around 2.5 X 106 J/kg. The waste may also include hospital
waste which comprises of disposable syringes, swabs,
bandages, body fluids etc. This kind of waste is highly
infectious.
4. Industrial waste:
The industrial wastes include waste from coal or ore
mines, electroplating works, textiles industries, paper
industries, oil refineries etc. Industrial waste contains
inorganic or organic pollutants which may or may not be
soluble
Classification of Solid Waste
5. Agriculture Wastes
It includes animal manure, crop residue etc. Herbicides,
fungicides, etc. also contribute to agricultural waste
Public Health Aspects
 Waste that is not properly managed, especially excreta and
other liquid and solid waste from households and the
community, are a serious health hazard and lead to the
spread of infectious diseases.
 Unattended waste lying around attracts flies, rats, and
other creatures that in turn spread disease. Rats in
particular, damage property and spread diseases like
plague, endemic typus.
 Normally it is the wet waste that decomposes and releases
a bad odour. This leads to unhygienic conditions and
thereby to a rise in the health problems.
Public Health Aspects
 Co-disposal of industrial hazardous waste with municipal
waste can expose people to chemical and radioactive
hazards.
 Uncollected solid waste can also obstruct storm water
runoff, resulting in the forming of stagnant water bodies
that become the breeding ground of disease.
 Waste dumped near a water source also causes
contamination of the water body or the ground water
source.
 Direct dumping of untreated waste in rivers, seas, and
lakes results in the accumulation of toxic substances in the
food chain through the plants and animals that feed on it.
Public Health Aspects
 Disposal of hospital and other medical waste requires
special attention since this can create major health hazards.
This waste generated from the hospitals, health care
centers, medical laboratories, and research centers such as
discarded syringe needles, bandages, swabs, plasters, and
other types of infectious waste are often disposed with the
regular non-infectious waste.
THANK YOU!!