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Effects of Improper Waste Disposal

Introduction Improper waste disposal is the disposal of waste in a way that has negative consequences for the environment. Examples include littering, hazardous waste that is dumped into the ground, and not recycling items that should be recycled.When solid waste, from food remnants to chemical by-products from manufacturing, isn't discarded properly it can have far-reaching consequences for the environment and its natural vegetation and inhabitants, as well as for public health.

WASTE PRODUCTION

According to the municipality, 223 t/d waste are produced by 650,000 inhabitants in Hargeisa;therefore, per-capita production results equal to 0.35 kg/d.A waste composition analysis was conducted on Hargeisa urban solid waste since data referring towaste composition were not available. On the whole, 129.1 kg of waste were collected and analyzed

Continue.They were characterized by an average density equal to 172 kg/m. This low value can be justified considering that analyses were carried out during the dry season; density would surely have been higher during the rainy season.The following Table 1 reports identified waste fractions and their percentages on the whole waste.

It is possible to observe that the highest percentage is represented by the less than 2.5 cm fraction (28.9%). Organic matter percentage is not very high (21.2%) compared with usual values registered in Developing Countries (up to 50%; Cointreau, 1982); probably because it is commonly eaten by animals and it was dry at the moment of the analysis. Continue..Paper and cardboard reach a significant percentage, equal to 19.9%, but within ranges reported by Cointreau (1982), from 15 to 40%. On the contrary, plastic percentage (16%) is significantly higher than data usually reported for Developing Countries, varying between 2 and 10%.Moreover, PET and other kinds of plastic were weighed separately. In the whole waste, PET fraction is equal to 3.1%, whereas other plastics fraction reaches 12.9%.

Effects of waste and poor waste disposal.Imagine we all throw garbage, junk and rubbish away anyhow. Imagine there was no authority to supervise waste management activities from all thesources mentioned earlier. Imagine we all just sent our rubbish to the landfill, or just dumped them in a nearby river. What do you think will happen? A disaster!Environmental EffectsSurface water contaminationSoil contaminationPollutionLeachate

Economic EffectsMunicipal wellbeingRecycling revenue

Surface water contamination:

Waste that end up in water bodies negatively change the chemical composition of the water. Technically, this is called water pollution. This will affect allecosystemsexisting in the water. It can also cause harm to animals that drink from such polluted water.Soil contamination:

Hazardous chemicals that get into the soil (contaminants) can harm plants when they take up the contamination through their roots. If humans eat plants and animals that have been in contact with such polluted soils, there can be negative impact on their health.

Pollution:

Bad waste management practices can result in land and air pollution and can cause respiratory problems and other adverse health effects as contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body.

Leachate

Liquid that forms as water trickles through contaminated areas is called Leachate. It forms very harmful mixture of chemicals that may result in hazardous substances entering surface water, groundwater or soil.Municipal wellbeing

Everyone wants to live and visit places that are clean, fresh and healthy. A city with poor sanitation, smelly and with waste matter all over the place do not attract good people, investors and tourists. Such cities tend to have poor living standards.

Recycling revenue:

Cities that do not invest in recycling and proper waste control miss out on revenue from recycling. They also miss out on job opportunities that come from recycling, composting and businesses that work with them.

Play your part!

Usually proper solid waste management practices are in place, but particularly in low-income areas or developing countries, those standards aren't always practiced or, in some cases, are non-existent.

Types

The solid waste that can create such a problem falls into nine categories. There is garbage, which is your rotten banana peel or other food-related waste that can decompose. Then there's the stuff that doesn't decay, like glass and metals. Ashes from manufacturing operations and large debris like trees, as well as chemicals(plastics) from industrial, and agricultural ventures, are thrown into the mix.

ContinueAs unpleasant as it is, dead animals and sewage are among the types of waste that those in the disposal business concern themselves with. Looking at the types of waste, it's easy to see the negative side effects associated with not discarding it in a responsible manner.Methods

Ninety percent of solid waste goes straight to the landfill. Incineration is the next most popular method of disposal, followed by composting to a much lesser extent. The dangers from landfills come into play when the site is in a place where it shouldn't be such as near wetlands. The other danger is a lack of monitoring the site. Usually, standards dictate that a plastic liner or clay soil be utilized to keep waste from seeping into the groundwater. In the case of incineration, problems usually arise when toxic materials, like batteries, aren't set aside and recycled and are instead burned releasing pollutants into the air.

Groundwater Contamination

If waste isn't discarded properly on land, when it rains the waste is soaked and is then carried through the landfill, eventually making its way into the water you may drink. Especially dangerous chemicals are volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which usually come from household cleaners and industrial solvents used in operations like dry cleaning. These compounds have been linked to everything from cancers to birth defects.

Disease Outbreaks

Another danger, especially with open pits, comes from the spread of diseases--usually carried by rodents and bugs. An example of this is malaria, which festers in open areas with standing water and particularly hot and muggy temperatures. In addition, there may be a propensity for people to scavenge wastes in landfills and open pits, which again can create unsanitary conditions and aid the spread of disease.

Habitat Destruction

Disposal locations may encroach upon existing habitat for native flora and fauna, especially when sited in areas near wetlands. In some cases, people have taken steps to reclaim the land by capping the landfill and later attempting to grow vegetation on it.

Climate Change

As waste begins to break down, methane is produced. Methane is considered a greenhouse gases that is responsible for some of the spike in the earth's temperatures.

Air Quality

When wastes are burned, especially toxic chemicals like dioxin, they're released into the surrounding environment and can then cause serious public health risks.

Conclusion In Somaliland, wastes both liquid and solid pose serious threat because they ferment creating conditions favorable to the survival and growth of killer microbes.The unscientific disposal of wastes is risky and residents suffer in areas where there is no proper waste disposal method. This is because waste disposal sites are hazardous to public health as improper waste management attracts all types of insects, birds, animals, etc. which act as vectors or agents for the spread of diseases.

Continue..Assuming just a kilogram of city waste harbors billions of pathogenic (disease causing microorganisms) or one gram of a healthy human waste contains 10 million of pathogens, how long it will take your body to fight off diseases cause by those invading enemy armies?For those of you who still stick to the old taboos and hence think that discussing topics like the safe disposal of wastes are off the limits, it is worth to say like it or not it is a glaring reality that is out there!

ContinueIn short, if Somaliland has to catch up with the rest of the global community in health and sanitation, its authorities must initiate and implement water and sanitation management programs.And finally, it is probably a high time to let the public directly elect mayors so that they have authorities who are really accountable for city problems.

References http://somalilandtimes.net/sl/2008/314/080.shtmlCeTAmb Research centre on appropriate technologies for environment management in Developing Countries