Module 5

Applications: Applications of EMS, Waste Audits and Pollution Prevention Control: Textile, Sugar, Pulp & Paper,
Electroplating, Tanning industry. Hazardous Wastes-Classification, characteristics Treatment and Disposal Methods,
Transboundary movement, disposal.

1. Hazardous Wastes-Classification, characteristics Treatment and Disposal Methods.

What Makes Something Hazardous?
The EPA determines that hazardous waste must be a solid, and then must meet further requirements in terms of
health regulations. OSHA and the DOT also publish hazardous waste lists. The consensus is that most hazardous
waste has at least one characteristic of ignitability, corrosively, reactivity, or toxicity.
The 4 Types of Hazardous Waste
There are 4 types of hazardous waste, most commonly produced during manufacturing processes. The types
include:
 Listed wastes
 Characteristic wastes
 Mixed radiological wastes
 Mixed hazardous wastes

Characteristics of Hazardous Waste

A characteristic waste contains a property that makes the waste hazardous and ensures it needs regulation
for the threat.

The EPA determined four characteristics of hazardous waste:

 Ignitability:

Ignitable waste is waste that can cause a fire in certain situations. It includes liquids that
have flashpoints below 140℉ (60℃) because they can ignite in most conditions, making them a severe hazard.

 Corrosivity

Corrosivity refers to waste that’s capable of eroding, corroding, or eating away at other substances and
surfaces.

 Reactivity

Reactive waste can act unstable even in normal conditions, making it hazardous to handle and dispose of.

 Toxicity

Toxic waste is harmful when it’s ingested or absorbed and can pollute groundwater. The Toxicity
Characteristic Leaching Procedure tests waste to see how harmful it is to the environment
Treatment
Hazardous waste can be treated by chemical, thermal, biological, and physical methods.
Chemical methods include ion exchange, precipitation, oxidation and reduction, and neutralization.
Among thermal methods is high-temperature incineration, which not only can detoxify certain organic
wastes but also can destroy them.
Special types of thermal equipment are used for burning waste in either solid, liquid, or sludge form.
These include the fluidized-bed incinerator, multiple-hearth furnace, rotary kiln, and liquid-injection
incinerator. One problem posed by hazardous-waste incineration is the potential for air pollution.
Biological treatment of certain organic wastes, such as those from the petroleum industry, is also an
option. One method used to treat hazardous waste biologically is called landfarming. In this
technique the waste is carefully mixed with surface soil on a suitable tract of land.
Microbes that can metabolize the waste may be added, along with nutrients. In some cases a genetically
engineered species of bacteria is used. Food crops are not grown on the same site. Microbes can also be
used for stabilizing hazardous wastes on previously contaminated sites; in that case the process is called
bioremediation.
The chemical, thermal, and biological treatment methods outlined above change the molecular form of
the waste material.
Physical treatment, on the other hand, concentrates, solidifies, or reduces the volume of the waste.
Physical processes include evaporation, sedimentation, flotation, and filtration. Yet another process is
solidification, which is achieved by encapsulating the waste in concrete, asphalt, or plastic.
Encapsulation produces a solid mass of material that is resistant to leaching. Waste can also be
mixed with lime, fly ash, and water to form a solid, cement like product
Disposal methods
1: Underground disposal
The only way this method is compliant is when the hazardous waste is brought to mines that are either
inactive or partially active (along with meeting additional geological and technical specifications).
Many companies need to dispose of radioactive waste, whether from medical treatments,
laboratory experiments, nuclear fuel production, or radioactive ore mining. For those cases, this method
is considered a strong, cost-effective option.
These hazardous waste facilities will vary in their sustainability, per the EPA. The agency is responsible
for protecting people and the natural world by verifying that these units’ design, operation, and
maintenance adhere to its standards.
2: Landfill disposal
Dumpsites and landfills are the most commonly used and oldest method of waste disposal. Hazardous
waste landfills are specially built and are NOT intended for liquid wastes. They are engineered and
excavated so that they are within the ground rather than piling upward.
These landfills are lined with clay, HDPE, or other non-porous materials to prevent the waste from
leaching into the ground. Wind dispersal controls, leak protection systems, and a double liner are
additional protections so that humans and the environment come into contact with as little of the waste
as possible.
Human health is generally not impacted by hazardous waste landfills. However, it is possible for people
near the landfill to be harmed if there is a leak.
#3: Ocean dumping
For the avoidance of groundwater contamination, deep-sea depositing is sometimes used. It is necessary
to treat hazardous waste before ocean dumping to minimize the impact on marine life. This treatment is
important to human health, too, since the waste can make its way to humans when they consume seafood.
Some environmental agencies ban this. practice, but it is allowed by the EPA if you have a permit and
strictly follow its guidelines
 Regarding sustainability, treatment is critically important. Radioactive waste, industrial waste, and
sludge all cause considerable ocean pollution. Mercury and cadmium, toxic heavy metals, are within
about 10 percent of dredged material.

2. Transboundary movement
Any movement of hazardous wastes or other wastes from an area under the national Jurisdiction of one
State to or through an area under the national jurisdiction of another State or to or through an area not
under the national jurisdiction of any State, provided at least two States are involved in the movement
Controlling transboundary movements of hazardous and other wastes is a corner stone of the Basel
Convention.
Parties to the Basel Convention have the overall obligation to ensure that transboundary movements of
hazardous and other wastes are minimized and that any such movement is conducted in a manner which
will protect human health and the environment.
In addition to these general obligations, the Convention provides that transboundary movements can only
take place if certain conditions are met and if they are in accordance with certain procedures.
Parties are under an obligation to take the appropriate measures to ensure that transboundary movements
of hazardous wastes and other wastes are only allowed if one of the three following conditions is met:
the State of export does not have the technical capacity and the necessary facilities, capacity or suitable
disposal sites in order to dispose of the wastes in question in an environmentally sound manner‖; or
the wastes in question are required as raw material for recycling or recovery industries in the State of
import; or
the transboundary movement in question is in accordance with other criteria decided by the Parties (such
criteria will normally be found in the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties)
In all cases, the Convention requires that the standard of environmentally sound management of hazardous
wastes or other wastes is met. Environmentally sound management means taking all practicable steps to
ensure that hazardous wastes or other wastes are managed in a manner which will protect human health
and the environment against the adverse effects which may result from such wastes.
In addition to these conditions, the Basel Convention specifies instances in which Parties may restrict
transboundary movements and instances in which Parties must restrict transboundary movements.
Finally, the Basel Convention requires that only persons authorized or allowed to transport or dispose of
wastes undertake such operations and that wastes subject to a transboundary movement be packaged,
labelled and transported in conformity with generally accepted and recognized international rules and
standards.
3. Effluent Treatment Practices in Pulp and Paper Industry
Several control and treatment technologies have been developed to reduce wastewater discharge from the pulp
and paper industry. The two major technology approaches are:
1. At source treatment controls measurements aimed at reducing wastewater volume and pollutant load discharged
from the mill.
2. Wastewater treatment technologies or end-of pipe treatment system aimed at reducing discharge of pollutants
in the wastewater.
Various approaches for the management of effluent discharged include (Tarar et al. 2000)
Segregation: Highly concentrated and offensive effluents are segregated from relatively voluminous effluents.
Chemical Recovery: Efficient recovery of chemicals from the spent liquor is an integral part of modern sulphate
(Kraft) and soda processes.
Good Housing Keeping: Proper installation and operation of equipment, keeping them well cleaned before
emptying into drain. Avoiding unnecessary biodegradable material to be dumped into waste stream, reuse of water
when possible, reduces considerably the pollution load.
Reclamation and Recycling: About 80-90% reduction in pollution load and 70 % reduction in effluent volume
in chipper house can be achieved through effluent reuse. Similarly recirculation in multi-stage bleaching operation
reduces pollution loads by 30- 80%. Effective fiber recovery from paper machine can reduce the pollution load
by 20- 60% and volume by 60-80% (Birdie and Birdie, 2008).
Primary Treatment: It includes coagulation & flocculation, floatation and sedimentation. A well designed
clarifier is considered most suitable and is expected to settle 90-95 % of the settle able solids and removes 25-
30% of BOD. Clarifier should be designed for an overflow rate of 30 cubic meters per square meter per day and
a detention time of three hours. Settled sludge is regularly pumped out at about 3% solid consistency. The sludge
can be dewatered to sped able consistency by drying on usual drying beds, vacuum bed filters, and solid bowl
centrifuges.
Biological Treatment : Depending upon the conditions at site and degree of treatment required for final disposal
of effluents, biological treatment methods that can be adopted include; oxidation pond, aeration lagoon, trickling
filter with secondary clarifier and activated sludge process.

4. Application of ems and waste audit

Environmental Management Systems can help to minimize environmental effects of an organization or
company.
They can help to amplify the productive use of assets that the company has.
They are shown to help to reduce the amount of waste that a company produces.
EMS’s can help to give the public a good picture of the organization that you have and that you want to
be.
They can play a very large role in constructing the consciousness of environmental concern among
people within your organization and that utilize what your organization has to offer them.
Gain a superior understanding of the environmental effects of business exercises.
Expansion benefits and enhancement of environmental plan execution, through more productive
operations.
Waste audits can determine the effectiveness of your operations
Waste audit reduce the cost
Waste audit measures the success
Waste audit will verify and have access to more accurate data
Waste audit meet certificate standards
Waste audit are required for certain regulatory compliance and reporting purposes
5. Waste Audits and Pollution Prevention Control: Textile, Sugar, Pulp & Paper,
Electroplating, Tannin