MODULE - 5

Identification and classification of

hazardous waste, hazardous waste
treatment, pollution prevention and
waste minimization, hazardous wastes
management in India. E-waste recycling.
 What is hazardous waste?

• A hazardous waste is a waste with properties

that make it dangerous or capable of having a
harmful effect on human health or the
environment.
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
• Hazardous waste cause adverse health effects
on the ecosystem and human beings.
• The nature of hazardous waste:
- Non-degradable or persistent in nature
- Biologically magnified
- Highly toxic and even lethal at very low
concentrations
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
Secondary material:
materials, spent materials,
sludges, by-products,
commercial chemical products
and scrap metals (6
categories).
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
Identification procedure
- List provided by the government
- Characteristics such as ignitibility, corrosively,
reactivity and toxicity of the substance.
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
Classification
• F-list
• K-list
• P and U lists
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
F-list
• Non-specific sources
• Metal treatment baths and sludges.
• Code numbers: benzene (F005), carbon
tetrachloride (F001), cresylic acid (F004), methyl
ethyl ketone (F005), methylene chloride (F001),
trichloroethane (F001), toluene (F005), &
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
K-list
• K-list contains hazardous wastes generated by specific
industrial processes.
• Wood preservation, pigment production, chemical
production, petroleum refining, iron and steel production,
explosive manufacturing and pesticide production
Identification and classification
of hazardous waste
P and U lists
• Discarded commercial chemical products, off-
specification chemicals, container residues and residues
from the spillage of materials
• Pure grades of the chemical, any technical grades of the
chemical that are produced or marketed, and all
formulations in which the chemical is the sole active
ingredient.
 Characteristics of hazardous waste

Ignitability
• Identification number D001
• Naphtha, lacquer thinner, epoxy resins,
adhesives and oil based paints are all examples
of ignitable hazardous wastes.
 Characteristics of hazardous waste

Corrosivity
• Waste identification number D002
• A liquid waste which has a pH of less than or
equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 12.5 is
considered to be a corrosive hazardous waste.
Characteristics of hazardous waste

Reactivity
• Waste identification number D003
• Easily react with water and oxygen
• Sodium metal or wastes containing cyanides or
sulphides.
 Characteristics of hazardous
waste

Toxicity
• Waste identification number D004
• Toxic hazardous waste
• Dangerous concentrations of toxic
chemicals
 Classification according to the
practical point
Radioactive substance
• Persevere long period
• Half life period
• Source: Nuclear reactor
 Classification according to the
practical point
Chemicals:
• Synthetic organics, inorganic metals, salts, acids and
bases, and flammables and explosives.
Biomedical wastes:
• The principal sources of hazardous biological wastes
are hospitals and biological research facilities
• Hypodermic needles, bandages and out-dated drugs
 Classification according to the
practical point
Flammable wastes
• Include organic solvents, oils, plasticisers and
organic sludges.
Explosives
• Ordnance (artillery) materials
• Similar to flammables
 Classification according to the
practical point
Household hazardous wastes
• Household wastes such as cleaning chemicals, batteries, nail
polish etc. in MSW constitute hazardous waste.
• Especially batteries contain mercury which are alkaline which
is dangerous enough to kill people.
• Generic household hazardous material include non
chlorinated organic, chlorinated organic, pesticides, latex
paint, oil based paints, waste oil, automobile battery and
household battery.
Hazardous Waste Management
Important steps in hazardous waste
management
1. Waste generation
2. Storage and collection
3. Transfer & transport
4. Processing
5. Disposal
Hazardous Waste Management

1. Waste generation
• Hazardous waste generated within a
community and in various industries
• Onsite visits
• Data inventory
 Hazardous Waste Management
1. Waste generation - sources
 Hazardous Waste Management
2. Storage and collection
Why storage ?
• When large quantities are generated, special facilities are
used that have sufficient capacity to hold wastes
accumulated over a period of several days.
• Containers and facilities used in hazardous waste storage
and handling are selected on the basis of waste
characteristics.
• Example: Corrosive acids or caustic solutions are stored
in fibreglass or glass-lined containers to prevent
Hazardous Waste Management
2. Storage and collection
Hazardous Waste Management
2. Storage and collection
Hazardous Waste Management
3. Transfer and transport
Transportation:
• For short-haul distances, drum storage
and collection with a flatbed truck is
often used.
• As hauling distances increase, the larger
tank trucks, trailers and railroad tank
Hazardous Waste Management
3. Transfer and transport
• Hazardous waste transfer station are quite
different from solid waste transfer station.
• Typically, hazardous wastes are not compacted.
• Liquid hazardous wastesare generally pumped
from collection vehicles and sludge or solids are
reloaded without removal from the collection
containers for transport to processing and
disposal facilities.
Hazardous Waste Management
4. Processing
• Processing of hazardous waste is done for
purposes of recovering useful materials and
preparing the wastes for disposal.
• Processing can be accomplished on-site or off-
site.
• The treatment of hazardous waste can be
accomplished by physical, chemical, thermal or
biological means.
 Hazardous Waste Management
5. Disposal
• Most hazardous waste is disposed off either near
the surface or by deep burial.
Precautions:
• Possible percolation of toxic liquid waste to the
ground water
• Release of toxic or explosive vapours to the
atmosphere
• Corrosion of containers with hazardous wastes.
Hazardous Waste Treatment
1. Physical treatment
2. Chemical treatment
3. Thermal treatment
4. Biological treatment
 Hazardous Waste Treatment

Physical treatment
(a)Filtration and separation
(b)Clarification
(c)Dewatering
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Physical treatment
Filtration and separation
• Filtration is a method for separating solid
particles from a liquid using a porous
medium
• Semi permeable membrane
• Osmosis, caused by gravity, centrifugal
force, vacuum, or pressure greater than
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Physical treatment
Clarification
• Suspended solid particles less than 100 ppm
Dewatering
• Slurries of typically 1% to 30 % solids by weight
• Cake filtration
• Neutralisation process
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Chemical treatment
(a) Chemical precipitation
(b) Chemical oxidation and reduction (redox)
(c) Solidification and stabilisation
(d) Encapsulation
(e) Evaporation
(f) Ozonation
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Chemical treatment
Chemical precipitation
• Soluble substance is converted to an insoluble
form
• Use solvent
• Wastes containing arsenic, barium, cadmium,
chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel,
selenium, silver, thallium and zinc.
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Chemical treatment
Chemical oxidation and reduction (redox)
• Redox reactions
• Treatment of metal-bearing wastes, sulphides,
cyanides and chromium and in the treatment of
many organic wastes such as phenols,
pesticides and sulphur containing compounds.
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Chemical treatment
• Improve waste handling and physical characteristics
• Solidification: materials are added to the waste to
produce a solid.
• Stabilisation: this refers to a process by which a
waste is converted to a more chemically stable form.
• Chemical fixation: this implies the transformation
of toxic contaminants to a new non-toxic compound
• Encapsulation: coating
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Chemical treatment
• Evaporation: evaporation is defined as
the conversion of a liquid from a solution
or slurry into vapour.
• Ozonation: ozone is a relatively
unstable gas consisting of three oxygen
atoms per molecule (o3) and is one of the
Hazardous Waste Treatment

Thermal
treatment
(a)Incineration
(b)Pyrolysis
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Thermal treatment
Incineration:
• Burning of selected parts
• Burning in partial oxygen
Pyrolysis
• Chemical decomposition or change brought about by
heating in the absence of oxygen.
• Wastes are heated separating the volatile contents
• Volatile components are burned under proper conditions
Hazardous Waste Treatment
Biological treatment
(a) Land treatment
(b) Waste characteristics
(c) Soil characteristics
(d) Microorganisms
(e) Waste degradation
(f) Enzymatic systems
(g) Composting
(h) Aerobic and anaerobic treatment
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Biological treatment
• Land treatment: land cultivation, land
farming, land application and sludge spreading.
• Waste characteristics: biodegradable wastes
are suitable for land [Link]
wastes, highly volatile, reactive, flammable
liquids and inorganic wastes such as heavy
metals, acids and bases, cyanides and
ammonia are not considered for land treatment.
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Biological treatment
• Microorganisms: Key groups of the
microorganisms present in the surface
soil are bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi,
algae and protozoa.
• Waste degradation: Depends onand
soil temperature
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Biological treatment
• Enzymatic systems: Enzymes are complex
proteins. Enzymes capable of transforming
hazardous waste chemicals to non-toxic products
can be harvested from microorganisms grown in
mass culture.
• Composting: All biological reactions converts
hazardous waste into non hazardous waste.
Factors: Temperature, , available oxygen, moisture,
 Hazardous Waste Treatment
Biological treatment
Aerobic and anaerobic treatment:
• In aerobic treatment, under proper conditions,
microorganisms grow.
• Anaerobic treatment is a sequential biologically
destructive process in which hydrocarbons are
converted, in the absence of free oxygen, from
complex to simpler molecules, and ultimately to
carbon dioxide and methane.
 Pollution prevention & waste
minimization
• Management support and employee participation
• Training
• Waste audits
• Good operating practices
• Material substitution practices
• Technological modification practices
• Recycling options
• Surplus chemical waste exchange options
 Pollution prevention & waste
minimization
• Management support and employee
participation
• Creative, progressive and responsible and
leadership
• Training
• Formal and on-the-job training to increase
awareness of operating practices that reduce
both solid and hazardous waste generation.
 Pollution prevention & waste
minimization
• Waste audits
The audit programme includes the identification of
hazardous wastes and their sources, prioritisation of
various waste reduction actions to be undertaken,
evaluation of some technically, economically and
ecologically feasible approaches to waste minimisation and
pollution prevention, development of an economic
comparison of waste minimisation and pollution prevention
options and evaluation of their results.
Pollution prevention & waste minimization

• Good operating practices

• Research or teaching activities and, in some
areas, changes in operating practices
• Spill and leak prévention, préventive
maintenance, corrective maintenance,
material/waste tracking or inventory control
and waste stream segregation
Pollution prevention & waste minimization

• Material substitution practices

• To find substitute materials, which are less
hazardous than those currently utilised.
• Technological modification practices
• Low cost to the replacement of process
equipment involving large capital
expenditures.
 Pollution prevention & waste minimization

• Recycling options
-Use/reuse and resource recovery
techniques.
- 3-r concept
• Surplus chemical waste
exchange options
-Inter- and intra-department chemical
Hazardous wastes management
in India
• The Indian chemical industry, which accounts for
about 13% of the total industrial production all
over the world.
• There are 13,011 industrial units located in 340
districts, out of which 11,038 units have been
granted authorization for multiple disposal
practices encompassing incineration, storage
land disposal and other disposal options.
Hazardous wastes management
in India
• Small and medium sized enterprises (SMES) are
the major sources of hazardous wastes.
• And, the states of Andhra pradesh, Assam,
Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya pradesh,
Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamilnadu
generate the majority of all hazardous wastes
Hazardous wastes management
in India
• India is the first country that has made
provisions for the protection and improvement
of environment in its constitution.
• The directive principles of state policy of the
constitution, article 48-a of chapter iv enjoins
the state to make endeavour for protection and
improvement of the environment and for
safeguarding the forest and wild life of the
 Hazardous wastes management
in India
Important acts/laws
Hazardous wastes management in
India
Important acts/laws
Hazardous wastes management
in India
• Agencies : Central pollution control board
(CPCB), and state pollution control boards.
• Present scenario: five states, namely Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Tamil nadu, Karnataka and Andhra
pradesh (70% of the hazardous waste).
 E-Waste Recycling
What is E-Waste?
• Electronic waste, commonly referred to as e-
waste, refers to Discarded electronic devices
that have reached the end of their useful life.
• E-waste includes a wide range of electronic and
electrical devices, such as computers,
smartphones, TVS, refrigerators, washing
machines, and more.
• Due to the rapid pace of technological
advancement and consumer electronics
consumption, e-waste has become a significant
 E-Waste Recycling

Significance
E-waste contains both valuable materials and
hazardous substances, making proper recycling
and disposal crucial for environmental protection
and resource conservation.
 E-Waste Recycling
Key points on e-waste recycling
• Environmental impact
• Resource recovery
• Energy savings
• Regulations and legislation
• Collection and sorting
• Safe disposal of hazardous materials
• Formal and informal recycling
• Awareness and education
• Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
 E-Waste Recycling
Key points on e-waste recycling
• Environmental impact: Improper disposal of
e-waste can lead to environmental pollution due
to the release of hazardous materials, including
heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium), flame
retardants, and other toxic substances.
 E-Waste Recycling
• Resource recovery: E-waste recycling is
essential for recovering valuable materials,
including precious metals like gold, silver,
and copper.
• Energy savings: Recycling e-waste
requires less energy compared to extracting
and processing raw materials. Recycling also
reduces greenhouse gas emissions
associated with mining and manufacturing.
 E-Waste Recycling
• Regulations and legislation: Many countries
have implemented regulations and legislation to
address e-waste management. These
regulations often require manufacturers to take
responsibility for the proper recycling and
disposal of their products at the end of their life
cycle.
 E-Waste Recycling
• Collection and sorting: E-waste recycling
involves collecting and sorting discarded
electronic devices.
• Safe disposal of hazardous materials:
Hazardous components of e-waste, such as
batteries and certain electronic components,
require special handling and disposal to prevent
environmental contamination.
 E-Waste Recycling
• Formal and Informal Recycling: E-waste recycling can be
done through formal recycling facilities that adhere to
environmental and safety standards.
• Awareness and Education: Raising awareness about the
importance of proper e-waste disposal, recycling options, and
the hazards of improper disposal is essential for promoting
responsible consumer behaviour.
 E-Waste Recycling
• Extended producer responsibility (EPR):
EPR programs hold manufacturers responsible
for the end-of-life management of their
products. This encourages design for recycling
and proper disposal practices.
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