Methods For Hazardous Waste Disposal

By Mattie Knight


Many dangerous materials and products are contained in modern-day households as lifestyles and demands change over time. Products contain many ingredients that have the potential of being harmful and dangerous if the right steps are not taken in eliminating them from the house setting. Some of the materials that most states categorize as hazardous in the home setting include solvents, aerosols, electronics, ammunition, refrigerants, paints, certain batteries, pesticides, automotive wastes, and caustics among others.

The products named above are only safe when their condition is still good and when proper use is made of them. However, they pose health risks to animals and people when they are misused or expire. That makes it necessary that they are disposed correctly. The aim of this article is to name and discuss some of the main methods of hazardous waste disposal that are currently in wide use in the world.

Proper disposition of wastes eliminates or at least minimizes the danger they pose to the environment, human beings, and animals. On the other hand, grave danger is likely to result when improper disposal is exercised. For instance, harmful materials poison underground and rain water when they seep into the soil or come in contact with gutters respectively. Soil can also be contaminated and its suitability for agriculture affected.

There are several methods through which the various forms of hazardous materials can be disposed. Some of the major ones include recycling, incineration, pyrolysis, landfills, and use of cement. Recycling of wastes is a common method that can be used to avoid danger. The method involves putting products into new use ones they cannot perform the primary function they were built for. However, not all products can be recycled.

Incineration is another method that is used widely. It involves destroying materials through burning at extremely high temperatures. The equipment used for the process is called an incinerator or an incineration chamber. The end result is ash, which is harmless and easier to get rid of without causing any harm to people, animals, and the environment.

Emission of harmful gasses from incineration chambers into the environment has been cause for concern. To counter that, modern incinerators never emit any materials into the environment. In fact, their efficiency is so high that they are used for generation of power from the combustion process. A version of incineration is pyrolysis, which destroys materials under high temperatures, but does not involve combustion. Combustion is avoided by performing the process in an inert environment.

Before the emergence of better methods, landfills were the traditional way through which hazardous materials were disposed. Technological advancements and the adverse effects of landfills prompted new methods to be developed. Harmful materials seep into underground water reservoirs, causing contamination and pollution which can never be reversed. Although limited, landfill usage is still ongoing in certain countries and states.

Cement has also been found to be effective for treating and disposing hazardous material. It makes disposal easier by solidifying and stabilizing the material. When treated with cement, the characteristics, toxicity, and ability to transmit the contaminant is reduced. The use of cement is however limited.




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