Test: Solid Waste Management - Civil Engineering (CE) MCQ

The generation of solid waste cannot be stopped. The idea behind solid waste management is to reduce and eliminate the adverse effects of these on the environment and human health.

There are broadly 9 sources of solid waste. They are residential, industrial, commercial, institutional, construction & demolition areas, municipal services, treatment plants, agriculture and biomedical.

It stands for Integrated Solid Waste Management. It refers to the selection and use of appropriate techniques for the disposal of solid waste.

The six functional components in order are waste generation (identification of waste), onsite handling & storage (at site of waste), waste collection (collecting from different sources), waste transfer (local to regional site), waste processing (sorting of reusable/recyclable) and disposal (at landfills/waste to energy).

The bulk of organic waste arrives from households and agriculture. The inert waste is generated from construction sites, demolitions, public places, etc.

At present, we have to follow the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. This new rule was notified on 8^th April 2016 and it supersedes the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000. This new sets of rules have been extended to all Indian local bodies.

Ion exchange reaction:

• An ion exchange reaction is a chemical reaction in which the ions and cations of the reactants exchange their positions in the products.
• Or in other words, ion exchange is a chemical reaction in which free mobile ions of a solid, the ion exchanger, are exchanged for different ions of a similar charge in solution.

Example:

Additional Information
Nitrification:
Nitrification is the process by which ammonia is converted to nitrites (NO₂^-) and then nitrates (NO₃^-). This process naturally occurs in the environment, where it is carried out by specialized autotrophic bacteria.

Carbonation:

• Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid.
• An increase in the concentration of carbonate ions leads to saturation of the system with CaCO₃, followed by precipitation of CaCO₃ and other carbonates (such as Mg, and Na) at higher pH values.

Efflorescence:

• ​Efflorescence is a deposit of water-soluble salts formed due to the movement of water through pores on the surface of concrete and brick masonry. When water evaporates, dissolved salts are deposited on the surface, forming efflorescence.

Industrial pollution:

• Industrial pollution is characterized as pollution that originates directly from industry.
• This form of pollution is one of the most common sources of pollution around the world.

Causes of Industrial pollution:

• Lack of pollution
• Unplanned industrial growth
• Use of outdated technology
• Presence of a large no of small-scale industries
• Inefficient waste disposal

Thermal pollution:

• Thermal pollution may also be referred to as thermal enrichment. When the temperature of a natural body of water suddenly increases or decreases, thermal pollution occurs. Industrial machinery and power plants are big contributors to thermal pollution. An example of thermal pollution is when industrial sites and power plants often take water from a natural source.

Biodegradable process:

• It's a form of garbage that other living species can decompose.
• It mainly comes from plant or animal sources.
• The biodegradable trash can be buried in deep trenches and allowed to decompose naturally.
• The Decomposition of domestic wastes under the natural process is called the Biodegradable process.
• Example:- Food waste, paper waste, human waste, green waste, etc.

Incineration:

• Incineration can be defined as the oxidation of waste materials using high temperatures.
• Incineration is also known as calcination or controlled flame combustion.
• The energy produced owing to waste treatment is used to produce electric power, making it an essential process.
• It reduces the cost of landfills.
• The two major combustible chemical elements are carbon and hydrogen.
• It is a process where the destruction of organic compounds takes place in waste treatment.
• This process is capable of destroying contaminants using high temperatures which cannot be fulfilled by any other treatments.

Municipal Waste:

• The solid waste generated from different zones of the city differs in characteristics. Their solid waste comprises refuse, ordinary refuse (including garbage and rubbish), and trash.
• Refuse refers to nonhazardous solid waste.
• Garbage comprises items that are highly decomposable (putrescible) food, wastage vegetables, and meat scraps.
• Rubbish contains mostly dry non-decomposable materials such as glass, rubber, tin cans, or combustible material such as paper, textiles, wooden articles, etc.
• Hence, community refuse can be referred to as municipal solid waste.

Industrial Waste:

• Industrial wastes are generated from industrial activities or manufacturing processes.
• All three types of waste solid liquid and gaseous are generated.
• Industrial wastes can be categorized as non-hazardous and hazardous

Biomedical Waste:

• Biomedical waste or Hospital waste containing infectious materials.
• These wastes are generated during the diagnosis, treatment, and immunization of humans and animals or in research activities.
• Biomedical wastes can be in both solid and liquid forms.
• Biomedical waste can cause disease or injury to human health.
• Biomedical waste is highly hazardous waste.
• HIV, hepatitis B, and C are the three most commonly spread viruses worldwide due to improper treatment of medical waste.

Electronic Waste:

• Electronic waste or E-waste is any refuse created by discarded electronic devices and components.
• E-waste includes almost any household or business items containing all types of electrical electronic equipment and its parts that have been discarded by the owner.
• E-waste also contains hazardous substances like lead, mercury, soldering compound, etc.