Radioactive wastes – Nuclear energy
(source of non-polluting electricity) has 2 important problems
- Accidental leakage (Chernobyl incident);
- safe disposal is a problem for radioactive waste.
Radiations are extremely damaging to organisms, because of its mutations at very high rate. At high doses, it is lethal but at lower doses, creates various disorders like cancer, anomaly, etc. Their disposal is also a serious issue. Low level and intermediate level wastes do not produce – heat and other environment problems, so are safe dumping in process inside proper containers. But high level wastes which release lots of heat and cause environmental problems are put in suitable containers and buried 500 m deep inside rocks inside the earth.
(b) Defunct ships and e-wastes. Defunct ships –
old ships are dismantled to obtain scrap and other useful materials mainly in developing countries , due to less labour charge and low tax. Workers engage in ship breaking are exposed to number of toxicants like asbestos, lead, mercury etc. Coastal area associated with ship breaking yard in also polluted.
e-wastes (electronic wastes) –
They are increasing due o increase use of e – equipments and rapidly changing technologies. From it metals (copper, iron, silicon, nickel, gold) etc. are extracted. Dismantling also exposes them to toxic substances.
(c) Municipal solid wastes –
Domestic waste office wastes, school, public sweeping, sludge from sewage treatment plants, vegetables, fruit markets. They may be bio-degradable or non¬bio-degradable. They consists of paper (40%), food waste (7%), glass, crockery, rubber,- leather, plastics etc. Their disposal is mainly done by: Pig and cattle feeding, salvage, Burning, incineration, land fills, pyrolysis (heat), composting, Biogas plants, Recycling etc.
