HEALTH RISKS DUE TO SOLID WASTE - Solid waste management crises are directly related to the human health, economy and environment. In developing world, solid waste management authorities are seriously facing the associated problems in collection, transportation and disposal of communal solid waste. Open dumps of municipal solid waste are responsible for the number of vector diseases. Increase in per capita solid waste generation rate is another serious threat for the management authorities in the developing world. Due to diverse living practices in some towns, management authorities cannot provide uniform solid waste management system, therefore in Pakistan so many non-technical solid waste management systems are working. All activities in solid waste management involve risk, either to the worker directly involved, or to the nearby resident. Risks occur at every step in the process, from the point where residents handle wastes in the home for collection or recycling, to the point of ultimate disposal. Health risks from waste are caused by many factors, including the nature of raw waste and its composition. In developing countries, a significant portion of the waste pickers found at open dumps are children and women. Confounding this image is the reality that residents around solid waste disposal sites include infants, young children, women of child-bearing age, and seniors.

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Health Risks Due To Solid Waste

Health and Safety Issues due to Solid Wastes

By: Haseeb Jamal 

Health and Safety Issues

Solid waste management crises are directly related to the human health, economy and environment.

In developing world, solid waste management authorities are seriously facing the associated problems in collection, transportation and disposal of communal solid waste.

In Pakistan, due to improper planning and lack of funding the solid waste management crises are turning into worst.

Open dumps of municipal solid waste (MSW) are responsible for the number of vector diseases in Pakistan.

Increase in per capita solid waste generation rate is another serious threat for the management authorities in the developing world.

Due to diverse living practices in some towns, management authorities cannot provide uniform solid waste management system, therefore in Pakistan so many non-technical solid waste management systems are working.

Due to shortage of proper collection bins in Pakistan, the collection efficiency is very low.

Open dumping, open burning and improper sanitary landfills can be observed everywhere in the country.

All activities in solid waste management involve risk, either to the worker directly involved, or to the nearby resident.

Risks occur at every step in the process, from the point where residents handle wastes in the home for collection or recycling, to the point of ultimate disposal.

Overview of Health Risks due to Solid Waste

Health risks from waste are caused by many factors, including:

1.    The nature of raw waste, its composition (e.g., toxic, allergenic and infectious substances), and its components (e.g., gases, dusts, leachates, sharps);

2.    The nature of waste as it decomposes (e.g., gases, dusts, leachates, particle sizes) and their change in ability to cause a toxic, allergenic or infectious health response;

3.    The handling of waste (e.g., working in traffic, shoveling, lifting, equipment vibrations, accidents);

4.    The processing of wastes (e.g., odor, noise, vibration, accidents, air and water emissions, residuals, explosions, fires);

5.    The disposal of wastes (e.g., odor, noise, vibration, stability of waste piles, air and water emissions, explosions, fires).

In developing countries like Pakistan, a significant portion of the waste pickers found at open dumps are children and women.

Confounding this image is the reality that residents around solid waste disposal sites include infants, young children, women of child-bearing age, and seniors.

Children are particularly vulnerable to toxins because they ingest more water, food, and air per unit of body-weight; their metabolic pathways are less developed to detoxify and excrete toxins; and any disruption during their growth years can easily disrupt development of their organ, nervous, immune, endocrine and reproductive systems.

People living and working in the vicinity of solid waste processing and disposal facilities also are exposed to environmental health and accident risks.

These risks relate to the emissions from the solid wastes, the pollution control measures used to manage these emissions, and the overall safety of the facility.

As with occupational risks, these risks are being substantially managed in high-income countries, but are still largely unmanaged in most developing countries.

Haseeb Jamal. I am a Civil Engineer, graduated from University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan in 2010. I also have a PG-Diploma in Disaster Management and MS in Urban Infrastructure Engineering (In Progress). My expertise include civil related softwares like AutoCAD, SAP2000, MS Project, Primavera, MS Office and GIS. My technical skills include project management, monitoring and evaluation, structural assessment, disaster risk management, Quantity survey, land survey, material testing, site management and technical writing. I am trained in writing project progress reports as well as proposals and concept papers. I have also received advanced training on surveying, proposal writing, Monitoring and Evaluation of projects as well as organizations.

I have worked as Project Engineer at National Research and Development Foundation, Peshawar and CENCON Associates. I also worked with Spectra Engineering Solutions as Senior Civil Engineer in monitoring of World Bank and UNDP funded projects all over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. Currently, I am working as Deputy Manager Development at NayaTel, Peshawar.

https://www.aboutcivil.org/health-safety-solid-waste-management