Tag: economics

1. Recycling is the process of converting waste products into new products to prevent energy usage and consumption of fresh raw materials. Recycling is the third component of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste hierarchy. The idea behind recycling is to reduce energy usage, reduce the volume of landfills, reduce air and water pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural resources for future use.
2. Incineration or combustion is a type disposal method in which municipal solid wastes are burned at high temperatures so as to convert them into residue and gaseous products. The biggest advantage of this type of method is that it can reduce the volume of solid waste to 20 to 30 percent of the original volume, decreases the space they take up and reduce the stress on landfills.

3. Anaerobic digestion is a collection of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to manage waste or to produce fuels.

Industrial wastewater treatment describes the processes used for the treatment of wastewater that is produced by industries as an undesirable by-product. After treatment, the treated industrial wastewater (or effluent) may be reused or released to a sanitary sewer or to a surface water in the environment.

Phytoremediation, or using plants (such as willow) to extract heavy metals can be an effective method to prevent soil pollution.

Silicone coated fiberglass bags are resistant to high temperatures and are able to separate at a temperature range of approximately $-50^oC$ to $+250^oC$. Thus it has excellent weather proof and water repellent properties. It is also resistant to chemicals. It is used to filtering hot gases as it can withstand high temperatures.

A sedimentation tank allows suspended particles to settle out of water or wastewater as it flows slowly through the tank, thereby providing some degree of purification. A layer of accumulated solids, called sludge, forms at the bottom of the tank and is periodically removed.

Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Minamata disease was first discovered in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, in 1956. It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. This highly toxic chemical bio accumulated in shellfish and fish in Minamata Bay and the Shiranui Sea, which, when eaten by the local populace, resulted in mercury poisoning.

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming. At the simplest level, the process of composting requires making a heap of wetted organic matter known as green waste (leaves, food waste) and waiting for the materials to break down into humus after a period of weeks or months. 

Deep injection is a liquid waste disposal technology. This alternative uses injection wells to place treated or untreated liquid waste into geologic formations that have no potential to allow migration of contaminants into potential potable water aquifers.

Other methods result into pollution and are not a feasible solution. 

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gases are emitted during the combustion of various fuels. Carbon monoxide is poisonous, whereas carbon-dioxide is non-toxic in nature. Carbon monoxide is poisonous because it is capable of forming a complex with hemoglobin (carboxyhaemoglobin), which is more stable than the oxygen-haemoglobin complex. The concentration range of 3–4% of  carboxyhaemoglobin decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. This results in headaches, weak eyesight, nervousness, and cardiovascular disorders. A more increased concentration may even lead to death.

Carbon monoxide when binds to hemoglobin forms a stable compound - carboxyhaemoglobin. Since, oxygen of carbon monoxide binds more readily to hemoglobin than do Oxygen of carbon dioxide, therefore carbon monoxide prevents carbon dioxide from binding to Hb, which means diffusion or exchange of gases won't take place at alveolar site. So, carbon monoxide is more harmful because it prevents oxygen from entering the body.