Essay on Solid Waste Management and Environmental Health

The problem of the effective solid waste management is very important nowadays and the solution of this problem is necessary not only to the safety of human environment but to human health as well. At the same time, it is necessary to underline that often a little attention is paid to this problem and the solid waste are often disposed improperly. What is more, this problem is considered to be less important than the problem of proper disposal of other types of waste, such as radioactive. However, the danger and potential threat of solid waste often remains underestimated.

First of all, it should be said that solid waste may represent a serious threat to human health and environment. It is not a secret that nowadays practically all industries tend to produce products that could be recycled or processed with minimal harm to the environment. Nevertheless, it is practically impossible, at least on the current level of the development of technologies, refuse from the use of materials and products that contribute to the growth of solid waste (Suid 1993).

Unlike, some other types of waste, solid waste possesses certain characteristics which make it quite dangerous to the environment and may affect considerably human health. Firstly, it should be said that solid waste cannot be naturally processed and, what is more, it pollutes the environment increasing the number of wastes constantly since, as a rule, as this type of waste is not processed naturally and remains not recycled artificially, than naturally this lead to the accumulation of the stock of solid waste. In practice, this means that this waste need the landfill that is properly build and the measures preventing the spread of waste or its negative influence on the environment and human health are undertaken.

Furthermore, under the impact of natural factors and in the result of improper disposal practices, solid waste may have negative impact on environment and human health causing various types of health problems (Horosko 1992). Naturally, this risk decreases if solid waste is disposed properly since the conditions of its disposal prevent the waste from emissions of some dangerous gases or other products as well as from other dangerous reactions that may occur under the impact of external factors or simply under the impact of time when solid waste simply start to change or partially decay causing a profound impact on the surrounding nature and people living in the area.

Also, it should be said that the improper disposal of solid waste also increases the costs of environment protection to the local community, while proper disposal of solid waste can make the use of funds more effective and improve the ecological situation. In fact, the ignorance of the problem of improper disposal of solid waste leads to the gradual deterioration of the ecological situation negatively influencing both human health and environment.

Naturally, it is impossible to ignore this problem and, therefore, it is necessary to develop really effective technologies and methodology of the disposal of solid waste in order to minimize their negative effects on health and environment. Otherwise, the problem will be growing more and more serious to the extent that it may even lead to an environmental catastrophe if the proper disposal of solid waste is ignored.

In this respect, it is worthy of mention that along with the accumulation of solid waste there may appear another threat to environment, the decrease of clean lands. What is meant here is the fact that the simple accumulation, and, what is more, the improper disposal, of solid waste make the soils and areas where this waste is disposed practically useless. To put it more precisely, in the result of the improper disposal and, therefore, negative impact of solid waste on soil and surrounding nature, it is impossible to use the lands where the waste was disposed for any practical purposes, such as agriculture, or building some residential zones for instance (Suid 1993). Naturally, such use if areas where waste were disposed is practically impossible in any case but, in a long-term perspective, the areas where the waste was disposed properly the opportunity to use the area in some practical purposes is more real in the future. At any rate, it is possible, for instance, to cope the problem of deforestation by means of planting trees in the areas where solid waste was disposed but, if it was disposed improperly, that can undermine the natural balance and make such planting practically impossible.

Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to conclude that solid waste need to be disposed properly in order to minimize its negative impact on human health and environment.

References:

• Suid, A. Learn to Recycle! Activities and Patterns for an Ecology Unit. CA: Monday
  Morning Books, 1993.
• Closing the Loop: Exploring Integrated Waste Management and Resource Conservation. California Integrated Waste Management Board. California Integrated Waste Management Board, Sacramento, CA, 2001.
• Horosko, M. What a Waste! A Teacher’s Resource for Integrating the Solid Waste Crisis into the Classroom.
• Norwalk, CT: Southwest Connecticut Regional Recycling Operating Committee, 1992.
• Super Saver Investigators. Institute for Environmental Education, OH: Chagrin Falls, 1991.
• Garbage and Other Pollution. Wylie, TX: Information Plus, 1993.
• The Garbage Primer. New York, NY: Lyons & Burford, 1993.
• The Recycler’s Handbook. Berkeley, CA: Earth Works Press, 1990.
• The Solid Waste Mess: What Should We Do With the Garbage? Washington, D.C. North American Association for Environmental Education, 1994.