Waste Dumps Research Articles

Legal regulations and sanctions related to the illegal dumping of waste in Polish environmental law

This paper concerns legal regulations and sanctions regarding the illegal dumping of waste in environmental law in Poland. First, introductory remarks are presented, including an outline of the status of Poland’s implementation of EU instruments through national law. This section of the paper concludes with an overview of the basic legal acts that are applicable in Poland, to illustrate the legal spectrum of this topic (related administrative law norms and certain criminal and civil law rules). Second, considerations regarding permits for the transportation and processing of waste are discussed; this section includes relevant administrative provisions applicable in Poland. Third, legal regulations concerning administrative control are presented; in particular, this section pays special attention to control in the context of issuing permits as well as field inspections independent of this process. Fourth, civil liability is addressed. Fifth, provisions of criminal law are discussed, including penal code provisions, extra code provisions, and provisions related to administrative fines. Finally, the paper concludes with a concise summary.

Desperate, Determined, Dumped: Fight against illegal waste treatment in the Czech Republic

This article delves into the Czech Republic’s intricate legal framework and ongoing struggle in combating the pernicious issue of illegal waste dumping. From outlining the most pressing challenges plaguing the nation’s waste management system, emphasising the burgeoning quantity of waste imported from other countries, to dissecting the cornerstone legislative instruments enshrined within the 2020 Waste Act, it describes specific instances of illicit waste management practices, focusing on cross-border waste shipments – a notorious breeding ground for such transgressions. It explores the modus operandi of these perpetrators, the requisite inspection protocols, and pertinent case laws, highlighting the disconcertingly low number of criminal prosecutions stemming from illegal waste dumping. However, a glimmer of hope emerges as the government acknowledges the gravity of the situation and embarks on initiatives to foster enhanced cooperation between administrative and criminal authorities.

Illegal waste dumping in the Slovak Republic

The paper aims to outline the legal aspects of illegal waste dumping in the Slovak Republic. It presents some factual information on the issue and the legal regulations governing waste management, landfill operations, and illegal waste disposal. The analysis includes suggestions for improving legal regulations, specifically focusing on identifying those responsible for illegal waste disposal and determining who is obligated to remove the waste legally. It also discusses the administrative and criminal penalties for illegal waste dumping.

Spatial Assessment of Illegal Plastic Waste Dumping and Environmental Impacts in Babakan and Cikarawang in Bogor Regency

Spatial Assessment of Illegal Plastic Waste Dumping and Environmental Impacts in Babakan and Cikarawang in Bogor Regency

After-effects of a closed copper mine: detailed analysis of environmental impacts in soil and plant samples

In several countries around the world, abandoned mining sites are blighted by pollution from metal and metalloids. Generated by mining processes, toxic pollutants have lasting effects on the ecosystem. The study examined the environmental impact of waste from a copper mine that was operated by the Caucasus Copper Limited Company between 1905 and 1928, revised and commissioned by Etibank in 1936, and ceased operations 75 years ago. Soil and plant samples (needles of Scotch pine, Pinus sylvestris L.) were collected from five specific regions around the mine and the levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were determined, including As, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ni, Mn, Cr, Cu, Al, and Fe. The data obtained were used to calculate the enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), ecological risk index (ERI), human health risk index (BCF), and plant enrichment factor (EFPlant). In soil samples, the average EF values of certain elements such as As (453), Cu (59.9), Pb (30.7), Zn (5.26) were detected at high levels. However, average Igeo values indicate high pollution levels for As (8.25), Cd (6.72), Cu (4.94), Pb (4.33) and Zn (2.42), indicating the existence of serious ecological risks in the affected areas. Additionally, the average CF values indicate serious pollution levels from heavy metals such as As (1605), Cd (584), Pb (99.4), Cu (81.9), and Zn (14.6), highlighting the extensive pollution situation resulting from mining activities. Meanwhile, average ERI values indicate that Cd, As, Cu, and Pb pose serious ecological risks in the study areas.These PTEs were found in high concentrations in the waste tail and dump. Furthermore, the analysis determined that there was enrichment for Mn, Cd, Al, Cu, Pb, and Fe elements in plant samples. These PTEs have the potential to spread more widely depending on seasonal conditions and local topography. This situation demonstrates the need to measure metal and metalloids concentrations at certain times, taking into account the potential for environmental pollution of surface runoff water and underground resources in areas with high drainage potential from acid mines, such as at the Kuvarshan mine tailings site.

Application of optical images and analytical hierarchy process model for solid waste dumping site analysis in Kombolcha town, Northeastern, Ethiopia

Improper open dumping of solid wastes caused different serious problems in fast-growing towns in Ethiopia like Kombolcha town. This unsuitable solid waste dumping management brings health challenges by spreading diseases, contaminating water, polluting air, and spreading of different disease-causing insects such as mosquitoes. Therefore, selecting suitable solid waste dumping site analysis (SWDSA) is very essential to minimize these negative effects related to improper solid waste dumping in such towns. The primary goal of this study is to use optical images and the AHP model to find appropriate solid waste dumping sites in Kombolcha Town. The nine governing factors such as soil texture, geology, faults, groundwater well points (GWWPs, rivers, roads, built-up, Land use land cover (LULC) and slopes, were considered to achieve the aim of this study. These factors were extracted and delineated from the various optical data such as Landsat 8 images, digital elevation model, Google Earth images, geological map, soil map, and also field survey. The factor classes and factors were ranked and weighted utilizing a comparison matrix according to importance and finally by applying the AHP spatial analysis extension tool in Arc GIS software the SWDSA map of the study area was generated. Therefore, as a result of this study about 19.4 km2 (22.8 %), 22.8 km2 (26.8 %), 20.5 km2 (24.1 %), 16.1 km2 (18.9 %), and 6.2 km2 (7.3 %) of the study area falls in not suitable, less suitable, moderately suitable, suitable and highly suitable ranges respectively. Based on the result of this further analysis, D is the 1st suitable site with a score is 83.6 %, site B is the 2nd suitable site is a score is 83.2 %, site C is the 3rd suitable site with a score of 65.1 % and site A is the last suitable site and scored 60.4 %. Therefore, this study strongly recommends that the waste management municipal office of Kombolcha town and other concerned government and non-government bodies apply and consider these identified the best suitable solid waste dumping sites.

Impacts of unregulated dumpsites: a study on toxic soil contamination, associated risks, and call for sustainable environmental protection in Nnewi, Nigeria

The accumulation of leachates from unlined dumpsites laden soil-water environment with toxic elements poses imminent threats to both the environment and humans. This study evaluated the seasonal levels of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), their health-related risks, contamination factors (CF), pollution load index, geo-accumulation index (Igeo), ecological risk index, polymetallic contaminant index and Nemerow's synthetic pollution index of soils near a waste dump in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. The PTE results indicated that levels of Cd (1.54–3.40 mg/kg) were above the World Health Organization's threshold limit for soil. The studied soil samples had PTE levels higher than the control samples due to their proximity to the dumpsite. The CF of the PTE in the soil indicated moderate to considerable contamination, while the control areas showed moderate contamination for both seasons. The pollution load indices of the soil indicated heavy and moderate pollution for the study sample (2.207–2.517) and control samples (1.445–1.659). However, the ecological risk indices ranged from 85.72 to 164.84, indicating a low ecological risk. The Igeo of the PTE in the soil ranged from unpolluted, moderately polluted to very strongly polluted. The Nemerow's synthetic pollution index values ranged from 3.560 to 3.564 for the study samples and 2.070–2.502 for the control samples, indicating heavy and moderate pollution of the soil respectively. The polymetallic contaminant index values for the study samples (23.22–26.43) and control samples (15.02–17.23) showed high and considerable contamination respectively. Health risk examination highlighted that both adults and children have a low risk for non-cancer health threat via ingestion route, while a high risk was obtained for children for cancer health dangers via ingestion routes. For the dermal pathway, children and adults have minimal chances of exposure to cancer risks, while a high exposure to non-cancer risk was observed for children. Pearson's correlation and principal component loadings revealed the sources of pollution to be of similar origins linked to anthropogenic activities. Awareness programs are necessary to educate the populace about the dangers of using contaminated soil for farming or recreational activities. The use of sanitary dumpsites should be encouraged and adopted as a waste disposal method by the government to mitigate the spread of PTE into the environment.

Assessing the Groundwater Quality in Urban Areas Using the DEMATEL Method

The Dhanbad area in Jharkhand, India, is a significant coal mining region located in the middle of the Damodar River basin. The geological composition of the area ranges in age from to Recent, encompassing, granites, pegmatite, and gneisses. These rocks are accompanied by bands of s and amphibolites. In this particular region, groundwater occurrence and movement are primarily restricted to semi weathered/weathered and fractured rocks. The movement of groundwater depends on various factors, including the thickness, size, extent, and openness of the weathered zone, as well as the interconnections of fractures within the rocks. Due to the dynamic nature of groundwater resources, it is susceptible to various factors that can impact its availability and quality. The expansion of irrigation activities, industrialization, and urbanization in the area can have significant implications for the groundwater resources. These activities can lead to increased water demand, contamination risks, and changes in the hydrological balance. Given the importance of groundwater as a vital resource, it becomes crucial to monitor and conserve it effectively. Monitoring techniques, such as hydrological studies, geophysical surveys, and groundwater level measurements, can provide valuable information about the status and behavior of groundwater resources. Conservation efforts may involve implementing sustainable water management practices, promoting water-use efficiency, and controlling pollution sources. By utilizing GIS and available physic-chemical data, the study seeks to generate a comprehensive water quality index map that can assist in making informed decisions regarding water resource management and protection in the Dhanbad area. This understanding can help in developing sustainable strategies to ensure the availability and quality of groundwater in areas like, where natural resources are intricately linked to human activities and industrial development. The variations in the resistivity of water-bearing weathered/fractured rocks in the Dhanbad area depend on the specific geological characteristics of the rocks and their water content. The resistivity refers to the rock's ability to resist the flow of electric current and can provide insights into the rock's porosity and permeability, which are crucial factors for groundwater movement. The depth to groundwater in the area can vary and is typically measured from below ground level. This depth is influenced by factors such as local topography, rainfall patterns, and geological conditions. The presence of active and abandoned coal mines, waste dumps, coal washeries, coking coal plants, and thermal power plants can introduce pollutants into the environment. These pollutants have the potential to contaminate groundwater, affecting its quality and usability. It is important to address these environmental concerns and prioritize the implementation of effective measures to mitigate the impact of coal mining and related activities on groundwater resources. Alternative parameters taken as Total dissolved solid, total hardness, Nitrate, ammonia nitrogen, Fluoride, Fluoride. the first ranking training is obtained with the lowest quality of compensation.

Flame retardant characteristics of natural fibre reinforced polymer composites: A thematic review

AbstractGlobally, with the advancement of industrialization and globalization, the automotive sector has drastically increased for transportation and commercial purposes. Hence, to maximize efficiency and minimize the weight of automobiles, the automotive and aerospace industries have welcomed synthetic fibre‐reinforced composites, vastly replacing conventional metals. Despite the superior performance, the usage of synthetic fibre composites has led to the massive dumping of automotive waste in landfills, making the land unfit for future purposes. Therefore, natural fibre‐reinforced composites (NFRCs) quickly replace synthetic fibres with their unique features, such as being lightweight, biodegradable, and non‐toxic, en routing a new path towards a sustainable environment. Though NFRCs are finding new applications in various industries, researchers are trying to enhance their thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties to make them synergic composites. However, with the presence of cellulose, lignin, and wax, natural fibres become highly responsive toward flammability, limiting their use in various emerging applications. As the subject of the flammability of NFRCs has a limited amount of literature, the current review article aims to address the current flammability studies and strategies adopted to improve the flame‐retardant characteristics of NFRCs exclusively. Also, this review covers the factors and influence of different types of flame‐retardant fillers adopted to improve the flame retreatant characteristic of NFRCs and their mechanism. Additionally, this review article summarises various official and laboratory flame‐testing techniques such as radial panel test (RPT), cone calorimetry, and limited oxygen index (LOI) adopted to characterize the flammable properties of NFRCs.Highlights Natural fiber biocomposites are becoming a potential candidate for structural and interior applications in the automotive and aircraft industries. Flammability becomes a major alarm as it concerns with the safety of passengers. The flammability behavior of natural fiber composites is extensively discussed. Mechanisms, factors, and selection of flame‐retardant materials are reviewed to improve the flame‐retardant characteristics. The influence of surface treatments, fiber content, and flame‐retardant nanofillers are also elaborately discussed. Advanced flame testing techniques were conversed with pictorial representation.

Effects of legacy mining on mercury concentrations in conifer needles and mushrooms in northern Palatinate, Germany

Due to integrated pollution prevention and control measures and the reduced burning of coal, air concentrations of mercury (Hg0) are currently levelling off. In the future, however, evasion from land surfaces will probably reverse this trend. Reasons are the rising temperatures and the loss of forest cover caused by calamities, droughts, storms and wildfires. Plant leaves constitute an important matrix for the accumulation of gaseous mercury and uptake and re-volatilisation by plants depends on the species, the vitality and the age and morphology of leaf organs. It has been shown that older conifer needles show higher concentrations than young needles and Hg accumulation is increasing throughout the season.In present study, we collected branches from Norway Spruce (Picea abies) in a former cinnabar mining region in Northern Palatinate, where artisanal and small-scale mining left innumerable waste dumps. While mining, smelting and processing of the ores were terminated during WWII, high total mercury concentrations remained in the top soils locally, with presumably only small fractions being plant available. In the lab, up to seven needle age classes were analysed. 1000 needle weights increased with age and as expected, also the Hg concentrations were elevated in the older needles. Needle concentrations were higher than those reported from other national biomonitoring programs confirming the regional imprint from legacy mercury. To complement our biomonitoring study, we collected edible mushrooms in former mining areas. Hg concentrations in most samples exceeded the EU maximum residue levels (MRL), while only a few broke the existing cadmium and lead limits. Tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for inorganic mercury would be surpassed with the consumption of a small portion of mushrooms. Further studies should be performed on the outgassing of Hg from mine wastes and the incorporation of Hg in the local food web, including its methylation and biomagnification.

Assessment of the state of forest vegetation of waste dumps of coal mines in Ukraine

The aim of the work was to assess the current state of protective vegetation cover formed as a result of forest reclamation and natural overgrowth of all rock dumps of coal mines in Ukraine. The relevance of the research is conditioned by the important role of taking into account the degree of forest cover on the surface of dumps when assessing their ecological hazard to the environment. Forest plantations reduce the intensity of deflation and erosion of the surface of dumps, so the intensity of pollutants entering the adjacent territory is also sharply reduced. The main research method was the analysis of space images. The scientific novelty of the research results consists in the estimation of the average afforestation of the surface of dumps of the Lviv-Volynsky coal basin, Western and Central Donbass and in the established dependence of the afforestation of dumps slopes on their exposure and insolation coefficient proposed by the authors. Differences in afforestation of dumps of the above-mentioned basins (50.6%, 5.6% and 10.6%, respectively) testify both to the role of differences in climatic conditions and to the low level of dump reclamation in the Donetsk coal basin. Almost 1,900 ha or 79.5% of the dump surface in the north-eastern part of the Central Donbas is not forested and is a source of intensive environmental pollution. The afforestation of southern slopes in the Central Donbas is 4.7 times lower than that of northern slopes. However, a part of dumps is characterised by almost complete afforestation of southern slopes. This important fact proves the possibility of growing plantations under conditions of unstable moisture inherent in Donbas, even on such slopes. The practical significance of the work consists in the presented low-cost reclamation technology and the results of its use by the authors in forest reclamation of two rock dumps of PJSC ‘Lisichanskvugillia’. The given results of the survey of forest plantations more than 30 years after their creation by the authors prove the possibility of mass afforestation of rock dumps in Ukraine and, as a consequence, the reduction of the area of agricultural lands polluted by dumps and the intensity of their pollution.

Research on the distribution law and dynamic response characteristics of loose media in soft foundation waste dump slope

Research on the distribution law and dynamic response characteristics of loose media in soft foundation waste dump slope

THE INFLUENCE OF WASTE ACCUMULATION SITES FROM MINING AND PROCESSING PLANTS ON THE HYDROSPHERE OF ADJACENT TERRITORIES

The nature and directions of changes in the state of water bodies of the territory, for a long time (50 60 years) adjacent to the storage areas of mining waste (dumps) and enrichment (tailings) of iron ore raw materials, have been studied. It has been established that dumps and tailings are sources of the adjacent territories’ intense hydrosphere chemical pollution with highly mineralized filtrates. The most intense pollution and increase in groundwater levels at all horizons occurs in the first 10-15 years.In the future, in proportion to the service life of man-made structures, the area and level of chemical pollution of surface and underground water bodies increases, hydrogeological processes are increasing: flooding of lands, landslides, sinkholes.

Drones and Sustainability: How Technology Can Assist in the Automatic Detection of Waste In Hard-to-Access Areas

Purpose: This work aims to present Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), known as drones, as an alternative for environmental monitoring, considering the difficulty of identifying events of illegal dumping in remote areas, whether due to government omission or the difficulty of accessing these locations. These devices provide several benefits, including portability and the capacity to take pictures in real-time from remote and difficult-to-reach places at a cheaper cost without endangering the operator's safety. Design/methodology/approach: The quantity of data gathered by drones needs an enormous amount of effort to analyze and interpret properly due to Rio de Janeiro's difficult topography and large geographic area. To overcome this challenge, artificial intelligence should be used to automatically evaluate and georeference the photos and videos gathered during the investigation. The present work aims to demonstrate the feasibility of this technique in the early and effective identification of remote areas with illegal solid waste dumping by combining a variety of methods, including the use of a global positioning system (GPS), high-precision cameras and sensors on an electronic device for remote sensing (drone), and image processing and interpretation using computational resources. Findings: Following extensive remote sensing in the selected areas, with the assistance of a UAV, the obtained photos were batch-processed utilizing Deep Learning algorithms and digital image processing techniques. After a significant amount of training, these algorithms were able to automatically identify and classify photos that showed signs of solid waste disposal from those that did not, showing that this rapid-automated segregation produced a 92% efficacy. Discussion: Rio de Janeiro produces a lot of trash, much of it is improperly disposed of and indiscriminately deposited in urban and surrounding regions, on hills, and in difficult-to-reach locations. This issue is particularly worse in areas where the government is absent and ineffective, causing citizens to dispose of their garbage in dangerous and hard-to-reach locations. This study offers a Deep Learning-based method for automatically identifying underprivileged communities that require government intervention to reduce irregular garbage disposal and all of the associated environmental consequences.

Human Health Impact of Municipal Solid Waste Mismanagement: A Review

Management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is frequently not properly performed. Whenever this happens, those working in the different stages of the process, as well as residents close to the dumps, face health risks. Here, we revised the documented evidence of emissions liberated during MSW management and associated health problems to investigate if systematic and reproducible relationships can be established. Besides substances released during collection and transportation, various toxic substances, predominantly in small amounts, can be released in the leachate and the biogases liberated in the disposal of MSW. Activities in the dump produce fine and coarse particles that are dispersed through the air and can enter the respiratory system, causing a series of adverse health effects, as shown by an increase in the demand for health services and the presence of respiratory symptoms and exacerbations of chronic processes. On the contrary, all the studies on the risk of developing some form of cancer by populations living in the vicinity of a waste dump have not been able to conclusively identify a causal or even circumstantial relationship that such a risk exists. Besides, no systematic association between residence near a landfill and any adverse outcome of childbirth has been found. However, the assessment of potential health effects is uncertain because of their diversity, the varied means of exposure, the uncertainty associated with exposures to low amounts of toxins when they occur over long periods, the potential synergies of various pollutants, the difficulty in establishing direct relationships between the toxicants emitted and health problems, the necessary arbitrariness in the delimitation of the dispersion area of the toxics and the practical impossibility of identifying other sources of exposure that could have some share of responsibility in the emerging health, as well as the lack of control of confounding factors like social deprivation, the lack of data on migrations to or from the most critical areas that affect exposure times or considerations about latency periods in pathologies such as cancer that does not usually manifest until years after exposure.

Can Environmental Stressors Determine the Condition of Ecological Plant Groups?

There is still a need to investigate the relationships between glycophytes and halophytes and the many biotic and abiotic factors in their natural environments. Therefore, we study the effects of the type of environment on the ecophysiological responses and condition of the glycophyte Elder Sambucus nigra L., the macrophyte Common Reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., the facultative halophyte Weeping Alkaligrass Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl, and the obligate halophyte Common Glasswort Salicornia europaea L. in a saline-disturbed anthropogenic region of central Poland. We analyzed the effects of salinity, acidity, and soil organic matter on shoot length, lipoperoxidation, and proline in roots and green parts, and evaluated plant responses to environmental disturbance, which allowed for the comparison of adaptation strategies. The studies were carried out in (1) "sodium production" (near sodium factories), (2) "anthropogenic environments" (waste dumps, agroecosystems, calcium deposits, post-production tanks), (3) "wetland environments" (near river channels and riparian areas), and (4) "control" (natural, unpolluted environments). Green parts of plants are better suited to indicate environmental stress than roots. Their higher structural MDA membrane damage is related to the transport of toxic ions to the shoots by a rapid transpiration stream in the xylem. We found high salinity to be the main factor inducing growth and found it to be correlated with the high pH effect on proline increase in glycophytes (Elder, Reed) and Weeping Alkaligrass, in contrast to Common Glasswort. We suggest that proline accumulation allows osmotic adjustment in the green parts of reeds and alkaligrasses, but may have another function (in Elder). Common Glasswort accumulates large amounts of Na+, which is energetically more effective than proline accumulation for osmotic adjustment. Organic matter affects plant growth and proline levels, but soil salinity and pH alter nutrient availability. Plant distribution along the salinity gradient indicates that Elder is the most salt-sensitive species compared to Reed, Alkaligrass, and Glasswort. Salinity and the lack of control of thick reeds, which compete with other plant groups, affect the distribution of halophytes in saline environments.

Assessment of Possibly Toxic Elements in Landfill Soils and Their Impacts on the Ecosystem in Alice, South Africa

Soil contamination by metallic components is an obscure, detrimental, protracted, and irreparable predicament. Dumping of waste containing heavy metals into landfills, fertilizer and pesticide application, and coal combustion results in high toxicity of metallic elements, and their continuous accumulation in soil pollutes the environment, which, in turn, poses a threat to human health. The specimens were subsequently dehydrated, processed for mineralization, and carefully examined microscopically by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), which examined their mineral substance, crystalline configuration, and chemical composition. Thirteen (13) elements were detected, and only eight (8) metals were discovered (K, Mg, Na, Ca, Al, Fe, Au, Ba), including non-metals (C, O, Cl, P) and a metalloid (Si). The concentrations of possibly toxic elements obtained showed no consistent succession, as they fluctuated across the examined sites. The Al concentration ranged from 3.78 ± 0.23 wt% to 10.23 ± 0.31 wt%, while the Fe concentration fluctuated from 4.14 ± 0.40 wt% to 13.13 ± 1.07 wt%. Na and Mg levels were present in all samples, but their availability was minimal, at less than 2.0 wt%, ranging between 1.44 ± 0.20 wt% and 0.31 ± 0.08 wt%. The concentrations of Ca and K were low in all soil samples, ranging from 0.91 ± 0.14 wt% to 5.56 ± 0.47 wt% for Ca and from 1.32 ± 0.25 wt% to 4.87 ± 0.18 wt% for K. During the investigation at the designated and control areas, it was discovered that the concentrations of potentially hazardous metals exceeded the accepted limits established by the World Health Organization (WHO) > 100 ppm. The findings provide proof of metallic contaminants in the study region, which calls for proper monitoring, management, and remedial measures of metal-tainted sites, since the residents of this locality are at a significantly elevated risk of experiencing adverse effects due to their heightened exposure to these elements. As a result of that, there is an imperative need to monitor and regulate this area regularly and appropriately. The study recommends sustainable farming practices, where farmers could use natural fertilizers and compost, as well as, the implementation of proper waste management, effective recycling techniques, and proper disposal of substances containing heavy metals as byproducts. Further implement remediation techniques that effectively and safely restore soils contaminated by metals in an environmentally sustainable and economically efficient manner.

Hazardous Waste Dump: A Recycling Process on the Globe Using Social Media

As the old saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. And that line applies to more than just antique sales. A lot of people don’t know about the value of scrap things – something that’s too often treated as trash to be disposed of, even though its value to recyclers is high. And there’s a strong push globally to promote, encourage and expand scarp recycling opportunities. There's a strong environmental lesson in doing so many of them not aware of the effect of scarp things like plastic, metal, glass etc. which contains toxins that pose dangers to the soil and groundwater when they’re dumped in community landfills. The alternative way is to make use of scrap things that can be successfully recycled and used to make new products Keywords: Recycle, Scrap, Waste, Environment, QR,

Sand-bentonite backfill amended with composite polymer exposed to organic acid: Hydraulic performance and microstructural properties

Soil-bentonite (SB) backfills in vertical cutoff walls are used extensively to contain contaminated groundwater. Previous studies show that the hydraulic conductivity of backfill can exceed the typically recommended maximum value (k = 1 × 10−9 m/s) if exposed to groundwater impacted by organic acids commonly released from uncontrolled landfills and municipal solid waste dumps. Polymer amended backfills exhibit excellent chemical compatibility to metal-laden groundwater. However, few studies to date have explored the effect of organic acid contaminated groundwater on hydraulic performance of polymer amended backfills. This study presents an experimental investigation on the hydraulic performance and microstructural properties of a composite polymer amended backfill used to contain flow of acetic acid-laden groundwater. A series of laboratory experiments were performed to evaluate free-swell indices of the composite polymer amended bentonites, liquid limits of the composite polymer amended and unamended bentonites, and slump heights and hydraulic conductivity (k) values of the amended backfills to acetic acid solutions with varying concentrations. The results were compared with those of the unamended bentonites and unamended backfills reported in a previous study. The results showed that the free-swell index and liquid limit of the amended bentonites were higher than those of the unamended bentonites. Permeation with acetic acid solutions with concentrations ranging from 40 mmol/L to 320 mmol/L conducted on the amended backfill only resulted in an increase in k of less than a factor of about 10 related to that based on permeation with tap water (1.68 × 10−10 -4.41 × 10−11 m/s to acetic acid solution versus 1.65 × 10−11 m/s to tap water). Mechanisms contributing to enhanced chemical compatibility of amended backfill were ascertained based on scanning electron microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry, and zeta potential analyses.

Assessment of the risk to public health from soil contamination on the territory of solid waste landfills

Introduction. Domestic waste management is an extremely important issue for all countries of the world, especially for the countries of the former Soviet Union, as the current state of solid waste disposal in Ukraine is extremely unsatisfactory. According to the European Commission, the amount of waste in the European Union has increased in recent years to more than 2.5 billion tons per year. The results of the Waste Atlas report on the world's 50 largest landfills show that 64 million people are affected by the 50 largest landfills every day. Ukraine has a total of 6045 landfills and dumpsites. The general trend in Ukraine, in contrast to European countries, is a low level of recycling and utilization of solid waste and a high rate of landfill disposal. The vast majority of landfills (80 to 90%) operate in overload mode. Landfills, in particular solid waste landfills, are the main pollutants of the atmosphere, hydrosphere and soil. Therefore, determining the level of environmental hazard of heavy metals in the soil as a result of the impact of landfills and solid waste dumps is very important. Objective. The purpose of the article is to determine the impact of solid waste landfills on public health due to soil contamination with heavy metals. Methodology. In order to determine the level of environmental hazard of household waste storage at landfills and dumps, the paper assesses the risk to public health from soil contamination in the area of the Hrybovychi landfill (Lviv oblast), Rohan landfill (Kharkiv oblast), and Novovodolazhske landfill (Kharkiv oblast). The risk to public health from soil contamination at solid waste landfills was assessed using the traditional US EPA method and a new method for determining the potential risk to public health from soil contamination with heavy metals. Results. The article compares two fundamentally different methodological approaches to determining the level of environmental hazard of soil contamination with heavy metals. The risk to public health from soil contamination on the territory of solid waste landfills according to the US EPA method corresponds to hazard class 5 (extremely high hazard level) according to all calculations. The results of the assessment of the potential risk to public health from soil contamination using the new method at solid waste landfills correspond to hazard classes 2-4. Comparison of methodological principles for assessing the risk to public health from soil pollution has shown the advantages of using the new method of potential risk assessment. The use of the new method of assessing the potential risk to public health from soil pollution will help improve science-based management of household waste and direct financial resources to reduce the environmental hazard of soil and land pollution in Ukraine. Scientific novelty. The article presents an improved method for assessing the risk to public health from soil pollution, which represents the scientific novelty of the work Practical significance. Determining the environmental hazard of soil pollution due to the impact of landfills and solid waste dumps makes it possible to prioritize the implementation of environmental protection measures and will contribute to the implementation of environmentally sound environmental management, so the research is of practical importance.