CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Solid waste can be classified into different types, depending on their source, household waste is generally classified as municipal waste; Industrial waste such as hazardous, and biochemical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste. The term “solid waste” means any garbage refuse or sludge from a treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations (US Law Solid waste Act 2, 1999).The term “disposal” means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking or placing of any solid waste or hazard waste into water or land or air, including ground waters community activities.

      Solid waste disposal site are found on the outskirts of the urban areas, turning into the child sources of contamination due to the incubation and proliferation of flies, mosquitoes, and rodents, that in turn, are diseases transmitters that affect the environment.

The group at risk from the unscientific disposal of disposal  solid waste include the population in area where there is no proper waste disposal method other high risk group include the population living close to wastes dump.

1.2     Aims and Objectives of Study

          The aim and objectives of this work is to:

1.       To know the impact of solid waste on the environment

2.       To know the method of his disposal and how to treat them.

3.       To know the problem arising to poor disposal of wastes

1.3     Definition of Terms

Solid Waste

Solid waste is defined as materials that the possession or owner no longer consider of important values to retain.

Figure 1: Material Flow & d Generation of Solid Wastes

          Raw materials            Residual

 Sources: (Adapted from Solid Wastes: Engineering Principles and Management Issues by Tchobanoglous et al, 1977).

Solid wastes are categories into groups:

1.       Solid waste: are classified into two,

a)       Garbage: is putrefied (decomposition) waste such as fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables.

b)      Rubbish: Rubbish is non-perishable wastes that are either combustible or non-combustible such as cotton, wood, cloths, polythene, glasses and ceramics etc.

2.       Liquid waste: Are waste generated from industries and household domestic activities which are liquid in nature.

3.       Gaseous waste: They are gaseous in nature, generated from commercial/domestic/agricultural/industries activities e.g. CO₂, NH_3, CO, S₂, Methanol.