Industrial waste is a broad term that refers to any material that is discarded after an industrial or manufacturing process. Examples include scrap metal, concrete, oils, solvents, chemicals, and so on.
Industrial wastes can either be hazardous or not. Hazardous wastes are wastes that pose a threat to human health or the environment. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) defines hazardous wastes as wastes that can be flammable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic. And a huge percentage of these hazardous wastes come from industrial processes, than any other sector.
Some Hazardous industrial wastes commonly generated include:
1. Chemical waste:
These are wastes generated from production involving the use of chemicals e.g. pharmaceutical industries, agricultural practices, paints and solvents production, etc.
Chemical wastes are perhaps the most common hazardous waste generated, due to the high use of chemicals in manufacturing industries. However, the risk associated with this industrial waste is just as high.
Not only do these chemical wastes directly pollute the environment, they have been found to have long-term effects on the health of humans around such environment.
Since this waste is usually in solvent form, it is easier for Chemical pollutants to find their way into water bodies, or get soaked on land. This often leads to not just water pollution but also accumulation on land causing soil degradation.
2. Electronic Wastes:
It is important to note that hazardous wastes also include materials/items that may not seem hazardous. The most common example are electronic items.
Electronic items like batteries and lamps look non-hazardous, but they often contain hazardous materials like acids, lead, and Mercury.
To paint a clearer picture, when electronic wastes are disposed of improperly, their toxic materials often leach into the soil, kick-starting the first step in the contamination of our food chain.
Other improper disposal methods of electronic wastes lead to the release of their toxic contents into the air as well, causing both air and water pollution.
3. Used Oil:
For oil-producing countries like Nigeria, "used oil" is one of the top hazardous wastes generated. "Used oil" refers to oil refined from crude oil that has been contaminated and is no longer suitable for use.
It also includes useful oil that is discarded. In other words, oil wastes from industries producing the lubricants we use for gears, the engine oil for our cars, etc. are also in this category.
Oil spillage is one of the biggest dangers of this hazardous waste. Not only are oils toxic, corrosive, and reactive, but most are ignitable. Thus, the improper disposal of this waste could lead to fire outbreaks and explosions (as is not uncommon in areas where such waste is highly generated).
Oil not only contaminates water bodies but also increases the cost of water treatment. The unsustainable act of burning oil wastes also releases chemicals known as volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere, causing air pollution.
These wastes listed above, along with many others unlisted have many negative impacts on the environment which all work towards 5 common effects: land pollution, air pollution, water pollution, and disruption of the Ecosystem.
Industrial Waste Management Practices
Hazardous industrial wastes must be handled and effectively managed. Let us reiterate some of the suggested management practices:
1. Minimize your waste:
The best way to manage waste is to produce less of it. Industries must aim for effective production processes that generate less waste.
2. Treatment Technology:
Industries should detoxify and treat wastes before disposal.
3. Practicing Circular Economy:
The waste of industry A can be a raw material for industry B. Circular economy simply means, industries circulate their resources ensuring that usable wastes are utilized instead of discarded.
4. Waste Management Regulations:
Governmental bodies in charge of waste management must enforce waste management policies on industries and ensure such policies are adhered to. This can be done through regular waste audits and monitoring at factories.
5. Sensitization and Awareness:
As knowledge is needed for action, industries and the public should be educated on the dangers of hazardous industrial wastes.
This is the point where we are comforted that whatever problem is caused by human activities, can also be solved by human practices. Share this article with someone you know, and let's spread the gospel of sustainability.
— Adeyemi Joy Ifeoluwa
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