Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the
environment.

Hazardous wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids.
A hazardous waste is a special type of waste because it cannot be disposed of by common
means like other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on the physical state of the
waste, treatment and solidification processes might be required.
The international community has defined the responsible management of hazardous waste and
chemicals as an important part of developing a sustainable economy, with Sustainable
Development Goal.
The Target measures two indicators to "achieve the environmentally sound management of
chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle".

Sources of Hazardous waste:

Major hazardous waste sources and their pollution routes in the environment are listed below.
1. Electronic sector:
Generally found in all electronic products such as
cellular phones – Beryllium
Computer – Brominated flame &
• Eequipment TV – Cadmium(cd), Chromium(Cr), Mercury(Hg), Nickel(Ni) &
Zinc(Zn).
• Electronic waste generally known as E-watse which is recognized as hazardous waste.
• If pb,Hg from E-waste buried in land, it find its way into water therefore contaminates
the ground water & causes severe health issues.
• Pld TV, an Hazardous waste – TV’s with their fragile and heavy cathode tubes create
challenges for their disposal / recycling.
• In California, it is illegal to dispose E-waste : Electronics can be recycled @ your local
household Hazardous waste drop-off facility.
• The various components of electronic devices are as follows:
Working:
• TV- Tubes, flat screens, plasma/projector
• Computer- Monitors, Keyboards, mouse, printers etc.,
• Telephones, Cell phones etc.,
• Sterio equipments, Radios, tape players, VCR’s, CD/DVD players,
• Microwave ovens.
Non-working
• Lamps & Light fixtures
 • Hair dryers
• Hair curlers.
2. Nuclear Power plant
• Any material can generate Radioactive materials are the Hazardous waste which emits
radioactive particles.
• Radioactive materials in which the unstable atoms that emits ionizing radiation as it
decays.
Eg: Cesium, Cobalt, Iodine, Ionizing radiation, Radium Radon, Strontium etc.,
3. Agricultural land and agro-industry: Hazardous wastes from agricultural land and agro-
industry can expose people to pesticides, fertilizers and hazardous veterinary product wastes.
Farms are a major source of these wastes, and agrochemicals can leach into the environment
while in storage or can cause damage after their application.
4. Domestic Households stock various hazardous substances such as batteries and dry cells,
furniture polishes, wood preservatives, stain removers, paint thinners, rat poisons, herbicides
and pesticides, mosquito repellents, paints, disinfectants, and fuels (i.e. kerosene) and other
automotive products. These can present a variety of dangers during storage, use and disposal.
5. Mines and mineral processing sites Mining and mineral processing sites handle hazardous
products that are present in the additives, the products and the wastes
6. Health care facilities Health care facilities are sources of pathological waste, human blood
and contaminated needles. Specific sources of these wastes include dentists, veterinary clinics,
home health care, blood banks, hospitals, clinics and medical laboratories.
7. Commercial wastes Commercial waste sources include gasoline stations, dry cleaners and
automobile repair shops (workshops). The types of hazardous wastes generated by these
sources depend on the services provided.
8. Institutional hazardous waste sources • Institutional hazardous waste sources are mainly
research laboratories, research centers and military installations. • Military establishments also
carry out activities that generate other types of hazardous wastes of household, commercial and
industrial nature.
9. Industrial hazardous waste sources Hazardous wastes are created by many industrial
activities. For example, the hazardous wastes from the petroleum fuel industry include the
refinery products (fuels and tar), impurities like phenol and cyanides in the waste stream, and
sludge flushed from the storage tanks.
10. Solid waste disposal sites These are mainly disposal sites for municipal solid waste, but
hazardous wastes that have not been properly separated from other wastes are also at these
sites.
11. Contaminated sites These are sites that are contaminated with hazardous wastes due to
activities that use or produce hazardous substances or due to accidental spills. Former sites of
industries that used or produced hazardous materials belong to this group.
 12. Building materials Roofs and pipes made of materials incorporating asbestos, copper, or
other materials may present a source of hazardous waste.

What is Hazardous Waste?

Hazardous waste is defined as any substance or material that can have harmful
effects on the health of people and the environment.
Typically produced by manufacturers and other industrial organizations, hazardous
waste has been identified by the EPA as containing elements and properties that can
produce potentially detrimental effects.
With that being said, there are very specific protocols to undertake when a waste is
identified as hazardous. In determining how to properly treat the waste that has been
produced, it’s important to be able to identify what classifications that hazardous
waste falls into.
The Four Classifications of Hazardous Waste
Hazardous wastes often vary from one another. The EPA has identified four main
categories in which hazardous wastes can be classified. With each categorization
comes different risks and disposal methods. When left inappropriately treated or
managed, these wastes can have very harmful effects on the environment. That is
why it is necessary to understand the main classification categories of each. The
four identifiable classifications
are listed wastes, characteristic wastes, universal wastes and mixed wastes.
1. Listed Wastes

When it comes to listed wastes, there are four sub-types of listed wastes. Among
these are wastes that fall into the F-list, K-list, P-list and the U-list.

F-List Wastes
Simply put, the F-list includes any wastes that have a nonspecific source, but are
produced from manufacturing and industrial processes. Because they can be
generated in various sectors of industry and manufacturing, their ultimate source
becomes nonspecific.
 Of the F-list wastes, depending on the operations that produce the wastes, they can
be divided into seven groups. These source identification groups are as follows:

1. Dioxin-bearing wastes
2. Wood-preserving wastes
3. Spent solvent wastes
4. Petroleum refinery wastewater treatment sludges
5. Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons production
6. Multisource leachate
7. Electroplating and other metal finishing wastes

K-List Wastes
Unlike F-list wastes, K-list wastes are specific wastes that have specific industry
sources. Particular production and treatment processes generate certain types of
wastewater and sludge that become distinguishable as hazardous wastes.
Since their sources are specific, they are classified as source-specific hazardous
wastes. The top 13 industries that generate K-lists are seen below:

1. Iron and steel production

2. Petroleum refining
3. Inorganic pigment manufacturing
4. Explosives manufacturing
5. Ink formulation
6. Veterinary pharmaceuticals manufacturing
7. Primary aluminum production
8. Organic chemicals manufacturing
9. Pesticides manufacturing
10. Coking (processing of coal to produce coke)
11. Inorganic chemicals manufacturing
12. Wood preservation
13. Secondary lead processing
 For both F-lists and K-lists, these wastes are identified by an EPA-assigned code.
They characterize the wastes depending on if they contain any of the following
codes: Toxic Waste (T), Acute Hazardous Waste (H), Ignitable Waste (I), Corrosive
Waste (C ), Reactive Waste (R ), Toxicity Characteristic Waste (E).
P-List & U-List Wastes
P-list and U-list wastes are specific commercial chemical products that are disposed
of, but unused. To be considered as one of these wastes, they must meet certain
criteria and be commercial grade formulations of specific unused chemicals.
Wastes must be discarded and unused to meet the following criteria to be considered
P-list or U-list wastes:

• It must contain one of the chemicals identified in the P or U list

• The waste’s chemical must be unused
• The waste must be in a commercial chemical product form

2. Characteristic Wastes
Unlike listed wastes, these characteristic wastes follow the identification process
depending on the characteristics they display. Below are the four characteristics that
are identified with wastes.
1. Ignitability

• Any waste that is flammable and can create fires.

• Examples of this include liquids with flashpoints below 140 °F, nonliquids with the
potential to ignite via specific conditions and compressed gases.
2. Corrosivity

• Any waste (typically acids and bases) that can rust and decompose and has the ability
to melt through steel materials.
• Examples of this include aqueous wastes with an acidity level of equal to or less than
2 pH or equal to or greater than 12.5 pH.

3. Reactivity

• Any waste that is explosive, unstable under normal conditions.

• Examples of this include any waste capable of explosion and detonation that may
produce toxic gases.
 4. Toxicity

• Any waste that is fatally poisonous when ingested or absorbed.

• Examples of this include lithium-sulfur batteries and other materials that can cause
death when swallowed.
There are tests available through certified laboratories that will determine the
characteristic traits of wastes to deem the type of hazardous waste that it is. In order
to properly manage wastes, you must consult with an accredited laboratory like EHS.
3. Universal Wastes

Also known as commonly-generated, universal wastes are another classification for

hazardous wastes. These types of wastes typically include bulbs, mercury-containing
equipment, pesticides and batteries. These wastes are of the more commonly
produced and identified oftentimes as “dangerous goods”. There are 9
classifications with these wastes listed below:

1. Class 1: Explosives
2. Class 2: Gases
3. Class 3: Flammable Liquids
4. Class 4: Flammable Solids or Substances
5. Class 5: Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides
6. Class 6: Toxic and Infectious Substances
7. Class 7: Radioactive
8. Class 8: Corrosive Substances
9. Class 9: Miscellaneous Dangerous Substances and Articles

4. Mixed Wastes

Lastly, mixed wastes are wastes that contain both hazardous as well as radioactive
components. Because mixed wastes involve hazardous and radioactive materials,
their treatment and disposals vary.
Mixed wastes are identified as one of three types of mixed waste according to the
US DOE. They can be low-level mixed waste (LLMW), high-level mixed waste
(HLW) and mixed transuranic waste (MTRU).

It’s important to know the proper disposal methods if your company or organization
is producing wastes that are deemed hazardous.

Now that you know all of the types of wastes, their categorizations/classifications
and examples of each, be sure you’re treating their removal properly. If you need
analytical testing services done to determine the levels of hazardousness of your
wastes, then get in touch with Environmental Hazards Services.

Characteristic Hazardous Wastes A RCRA characteristic hazardous waste is a solid waste that
exhibits at least one of four characteristics defined in 40 CFR Part 261 subpart C — ignitability
(D001), corrosivity (D002), reactivity (D003), and toxicity (D004 - D043).
• Ignitability– Ignitable wastes can create fires under certain conditions, are spontaneously
combustible, or have a flash point less than 60 °C (140 °F). Examples include waste oils and
used solvents. For more details, see 40 CFR §261.21. Test methods that may be used to
determine ignitability include the Pensky-Martens Closed-Cup Method for Determining
Ignitability, the Setaflash Closed-Cup Method for Determining Ignitability, the Ignitability of
Solids, Test Method for Oxidizing Solids, and the Test Method to Determine Substances Likely
to Spontaneously Combust.
• Corrosivity – Corrosive wastes are acids or bases (pH less than or equal to 2, or greater than
or equal to 12.5) and/or are capable of corroding metal containers, such as storage tanks, drums,
and barrels. Battery acid is an example. For more details, see 40 CFR §261.22. The test method
that may be used to determine the ability of a waste to corrode steel is the Corrosivity Towards
Steel (Method 1110A)(PDF)(6 pp, 37K). To measure pH electrometrically, see Method 9040C
(PDF)(5 pp, 25K).
• Reactivity – Reactive wastes are unstable under "normal" conditions. They can cause
explosions, undergo violent reactions, generate toxic fumes, gases, or vapors or explosive
mixtures when heated, compressed, or mixed with water. Examples include lithiumsulfur
batteries and explosives.
• Toxicity – Toxic wastes are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed (e.g., containing
mercury, lead, etc.). When toxic wastes are land disposed, contaminated liquid may leach from
the waste and pollute ground water. Toxicity is defined through a laboratory 5 procedures
called the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP). The TCLP helps identify
wastes likely to leach concentrations of contaminants that may be harmful to human health or
the environment.

Disposal of hazardous waste

Historically, some hazardous wastes were disposed of in regular landfills. This resulted in
unfavorable amounts of hazardous materials seeping into the ground. These chemicals
eventually entered to natural hydrologic systems. Many landfills now require countermeasures
against groundwater contamination. For example, a barrier has to be installed along the
foundation of the landfill to contain the hazardous substances that may remain in the disposed
waste.] Currently, hazardous wastes must often be stabilized and solidified in order to enter a
landfill and must undergo different treatments in order to stabilize and dispose of them. Most
flammable materials can be recycled into industrial fuel. Some materials with hazardous
constituents can be recycled, such as lead acid batteries.
1. Recycling

Some hazardous wastes can be recycled into new products. Examples may include lead–acid
batteries or electronic circuit boards. When heavy metals in these types of ashes go through the
proper treatment, they could bind to other pollutants and convert them into easier-to-dispose
solids, or they could be used as pavement filling. Such treatments reduce the level of threat of
harmful chemicals, like fly and bottom ash, while also recycling the safe product. There is a
recycling center facility in Oxnard, CA. The city does not charge for any hazardous materials
being disposed of, but there is a limit to how much you can bring per month. Other than
hazardous waste, the city also allows you to dispose of electronic waste, light-bulbs, and
batteries.
2. Incineration, destruction and waste-to-energy
Hazardous waste may be "destroyed". For example, by incinerating them at a high temperature,
flammable wastes can sometimes be burned as energy sources. For example, many cement
kilns burn hazardous wastes like used oils or solvents. Today, incineration treatments not only
reduce the amount of hazardous waste, but also generate energy from the gases released in the
process. It is known that this particular waste treatment releases toxic gases produced by the
combustion of byproduct or other materials which can affect the environment. However,
current technology has developed more efficient incinerator units that control these emissions
to a point where this treatment is considered a more beneficial option. There are different types
of incinerators which vary depending on the characteristics of the waste. Starved air
incineration is another method used to treat hazardous wastes. Just like in common incineration,
burning occurs, however controlling the amount of oxygen allowed proves to be significant to
reduce the amount of harmful byproducts produced. Starved air incineration is an improvement
of the traditional incinerators in terms of air pollution. Using this technology, it is possible to
control the combustion rate of the waste and therefore reduce the air pollutants produced in the
process.
3. Hazardous waste landfill (sequestering, isolation, etc.)
Hazardous waste may be sequestered in a hazardous waste landfill or permanent disposal
facility. "In terms of hazardous waste, a landfill is defined as a disposal facility or part of a
facility where hazardous waste is placed or on land and which is not a pile, a land treatment
facility, a surface impoundment, an underground injection well, a salt dome formation, a salt
bed formation, an underground mine, a cave, or a corrective action management unit (40 CFR
260.10)."
4. Pyrolysis

Burning pieces of wood, showing various stages of pyrolysis followed by oxidative

combustion.

Some hazardous waste types may be eliminated using pyrolysis in a high temperature not
necessarily through electrical arc but starved of oxygen to avoid combustion. However, when
electrical arc is used to generate the required ultra heat (in excess of 3000 degree C temperature)
all materials (waste) introduced into the process will melt into a molten slag and this technology
is termed Plasma not pyrolysis. Plasma technology produces inert materials and when cooled
solidifies into rock like material. These treatment methods are very expensive but may be
preferable to high temperature incineration in some circumstances such as in the destruction of
concentrated organic waste types, including PCBs, pesticides and other persistent organic
pollutants.
Treatment, storage, and disposal
Several options are available for hazardous-waste management. The most desirable is to
reduce the quantity of waste at its source or to recycle the materials for some other
productive use. Nevertheless, while reduction and recycling are desirable options, they are
not regarded as the final remedy to the problem of hazardous-waste disposal. There will
always be a need for treatment and for storage or disposal of some amount of hazardous
waste.
Treatment
Hazardous waste can be treated by chemical, thermal, biological, and physical methods.
Chemical methods include ion exchange, precipitation, oxidation and reduction, and
neutralization. Among thermal methods is high-temperature incineration, which not only
can detoxify certain organic wastes but also can destroy them. Special types of thermal
equipment are used for burning waste in either solid, liquid, or sludge form. These include
the fluidized-bed incinerator, multiple-hearth furnace, rotary kiln, and liquid-injection
incinerator. One problem posed by hazardous-waste incineration is the potential for air
pollution.
Biological treatment of certain organic wastes, such as those from the petroleum industry,
is also an option. One method used to treat hazardous waste biologically is called land
farming. In this technique the waste is carefully mixed with surface soil on a suitable tract
of land. Microbes that can metabolize the waste may be added, along with nutrients. In
some cases a genetically engineered species of bacteria is used. Food or forage crops are
not grown on the same site. Microbes can also be used for stabilizing hazardous wastes on
previously contaminated sites; in that case the process is called bioremediation.

The chemical, thermal, and biological treatment methods outlined above change the
molecular form of the waste material. Physical treatment, on the other hand, concentrates,
solidifies, or reduces the volume of the waste. Physical processes include evaporation,
sedimentation, flotation, and filtration. Yet another process is solidification, which is
achieved by encapsulating the waste in concrete, asphalt, or plastic. Encapsulation
produces a solid mass of material that is resistant to leaching. Waste can also be mixed with
lime, fly ash, and water to form a solid, cementlike product.

Surface storage and land disposal

Hazardous wastes that are not destroyed by incineration or other chemical processes need
to be disposed of properly. For most such wastes, land disposal is the ultimate destination,
although it is not an attractive practice, because of the inherent environmental risks
involved. Two basic methods of land disposal include landfilling and underground
injection. Prior to land disposal, surface storage or containment systems are often employed
as a temporary method.

Temporary on-site waste storage facilities include open waste piles and ponds or lagoons.
New waste piles must be carefully constructed over an impervious base and must comply
with regulatory requirements similar to those for landfills. The piles must be protected from
wind dispersion or erosion. If leachate is generated, monitoring and control systems must
be provided. Only noncontainerized solid, nonflowing waste material can be stored in a
new waste pile, and the material must be landfilled when the size of the pile becomes
unmanageable.

A common type of temporary storage impoundment for hazardous liquid waste is an open
pit or holding pond, called a lagoon. New lagoons must be lined with impervious clay soils
and flexible membrane liners in order to protect groundwater. Leachate collection systems
must be installed between the liners, and groundwater monitoring wells are required.
Except for some sedimentation, evaporation of volatile organics, and possibly some surface
aeration, open lagoons provide no treatment of the waste. Accumulated sludge must be
removed periodically and subjected to further handling as a hazardous waste.

Many older, unlined waste piles and lagoons are located above aquifers used for
public water supply, thus posing significant risks to public health and environmental
quality. A large number of these old sites have been identified and scheduled for cleanup,
or remediation, around the world.

Secure landfills
Landfilling of hazardous solid or containerized waste is regulated more stringently than
landfilling of municipal solid waste. Hazardous wastes must be deposited in so-
called secure landfills, which provide at least 3 metres (10 feet) of separation between the
bottom of the landfill and the underlying bedrock or groundwater table. A secure
hazardous-waste landfill must have two impermeable liners and leachate collection
systems. The double leachate collection system consists of a network of perforated pipes
placed above each liner. The upper system prevents the accumulation of leachate trapped
in the fill, and the lower serves as a backup. Collected leachate is pumped to a treatment
plant. In order to reduce the amount of leachate in the fill and minimize the potential for
environmental damage, an impermeable cap or cover is placed over a finished landfill.
it includes a series of deep wells drilled in and around the site is also required. The wells
allow a routine program of sampling and testing to detect any leaks or groundwater
contamination. If a leak does occur, the wells can be pumped to intercept the polluted water
and bring it to the surface for treatment.
One option for the disposal of liquid hazardous waste is deep-well injection, a procedure
that involves pumping liquid waste through a steel casing into a porous layer of limestone
or sandstone. High pressures are applied to force the liquid into the pores and fissures of
the rock, where it is to be permanently stored. The injection zone must lie below a layer of
impervious rock or clay, and it may extend more than 0.8 km (0.5 mile) below the surface.
Deep-well injection is relatively inexpensive and requires little or no pretreatment of the
waste, but it poses a danger of leaking hazardous waste and eventually polluting subsurface
water supplies.

Remedial action
Disposal of hazardous waste in unlined pits, ponds, or lagoons poses a threat to human
health and environmental quality. Many such uncontrolled disposal sites were used in the
past and have been abandoned. Depending on a determination of the level of risk, it may
be necessary to remediate those sites. In some cases, the risk may require emergency action.
In other instances, engineering studies may be required to assess the situation thoroughly
before remedial action is undertaken.
One option for remediation is to completely remove all the waste material from the site and
transport it to another location for treatment and proper disposal. This so-called off-site
solution is usually the most expensive option. An alternative is on-site remediation, which
reduces the production of leachate and lessens the chance of groundwater contamination.
On-site remediation may include temporary removal of the hazardous waste, construction
of a secure landfill on the same site, and proper replacement of the waste. It may also
include treatment of any contaminated soil or groundwater. Treated soil may be replaced
on-site and treated groundwater returned to the aquifer by deep-well injection.

A less costly alternative is full containment of the waste. This is done by placing an
impermeable cover over the hazardous-waste site and by blocking the lateral flow of
groundwater with subsurface cutoff walls. It is possible to use cutoff walls for this purpose
when there is a natural layer of impervious soil or rock below the site. The walls are
constructed around the perimeter of the site, deep enough to penetrate to the impervious
layer. They can be excavated as trenches around the site without moving or disturbing the
waste material. The trenches are filled with a bentonite clay slurry to prevent their collapse
during construction, and they are backfilled with a mixture of soil and cement that solidifies
to form an impermeable barrier. Cutoff walls thus serve as vertical barriers to the flow of
water, and the impervious layer serves as a barrier at the bottom.

Methods of Hazardous Waste Disposal for Businesses

May 5, 2021 AOTC

Hazardous waste disposal began to grip public consciousness in the US in the mid-1900s
for four key reasons:

1. More waste was being produced

2. Disposal was becoming costlier
3. Disposal capacity was dropping
4. New disposal facilities were sparking protests.

These growing concerns eventually led to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) passage of 1976. The RCRA outlined a model of environmentally sound and cost-
effective approaches for managing and disposing of hazardous wastes.

Due to the health and environmental risks posed by this waste, the RCRA framework was
comprehensive. Based on its mandates, the EPA created a “cradle-to-grave” regulatory
program that managed its full lifecycle:

• Production
• Transport
• Treatment
• Storage
• Disposal.

This article focuses on the final stage: disposal. There are a few different standard
hazardous waste disposal methods. Another increasingly popular way to handle it is to
recycle it. While recycling is preferable to other methods, it is not always viable. Treatment
is another way to approach waste rather than simply disposing of it. Below, we
explore treatment options and the three top disposal methods (along with assessing
sustainability), closing out with recycling. By exploring these options, you can figure out
which form of hazardous waste disposal is best for your business.
Ways to Dispose of Hazardous Waste

Incineration or other treatment

There are a variety of ways to treat hazardous waste:

1. Chemical treatment – e.g., neutralization, precipitation, ion exchange, reduction,

or oxidation;
2. Thermal treatment – e.g., incineration;
3. Biological treatment – e.g., landfarming; and
4. Physical treatment – e.g., solidification, flotation, sedimentation, evaporation, or
filtration.

The first three categories transform waste at the molecular level, while the fourth results in
waste solidification, concentration, or volume decrease.

To destroy some organic wastes in addition to detoxifying them, you can use high-
temperature incineration. Equipment used for this purpose includes:

• liquid-injection incinerators,
• multiple-hearth furnaces,
• fluidized-bed incinerators, and
• rotary kilns

Landfarming can be used to treat organic wastes from the petroleum industry or elsewhere.
An area of land is designated, and the surface soil is conscientiously blended with the waste.
Nutrients and waste-metabolizing microbes can be added to enhance treatment.

A common way to approach solidification is utilizing asphalt, plastic, or concrete to

encapsulate the waste. This approach creates a leach-resistant, solid material mass.

Regarding sustainability, air pollution is a concern with incineration.

#1: Underground disposal

The only way this method is compliant is when the hazardous waste is brought to mines
that are either inactive or partially active (along with meeting additional geological and
technical specifications). Many companies need to dispose of radioactive waste, whether
from medical treatments, laboratory experiments, nuclear fuel production, or radioactive
ore mining. For those cases, this method is considered a strong, cost-effective option.

These hazardous waste facilities will vary in their sustainability, per the EPA. The agency
is responsible for protecting people and the natural world by verifying that these units’
design, operation, and maintenance adhere to its standards.

#2: Landfill disposal

Dumpsites and landfills are the most commonly used and oldest method of waste disposal.
Hazardous waste landfills are specially built and are NOT intended for liquid wastes. They
are engineered and excavated so that they are within the ground rather than piling upward.

These landfills are lined with clay, HDPE, or other non-porous materials to prevent the
waste from leaching into the ground. Wind dispersal controls, leak protection systems, and
a double liner are additional protections so that humans and the environment come into
contact with as little of the waste as possible.

Human health is generally not impacted by hazardous waste landfills. However, it is

possible for people near the landfill to be harmed if there is a leak.

#3: Ocean dumping

For the avoidance of groundwater contamination, deep-sea depositing is sometimes used.

It is necessary to treat hazardous waste before ocean dumping to minimize the impact on
marine life. This treatment is important to human health, too, since the waste can make its
way to humans when they consume seafood. Some environmental agencies ban this
practice, but it is allowed by the EPA if you have a permit and strictly follow its guidelines.
(The US Army Corps of Engineers handles all dredged material permits, while the EPA
processes the remainder.)

Regarding sustainability, treatment is critically important. Radioactive waste, industrial

waste, and sludge all cause considerable ocean pollution. Mercury and cadmium, toxic
heavy metals, are within about 10 percent of dredged material.

Hazardous Waste Disposal Alternative: Recycling

A federal analysis revealed that 1.5 tons of hazardous waste were managed through
recycling in 2017. Recycling is preferable to disposing of hazardous wastes for numerous
reasons. It results in economic benefits, decreases our raw material reliance nationally,
conserves natural resources, prevents pollution, and cuts energy use.

Any of the following are ways that recycling can be achieved:

• Reclaiming – Regeneration or processing to recover a useful product

• Reuse/use – Substituting it for another product or using it as an industrial ingredient
• Burning to recover energy – Burning for fuel
• Disposal through use – Placement of waste on the land.

Systematic & Thorough Industrial Waste Management

Are you considering your options for hazardous waste disposal? At AOTC, we design our
industrial waste management services to control your costs and minimize your long-term
liability. We even tailor our programs to meet your specific needs. Contact us today to
discover how we can help your business.

Transboundary movement:
What is the meaning of Transboundary movement?
Term. Any movement of hazardous wastes or other wastes from an area under the
national jurisdiction of one State to or through an area under the national jurisdiction of
another State or to or through an area not under the national jurisdiction of any State,
provided at least two States are involved in the movement.

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous

Wastes and their Disposal was adopted on 22 March 1989 by the Conference of
Plenipotentiaries in Basel, Switzerland, in response to a public outcry following the
discovery, in the 1980s, in Africa and other parts of the developing world of deposits of
toxic wastes imported from abroad.

The overarching objective of the Basel Convention is to protect human health and the
environment against the adverse effects of hazardous wastes. Its scope of application covers a
wide range of wastes defined as “hazardous wastes” based on their origin and/or composition
and their characteristics, as well as two types of wastes defined as “other wastes” - household
waste and incinerator ash.

Aims and provisions

The provisions of the Convention center around the following principal aims:

• the reduction of hazardous waste generation and the promotion of environmentally

sound management of hazardous wastes, wherever the place of disposal;
• the restriction of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes except where it is
perceived to be in accordance with the principles of environmentally sound
management; and
• a regulatory system applying to cases where transboundary movements are permissible.

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of

Hazardous Wastes

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary

Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal was adopted in
1989 and it came into force in 1992. It is the most comprehensive
global environmental agreement on hazardous wastes and other
wastes. With 175 Parties (as at 31 March 2011), it has nearly universal
membership. The Convention aims to protect human health and the
environment against the adverse effects resulting from the generation,
transboundary movements and management of hazardous wastes and
other wastes. The Basel Convention regulates the transboundary
 movements of hazardous wastes and other wastes and obliges its
Parties to ensure that such wastes are managed and disposed of in an
environmentally sound manner. The Convention covers toxic,
poisonous, explosive, corrosive, flammable, ecotoxic and infectious
wastes. Parties also have an obligation to minimize the quantities that
are transported, to treat and dispose of wastes as close as possible to
their place of generation and to prevent or minimize the generation of
wastes at source.
In which year hazardous and other waste management and transboundary movement rules
came into force?

These Rules came into effect in the year 1989 and have been amended later in the years 2000,
2003 and with final notification of the Hazardous Waste ( Management, Handling and
Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008 in supersession of former notification.