DISPOSAL OF MUNCIPAL SOLID WASTE
AND IT’S
EFFECT ON AGRICULTURE
(Drishya
Jagadish ,Natural science, SNM Training College)
ABSTRACT
Soils are essential for life, in the sense that they provide
the medium for plant growth, habitat for many insects and other organisms, act
as a filtration system for surface water, carbon store and maintenance of
atmospheric gases. Soils help regulate atmospheric Carbon dioxide (CO2)
by acting as a carbon store. .Since
the beginning, humankind has been generating waste, be it the bones and other
parts of animals they slaughter for their food or the wood they cut to make
their carts. Solid
waste; when left unattended to for a long time, constitutes health hazards,
causes offensive odour, and pollutes the underground water sources and
decreases aesthetics and quality (Federal Ministry of Environment). The
inability to manage these wastes effectively
becomes an issue of great concern. The present study, which is preliminary, was conducted
with an objective to determine the effect of Municipal Solid Waste waste on the soil
total elemental compositions around the dump sites .There appear to be various
agricultural practices at the site of this study and around the neighbourhoods.
INTRODUCTION
Soil is a very specific component of
the biosphere because it is not only a geochemical sink for contaminants, but
also acts as natural buffer controlling the transport of chemical elements and
substances to the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biota.Since the beginning,
humankind has been generating waste, be it the bones and other parts of animals
they slaughter for their food or the wood they cut to make their carts.
With
the progress of civilization, the waste generated became of a more complex
nature. At the end of the 19th century the industrial revolution saw the rise
of the world of consumers. Not only did the air get more and more polluted but
the earth itself became more polluted with the generation of non-biodegradable
solid waste. The increase in population and urbanization was also largely
responsible for the increase in solid waste. Solid waste is the term used to
describe non-liquid waste materials arising from domestic, trade, commercial,
agricultural, industrial activities and from public services .
Solid
waste; when left unattended to for a long time, constitutes health hazards, causes
offensive odour, and pollutes the underground water sources and decreases
aesthetics and quality (Federal Ministry of Environment). The inability to
manage these wastes effectively becomes
an issue of great concern. This is because apart from the destruction of
aesthetics of landscape by the waste dumpsites, some of the municipal solid
wastes contain both organic and inorganic toxic pollutants (such as heavy
metals) that threaten the health of humans and the entire ecosystem. Proper
management of solid waste is critical to the health and well-being of urban
residents .
With the ever
increasing population and emerging technologies, there is a corresponding
increase in health care delivery/facilities. A large amount of solid
waste is generated in the hospital during diagnosis and treatment of diseases.
The solid waste may contain human organs, bandages, syringes, test tubes,
tissues cell culture and other plastic materials. These wastes can cause health
hazards and indeed, is a veritable source of transmission of HIV/AIDS,
Hepatitis B and other diseases. The dumping of infectious/toxic waste on the
soil and sometimes burning them can lead to contamination of crops and
underground water which can cause very serious harm to unsuspected consumers.
Hospital solid waste has been found to
contain appreciable quantity of heavy metals such as Cd, Zn, Pb and Cu, all
which may eventually end-up in the soil and leached down the profile. The
concern about heavy metals is that they are not biodegradable and therefore
accumulate in the environment. Thus one of the development challenges facing
this decade is how to achieve a cost effective and environmentally sound
strategies to deal with the global hazardous waste crises facing both the
developed and developing Countries.
Large
quantities of untreated industrial municipal and agricultural wastes are dumped
into the soil. Heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel and arsenic
cause serious land pollution problems. For example wastes from mines and
factories located in agricultural areas have been found to have contaminated
the soil with heavy metals. In some cases, land disposal of degradable
hazardous organic wastes is practiced as a means of disposal and degradation.
Disposal of municipal
solid waste and it’s impact on the agriculture soil property is up by plants
and animals or carried away by wind. But the processes that actually play
important roles in reducing their total amount of residues, are those mediated
by microorganisms, animals, plants and sunlight. Other factors are pH and heat.
Catalytic agents in the soil and soil enzymes also play important roles in
degrading relatively unstable pesticides. The major group of soil
microorganisms such as acitnomycetes, fungi and bacteria, degrade pesticides
through oxidation, ether cleavage, ester and acid hydrolysis, oxidation,
oxidation etc. The notable characteristics of degradation systems in
microorganisms are the reductive systems. Combustion of sulfur-containing fuels
emits SO2 and finally leaves sulphate in the soil. Atmospheric nitrogen oxides
are converted into nitrates in the atmosphere and the nitrates eventually are
deposited on the soil.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
·
To analyze the impact of municipal solid
waste disposal on soil by analysing pH and moisture content.
·
To interpret the impact of solid waste
disposal on agricultural production through survey.
METHODOLOGY
Experimentation ,soil
samples was tested with the help of J.K
soil test corporation Ernakulam. Their standard procedure was followed for
Soil testing-Soil
samples are collected from three regions, Sample 1- an agricultural farm in
Paravur, sample 2- In front of paravur government hospital ,sample-3 Near
transport stand in paravur. All these samples are ground into fine powder using
mortar and packed into three separate polythene bags. The two important
parameters of the agriculture soil -pH and moisture content of the soil is
tested.
Data
collection regarding agricultural out-put: Primary sources: - Primary data will be
collected from the Communication Methods with Interacting of respondents and
Asking for their opinions, attitudes, motivations, and characteristics
Observation Methods actually view respondents, personal survey on site. Self
reported interview case study technique with 5 sample size i.e. farmers are
selected as respondents were conducted. Secondary sources: - The study is based
on secondary data from the respective
District Pollution Control Board, journals, magazines and report based
resources of municipal solid waste disposal and its problem has been referred.
SOIL PARAMETERS
pH is a scale that chemists use to measure acidity. Values
below 7 are considered acidic, values above 7 are alkaline and 7 is neutral. Most
plants can tolerate a wide pH range in solution culture, but they cannot
tolerate a wide range of acidity in the soil. When soil acidity changes, the
solubility of a number of metal ions also change. Plant growth is really
affected by the varying concentration of these metals in solution rather than
by the acidity itself.
Under acidic
conditions, many soil minerals dissolve and increase the concentration of metal
ions to toxic levels. The primary toxic metal is aluminum, but high levels of
manganese and iron can also inhibit plant growth under these conditions. The
nutrients phosphorus and molybdenum are less available in acidic soils and
calcium and/or magnesium may also be deficient.
Under alkaline
conditions, the solubility of minerals decrease to the point that nutrient
deficiencies occur. Plant growth is therefore limited by deficiencies in iron,
manganese, zinc, copper and boron. Phosphorus is also less available in
alkaline soils and high levels of calcium may inhibit the uptake of potassium
and magnesium.
ANALYSIS
AND INTERPRETATION
Three soil samples were collected from
three areas in north paravur municipality. The type of soil found in North Paravur is sandy loam. The sample1 is
taken from the agricultural land, sample 2 from the organic waste dumping area
and sample 3 from municipal waste dumping area. Three of
the samples were finely ground to powders using pestle and mortar before
performing the test.
The three samples were diluted in water and the pH
of the soil were measured as tabulated in the table 3.1 below.
|
Sl.no
|
Samples
|
pH
|
|
1
|
Sample 1
|
6.8
|
|
2
|
Sample 2
|
6.6
|
|
3
|
Sample 3
|
7.8
|
The
pH of the soil should be between 5
and 7 for the favourable growth of plants. The samples 1 and 2 are found
to be perfect for the plant growth.
Sample 1 is from the agricultural field and sample 2 is from the area
where organic wastes are dumped mostly. So the organic wastes does not harm the
soil nutrients and pH or in other way it enhances the nutrients snd increase
the porosity of the soil. The inorganic municipal waste present in sample 3 has
made the soil more alkaline which is the unsuitable p-h value. This may be due
to the presence of heavy toxic elements in the soil.
Determination of moisture content:
100g
of each sample were taken and oven dried to find the moisture content present
in the soil. The moisture content is an important parameter of the soil which
contributes to plant growth. Based on these parameter farmer decide when to
irrigate the soil etc. Table 3.2 shows the moisture properties of the sample.
|
Weight
|
Sample
1
|
Sample
2
|
Sample
3
|
|
Weight
of the sample
|
100g
|
100g
|
100g
|
|
Weight
of the dried sample
|
74
|
76.4
|
81.4
|
|
%
Moisture content
|
26
|
23.6
|
18.6
|
.
The
amount of moisture content in sample 2 is higher compared to the agricultural
sample because of the presence of organic matter in the soil. Due to the
presence of organic matter in soil the amount of moisture is larger in Sample 2 in comparison to sample 3.Sample 3 is contaminated .Sample 1 is well irrigated
soil so it is having higher moisture content
Observations
Based on Survey:
Survey was conducted using the method of
interviewing the people living near the sample collection sites in the
locality. The SITE 1 is the locality near the farming land in parur.5 persons
were interviewed based on the prepared questionnaire and answers were tabulated
.The farmers were interviewed about the recent changes they have adopted with
the change the pattern of the soil. They shared the various problems that they have met while
cultivation. Table shows the details of survey in SITE 1.
|
SPOT 1: Sample 1 site
|
Person 1
|
Person 2
|
Person 3
|
Person 4
|
Person 5
|
|
Any
changes in soil from past condition?
|
x
|
X
|
x
|
´
|
P
|
|
Any
change in fertility of soil?
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
|
Do
you feel any change in texture of soil?
|
P
|
P
|
´
|
P
|
´
|
|
Do you perform regular soil testing?
|
P
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
|
Whether
water retention has reduced in this soil past few years?
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
´
|
´
|
|
Is
there any reduction in micro-organisms found in soil in past –few years?
|
´
|
´
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
|
Do
you use fertilizers?
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
|
Any
recent epidemic breakout in this area?
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
P
|
|
Any
variation in colour of the soil or water?
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
|
Any
damages witnessed during rainy season?
|
´
|
´
|
P
|
´
|
P
|
|
Is
there any pollution?
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
P
|
´
|
|
Is
there any history of soil erosion in this area?
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
´
|
The SITE 2 is the locality near the organic material
dump site land in parur.5 persons were
interviewed based on the prepared questionnaire and answers were tabulated.
Table represents the data.
Correlating the
values obtained through pH analysis and moisture data along with the survey
data municipal waste has affected greatly the life of the people, cattle and
also plant life. At site 1,2,3 almost
100% of sample persons are using chemical fertilizers. Most of the
farmers are unaware about they have to check the soil texture, moisture pH etc
before application of these fertilizers. So they should be properly educated
about the correct farming practices that should be taken in to consideration.
The use of fertilizers without knowing the actual nutrient level of the soil
harms the crops.
It
has been found that organic matter dumping site is not that much polluted
compared to inorganic pollutant site. The hazardous chemical in the inorganic
dumping site not only increases the alkalinity of the soil but also reduces the
fertility .It affects the productivity and also it adds toxic metals into the
food chain.
.
.
The texture of the soil is greatly affected
in areas where inorganic waste dumping is not properly done also fertility of
soils are also reducing a lot. The inorganic dumping site has less porosity
hence less water retention.
Water
retention increases with the porosity of the soil and also the amount of
microbes. Reduction in micro-organisms also reduce the amount of nutrients in
the soil. Hence from the analysis the site 1 and 2 can be used for cultivation.
SUMMARY
AND CONCLUSION
Based
on the survey and observation of the waste it was observed that most of the
farmers are unaware about they have to check the soil texture, moisture pH etc
before application of these fertilizers. So they should be properly educated
about the correct farming practices that should be taken in to consideration.
The use of fertilizers without knowing the actual nutrient level of the soil
harms the crops. It has been found that organic matter dumping site is not that
much polluted compared to inorganic pollutant site. The hazardous chemical in
the inorganic dumping site not only increases the alkalinity of the soil but
also reduces the fertility .It affects the productivity and also it adds toxic
metals into the food chain.
During
rainy season site 2 type areas are epidemic due to the breeding of mosquitoes
and other insects. The mosquitoes multiply and causes several diseases like
dengue ,malaria,chicken guniya during rainy season.Taking this into
consideration these dumping sites should be relocated to areas away from
agricultural lands and housing colonies and properly managed. Water retention
increases with the porosity of the soil and also the amount of microbes.
Reduction in micro-organisms also reduce the amount of nutrients in the soil.
Hence from the analysis the site 1 and 2 can be used for cultivation.
REFERENCES
[1].
A Asadi Huat BBK, H Moayedi, Shariatmadari N, Parsaie A (2011). Changes of
hydraulic conductivity of silty clayey sand soil under the effects of municipal
solid waste leachate. International Journal of the Physical Sciences, 6(12):
2869-2874.
[2].
A.H. Khoshgoftarmanesh, M .Kalbasi (2001). Effect of Garbage Leachate on Growth
and Yield of Rice and Its Residual Effects on Wheat. ICID International
Workshop on Wastewater Reuse Management, 19, 20 September, Seoul, Rep. Korea.
[3].
A.J.Hernandez , M.J.Adarve , A.Gil , J.Pastor (1999). Soil Salivation from
Landfill Leachates: Effects on the Macronutrient Content and Plant Growth of
Four Grassland Species. Chemosphere, 38(7): 1693-1711.
[4] Bhide, A.D. and Sundersan, B.B.
“Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries”, Indian National Scientific
Documentation Centre, New Delhi, India, 1983.
[5].
M. Maftoun ,F. Moshiri (2008). Growth, Mineral Nutrition and Selected Soil
Properties of Lowland Rice, as Affected by Soil Application of Organic Wastes
and Phosphorus. J. Agric. Sci. Technol., 10: 481-492
[6].
E.Panahpour ,A. Gholami, A.H Davami (2011). Influence of Garbage Leachate on
Soil Reaction, Salinity and Soil Organic Matter in East of Isfahan. World
Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, 171-176 .
[7].
J.M.Edward , H.James , (1987). Hazardous Waste Management Engineering,
published by Van NostrandReihold Company Inc. New York.
[8] MoEF “Municipal Solid Waste
(Management and Handling) Rules- 2000”, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of
India. 2000.
[9] Modak P R and Nangare P B., “Quantitative
And Qualitative Assessment Of Municipal Solid Waste For Nagpur City”,
J.Env.Res.& Sc.,Vol.2, Issue 2, April-June, 2011, pp. 55-61.
[10].
O.Schwarz-Herion, A. Omran, and H.PRapp, (2008).“A Case Study on Successful
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Industrialized Countries by the Example of
Karlsruhe City, Germany”, Journal of Engineering Annals, of the Faculty of
Engineering Hunedoara
