Investigatory Project

AIM OF THE EXPERIMENT:

To study the types of wastes of fish and vegetable markets and their method of disposal.

Waste Types:

Waste is generated from a number of activities and sources. A majority of people are engaged in trading
and selling of fruit, vegetables and fish. Increasing population have put a lot of pressure on these
markets for more production and trading of produce. Lot of people visit these markets to meet their
daily demands.

Vegetable market and fish market generate a great amount of waste every day. Fish market produce
wastes generally consisting of fish scales, gills and rotten fish, the waste water, used as refrigerants and
unused containers also counted as wastes. At vegetable market, washing of vegetables produces large
volumes of water contaminated by soil and vegetable pieces. Low level of pesticides used to treat the
vegetables may also be present together with moderate levels of disinfections such as chlorine. The
other wastes are mainly the rotten fruit and vegetables spoiled during transportation, peels of onions,
cut vegetables, leaves of vegetables such as cauliflower, radish, unused leaves of sprouts, and packing
materials in the form of waste papers, dry grass, cans, cartoons, empty wooden boxes, excessive
amount of plastics, unused polythenes, foams, etc. Thus, two types of wastes are found in a vegetable
market.

1. Biodegradable waste: It can break down and decompose. E.g.; food waste.
2. Non-biodegradable waste: It is composed of materials which do not break down or decompose.
E.g.; cans, polythenes, foams.

Impact:

Vegetable and fish market waste mainly contain organic waste. Generally, this does not contain any
hazardous material. Most of this waste is biodegradable and may not pose a serious threat to the
environment. But as it is not handled properly.

(i) Heaps of this biodegradable wastes, dumped in an improper way, stinking badly can be
seen, hair and their in the fruit, vegetables and fish market. It looks very ugly.
(ii) The landscape of the area gives unpleasant look.
(iii) Indiscriminate dumping of waste causes adverse effects on public health.
(iv) The rotting waste gives foul smell.
(v) They become breading place of insects, rats, flies and stray animals. Diseases like diarrhea,
dysentery, malaria and plague are the result of such dumping wastes.
(vi) The problems faced by the residents would be of biological pollution, decomposing organic
matter and the evolving gasses giving out bad odour. Most fish and vegetable markets
generate huge quantities of organic waste that serve as the medium in which bacteria can
grow, specially true for fish markets which generate waste that’s primarily animal matter
like fins, scales, blood, flesh, etc. Several species of pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella,
Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Proteus, etc. can grow on these media. Some of the gases that
are liberated due to decomposition by these micro-organisms are Methane, Ammonia,
 Carbon-Dioxide, Hydrogen, all of which pollute the air and give out stench smell. People can
get infected if some how they come in contact with these micro-organisms. Many of them
are fatal.
(vii) Thee wastes can also facilitate the growth of fungi and sustain viruses for long periods. The
areas are regularly visited by street animals like cows, buffaloes, dogs, cats and even birds,
crows and others. When these animals move in the yards or compounds of the near by
houses, they cause traffic problems and can spread infection easily. Birds can easily deposit
pieces of waste from the garbage that often go unnoticed. These can prove to be serious
health hazards.
(viii) The improper handling and management of these wastes from vegetables and fish markets
lead to negative effect on the public as well as the environment.

Waste Management:

It refers to the collection, transport, recycling and disposal of waste things. Normally waste
management relates with the waste which is produced by the human activity. The objective of waste
management is to reduce the effect of waste on human health or local aesthetics or amenity. It also
includes to reduce the waste materials effect on the natural world and the environment and also to
recover resources from them. It involves treatment of solid, liquid and gases substances of waste. There
are different practices and methods for each type of waste. These practices are different for developed
and developing countries, for urban and rural areas.

Methods of Disposal-

The disposal of waste should involve cooperation of all concerned parties like venders, buyers and
municipalities.

1. There should be a specific tank for waste disposal in the market from where the disposed
wastes are to be collected and moved away by municipality people.
2. These wastes are then processed and used for composed, the liquid wastes are treated using
trickling filters.
3. Most vegetables wash in waters are extensively recycled, with the solids removed by settlement
and filtration. The recovered soil can be returned to the land.
4. The solid waste is segregated into biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. By natural
process, fertilizer is made from solid biodegradable waste by a method called composting. The
fertilizer produced is called manure.
5. The empty wooden box and cardboard boxes cam be reused for a number of times for the same
function. Another type of reuse is the ‘New Life Reuse’ in which a new use for the item.
6. Some biodegradable wastes such as waste newsprint paper, wrapping paper, cardboard can be
recycled. Recycling of paper produces demand for wood and thus save the trees.
7. Plastic, polythene, foams, the non- biodegradable waste can also be recycled.
8. Waste reduction or waste minimization helps to reduce waste volume, if we decrease the
number of layers while packing the products. It is considered the best way to eliminate the
waste.
9. Recently in India, attempts have been made to get biomass energy from the organic wastes
generated by the vegetable markets.
Measures To Improve Environmental Conditions-

(i) The local people should also ensure that they act as responsible citizens and refrain from
littering the surroundings. The retail vendor should use paper bags while customers should
carry jute/cotton bags while marketing.
(ii) Uncontrolled dumping of organic waste damages the landscape/beauty of the market. It
should be immediately removed, before the rottening waste becomes the breading place of
insects, rats, flies, etc. and give foul smell.
(iii) The municipal salutation workers should carefully transport the wastes to the dumping
place. It should not spread in the streets and road.
(iv) Avoid burning of the waste to reduce emission of greenhouse gases, to check global
warming and save environment and the Earth.