UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

FINAL EXAMINATION

COURSE SOLID WASTE ANALYSIS AND

COURSE TECHNOLOGY
CODE EVT637
DECEMBER
EXAMINATION 2019
TIME 2 HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question paper consists of four (4) questions.

2. Answer ALL questions in the Answer Booklet. Start each answer on a new page.
3. Do not bring any material into the examination room unless permission is given by the
invigilator.

4. Please check to make sure that this examination pack consists of:

i) the Question Paper ii) an Answer Booklet —

provided by the faculty

5. Answer ALL questions in English.

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

QUESTION 1

a) Hierarchy of integrated solid waste management is used for program implementation

with community. By using a diagram, discuss the mentioned hierarchy. (6 marks)

Source Reduction

Recycling

Waste
Transformation

Landfilling

Source reduction is the highest rank of ISWM hierarchy. Source reduction involve reducing
the amount and toxicity of the generated waste. While recycling is Reuse, reprocessing and
remanufacturing of the materials. After that, waste transformation is to recover reusable and
recyclable material before dump to the landfill. Last is landfilling which the least preferred
ways in the hierarchy where solid waste that cannot be recycled, or no further use is dump to
the open area.

B) Describe the responsibility of the concession companies in order to manage solid waste
in Peninsular Malaysia. (4 marks)
According to Act672 Solid waste and public Cleansing Management 2007, the the
responsibility of the concession companies is to take responsibility of collection and disposal
of waste from local authority. After that, they need to employ staff together with local authority
to involved in all solid waste management activities. More, these companies will take over
property that involved with the activities and contract from the council.

C) Outline the section of Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 that
states the order to separate solid waste in the possession of such person. (2 marks)
Section 74 Power to direct for controlled solid waste to be separated, handled and stored, Part
VIII Control of Solid Waste Generators and Persons in Possession of Controlled Solid Waste.
QUESTION 2

Different samples of waste collected in a city have been taken and analyzed. It has been found
that it can be divided into four categories which are Food Waste, Paper, Cardboard and
Plastic. Amount of potentially critical elements against each category can be found in Table
1.

Table 1: Analysis results of municipal solid waste

Component Wet Dry Moisture Composition
Mass Mass (kg) (kg)
(kg) (kg) c O N S Ash
Food Waste 16 5 11 2.40 0.32 1.88 0.13 0.02 0.26
Paper 46 43 3 18.70 2.58 18.92 0.13 0.08 2.58
Cardboard 11 10 1 4.40 0.59 4.46 0.03 0.02 0.51
Plastic 11 10 1 6.00 0.72 2.38 0.00 0.00 1.00
a) Calculate chemical formula with water of the municipal solid waste. (The atomic weight
of C = 12, H = 1, O = 16, N = 14 and S = 32). (6 marks)
b) By using Dulong equation, estimate the energy contents of solid waste per Kg. (Assume
that Ash is already removed before incineration). (6 marks)

c) High rise apartment in developed countries uses underground pneumatic transport system
for handling their solid waste. However, this system is still not suitable for Malaysia.
Justify the main reasons why it could not be done in Malaysia. (3 marks)

Although the pneumatic waste system has several major advantages, it also comes with
frequent problems along the way like for example when the resident put large or sharp
objects down the chute, it can cause breakages or tears, imagine a speeding vacuum cleaner
heading towards a bend in the chute. This will cause a system interruption in waste
collection. Furthermore, study shows that most of Malaysian throw their rubbish
incorrectly. For example, some Malaysian still not practise waste separation even though
there is a regulation on that. More, Pneumatic waste disposal system is not cost effective
in low density areas, and in areas where the pneumatic systems is in use, not everything
can be collected through the tubes. For instance, bulk wastes like appliances, furniture, etc.
can’t be sucked into the suction tube
d) Compare between 'curbside' and 'set-out set back' collection of solid waste. (4 marks)
'curbside' collection 'set-out set back' collection

a) Quickest/economical a) Collectors have to enter property

b) Crew: 1 driver + ½ collectors
c) No need to enter property
d) Most common in Malaysia
e) Homeowners place the container to
be emptied and return the empty
container
b) Set out crew carries full containers
from the resident storage before
collection vehicle arrives
c) Collection crew load their refuse
into vehicles
d) Set-back crew return the container
to storage area

e) A new township is planned to be developed in 2020. It will consist of 2500 houses with
average of 3 person in a house. As an environmental technologist, identify the factors in
selection of collection vehicle. (6 marks)
There are many factors to look for in selection of collection vehicle. First, we need to
know the waste quantities. Next, planning on maximum amount of waste that can be
collected followed regulation set on truck size and weight. After that, consultation with
collection crew on the layout of the collection routes like road width and the characteristic
of the route so we can deploy right collection vehicle like for example narrow urban street
will use rear loaders and wide street will use side loading automatic collection system.
Next factor to be consider is safety & comfort-to minimize danger to crews like truck
turning radius, water tightness and the speed of the vehicle. For commercial or industrial
area hauled container system will be used to collect the waste.
QUESTION 3

a) Discuss two options of solid waste separation. (2 marks)

Solid waste separation is divided into two which are waste storage and waste container.

b) You are responsible to set up a scrap metals recycling centre in Tanjung Malim, Perak.
The recycled metals obtained will be exported to generate income for this centre. This
centre will receive mixed junk yard that consists of metal, stainless steels, plastics, and
woods. Point out two equipment needed for separation and processing of solid waste of
this centre. (2 marks)
Belt-type magnetic separator & electrostatic separator

c) Explain the functions and operation theory of each equipment mentioned in 3 (b).
(8marks)
For belt type magnetic separator, the belt type magnetic separator machine incorporates
two conveyor belts, i.e. one carrying the mix of raw material feed uniformly through a
motorized vibrating feeder. Another belt parallel to the main belt incorporates inverted
magnetic plate and attracts the iron on the magnet which is separated as soon as it leaves
the magnetic field. No need of electric supply and maintenance for a magnet. While
electrostatic separator generally, electrostatic charges are used to attract or repel
differently charged material. When electrostatic separation uses the force of attraction to
sort particles, conducting particles stick to an oppositely charged object, such as a metal
drum, thereby separating them from the particle mixture.
QUESTION 4

a) Landfills methods are constructed according to the physical characteristic of the land
area. Compare between trench method with area method. (6 marks)
In the trench method, a channel with a typical depth of 15 ft (4.6 m) is dug, and the
excavated soil is later used as a cover over the waste. Grading in the trench method must
accommodate the drain-off of rainwater. Another consideration is the type of subsurface
soil that exists under the topsoil. Clay is a good source of soil because it is nonporous.
Weather and the amount of time the landfill will be in use are additional considerations.

In the area method, the solid wastes and cover materials are compacted on top of the
ground. This method can be used on flat ground, in abandoned strip mines, gullies,
ravines, valleys, or any other suitable land. This method is useful when it is not possible
to create a landfill below ground.

b) Unsanitary landfill faces problem of settlement of putrescible waste and risk of pollution
from emission of biogas. Predict the cause of this problems. (4 marks)
There are a few factors that lead to biogas emissions, including incomplete compaction,
most often in the first five years following construction, and uneven settlement.

c) Propose the solutions to manage the problems mentioned in 4 b). (5marks)

There are two solution which passive control and active control. In passive control
system, the pressure of the gas that is generated within landfill serves as the driving force
for movement of the gas while in active control systems, energy in the form of induced
vacuum is used to control the flow of gas.
d) By using a diagram, summarize the water balance component of leachate formation.
(3 marks)

Precipitation
Evaporation

Percolation

Solid Waste

Leachate

e) Identify the issues concerning the implementation and operation of Material Recovery
Facilities (MRF). (4marks)
Location is a problem for the construction and management of Material Recovery
Facilities (MRF). MRF is typically situated at a landfill. MRF should be located in a
more rural area with easily maintainable buffer zones. Second issue is about
environmental emission like traffic, noise, odour, dust, airborne debris, liquid discharge,
visual sight and vector control. Next, public health & safety which more on workers
issue like proper precaution taken, air filtering headgear & puncture proof glove. Last is
about economic where more favour on manual separation than purchasing expensive
mechanical separation equipment.
f) Distinguish between low solids and high solids in anaerobic digestion. (6marks)
Low solids in anaerobic digestion High solids in anaerobic
digestion
Solid Biological process which organic Biological process which
Content waste are fermented at solid fermentation occur at total solid
concentration equal or less 4 or 8 % content of 22% /higher
Reactor Large reactor volume is required per A much smaller reactor volume is
Volume unit volume of organic required for the same volume of
organic waste
Water A large volume of water is required to Less water required, because high
Addition increase the moisture content solid concentration.

g) Waste plastics are non-biodegradable if disposed in landfills and will cause

microplastic pollution to soil and nearby surface water. Recommend in detail the suitable
treatment method for plastics. (3 marks)
The easiest ways to treat plastic is by recycling the plastic. This process is performed in
the following six steps: collecting waste plastics, sorting, or arranging plastics into
categories, washing to remove impurities, shredding and resizing, identifying and
separating plastics, and compounding. Second treatment option is using incineration
where waste incineration method refers to the burning of wastes in oxygen, which is
chemically known as complete combustion that releases water molecules and carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere. Furthermore, pyrolysis can be seen as method to treat
plastic waste. There are three main categories in amount of energy where there is high
temperature, medium temperature, and low temperature-based media. Medium and high
temperatures are based on the range of temperatures used to destroy the plastic structure