SCHEDULED WASTE

WHAT IS CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS?

• Hazardous Waste: inorganic or organic element or compound
that, because of its toxicological, physical, chemical or
persistency properties, may exercise detrimental acute or
chronic impacts on human health and the environment.

• General Waste: Waste that does not pose immediate threat

to man or to the environment, i.e., household waste, builders'
rubble, garden waste, dry industrial and commercial waste. It
may, however, with decomposition, infiltration and
percolation, produce leachate with an unacceptable pollution
potential. (or: any waste that does not classify as a hazardous
waste)
• Section 2, EQA 1974 -“Scheduled wastes”
means any wastes prescribed by the Minister
in the regulations as scheduled wastes.
 Which wastes are hazardous?

• Computers, cell phones?

• Light bulbs / tubes?
• Batteries? Mercury free batteries?
• Coal?
• Medical Waste?
 Other definition
• A formal definition is: a material or article containing a
chemical, or mixture of chemicals, exceeding the threshold
concentration and threshold quantity, which is:
• –organic in nature;
• –resistant to degradation by chemical, physical or biological
means;
• –toxic to humans, animals, vegetation or aquatic life;
• –bioaccumulative in humans, flora and fauna
QUANTITY OF SCHEDULED WASTES GENERATED BY
INDUSTRIES, 2002
DISTRIBUTION OF SCHEDULED WASTE GENERATED BY
STATE, 2002
 HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
• Organic matter + water + anaerobic conditions = organic acids
• CO2 dissolved in rain water = carbonic acid
• Acid leaches out organics and inorganics (e.g. toxic heavy
metals) = Non-degradable highly toxic leachate. Therefore
need HDPE liner.
• Other problems with landfills
–Space, Odour, Flammable gases (methane), Groundwater
contamination
 Other methods of disposal
• Surface Impoundment: a surface pond. Most common
method prior to 1970's, usually leak heavily and evaporate
hazardous chemicals
• Deep-well disposal: injection deep underground. Good for
otherwise-unmanageable wastes (e.g. chemical weapons).
• Oilfield brines are most common material disposed-of. Also
prone to earthquake hazard. Can be prone to leakage, and
must be monitored,.
• Incineration: combustion at extremely high temperatures,
converts waste to carbon dioxide and water. Only option for
some ‘nasty’ chemicals .
Incinerator
 Treatment
Incineration –thermal destruction of hazardous compounds
• Incineration –fuel
• Sterilisation
• Encapsulate (immobilisation)
• Micro-encapsulate
• Chemical treatment
• Biological treatment
• Physical treatment
Other definition
 Waste categories
• Mineral oil & oil contaminated waste
• Waste containing PCB or PCT
• Spent solvents containing halogen or sulphur
• Spent alkaline solution
• Spent chromic solution
• Spent salt containing cyanide
• Inks, paints, pigments, lacquer
• Tar
• Latex, rubber effluent
• Asbestos
• Pharmaceutical waste,
• etc
 Batteries
• If you throw your batteries in your normal rubbish they will
either gon to landfill or incineration…as they contain
hazardous metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, zinc, manganese
and lithium) this can result in these chemicals being released
into soil, waterways or the atmosphere.
Other definition
 Asbestos
• Can go to general landfill (concern is
atmospheric exposure [inhalation], not
aquatic [such as landfill environment]
• Colour Types
• White (Serpentine –most common in
buildings. Less harmful –ejected easily,
and tends to dissolve if captured in lungs
• Blue and Brown (Amphibole) -sharp
needle penetrates lungs and becomes
lodged
 Disposal of asbetos
• Asbestos waste needs to be double wrapped or packaged in
thick plastic, sealed with tape, labelled and disposed of at site
approved by your local Council as soon as possible.
• Use a licensed waste removal company to collect and remove
asbestos waste. They provide different bins and containers,
including drums and skips, for asbestos waste.
 Lighting Wastes
• Incandescent (very small amounts of lead –not regarded as
hazardous)
• Fluorescent and compact fluorescent (mercury) –70% of all
light produced. Long life.
• HID (High Intensity Discharge Lamps) –some also contain
mercury
–high pressure sodium vapour lamps
–low pressure sodium vapour lamps;
–mercury vapour lamps (mercury)
–metal halide lamps
 Lighting waste disposal
• Concerns
–On site storage and disposal
–Fluorescent tubes better known than others
• Disposal -H:H site –only after fixing the mercury
• Trends: reduction in mercury content
 E-waste
• Computers (CPU, case, capacitors, PCB‟s);
• Cell phones; CRT (cathode ray tube);
• Printed circuit boards (PCB‟s);
• Printer and toner cartridges; and electronic household
appliances.
• Hazardous elements and compounds:
• Leadin cathode ray tube and solder, Arsenicin older cathode
ray tubes, Seleniumin circuit boards as power supply rectifier,
Polybrominated flame retardantsin plastic casings, cables and
circuit boards,Antimony trioxideas flame retardant, Cadmiumin
circuit boards and semiconductors, Chromiumin steel as
corrosion protection, Cobaltin steel for structure and
magnetivity, Mercuryin switches and housing.
• PCB’s: Antimony, Silver, Chromium, Zinc, Lead, Tin and Copper
• Plastics: PVC’s, Flame retardants (brominated), Different types.
 Solvents
• The landfilling (without treatment) of certain solvents is
restricted because of their effects on liners, mobilisation of
other wastes. Additional concerns with flammable and
chlorinated solvents.
• Many solvents easily recycled
• Can also be thermally destroyed
• Some are ODSs (Ozone Depleting Substances) such as TCE,
but many can are being replaced by non-ODS.
• Some solvents (e.g. TCE) -carcinogenic
 Medical Waste
• Cultures and stocks
• Pathological wastes
• Human blood and blood products
• Used sharps
• Animal waste
• Isolation waste
• Unused sharps

Favored treatment option is incineration. Required for

“Red Bag” (potentially infectious) waste
 Waste Oils
Disposal:
•Recyclable but contaminated with:
Types: •Solvents, chlorinated solvents, and
other organic compounds.
•Engine oil •E.g. naphthalene,
•Transmission fluid •benzo(a)pyrene and TCE.
•Lubricating oil •Metals
•Hydraulic oil •PCB contaminated oils are also
•Gear oil known to be sold illegally for recycling
•Transformer fluid or reuse, such as in the following
•Cutting oil applications:
•Tempering or quenching oil
•Grease –Used for dipping cattle
•Brake fluid –Making of candles
–Mixed with tractor fuel
–Used as base oil (less expensive
than virgin oil)
–Mixed with cooking and olive oil
 Radioactive waste
• High-level waste –spent nuclear fuel
• Transuranic waste –defense-related waste
• Uranium mill tailings
• Low-level waste
• Natural occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and
accelerator-produced radioactive waste
• Mixed waste –radioactive and hazardous
Low-level Radioactive waste
disposal
 Responsibilities of waste generator
• Notify DOE the types and quantities of wastes generated
• Reduce to the maximum extent practicable waste generation
using the best practicable means
• Keep an up-to-date inventory of wastes generated, treated
and disposed of
• Monitor and ensure the waste transported reaches the
approved destination
• Wastes can be stored, recovered and treated on-site
• Wastes must be kept in proper containers, properly labeled
and stored in designated areas
• Apply to DOE for a license to transport waste
• Conform to consignment note system
 REGULATORY
Regulations differ from one country to another
•Malaysian legislation
• –Environmental Quality Act 1974
• –Environmental Quality (Dioxin and Furan) Regulations 2004
• –Other legislations
•US legislative control –well-established
• –Environmental Law
• –Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• –Federal Hazardous Waste Regulations
• –Other Federal Statues
 HAZARDOUS WASTE LEGISLATION
The Department of Environment (DOE)is empowered under the
Environmental Quality Act 1974 to control and prevent pollution
and to protect and enhance the quality of the environment.
• A set of regulations dealing with hazardous waste management
which regulate the storage, transport, treatment and disposal of
hazardous wastes was enforced on May 1989:
–Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations, 1989;
–Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Scheduled Wastes
Treatment and Disposal Facilities) Regulations and
–Environmental Quality (Prescribed Premises) (Scheduled Wastes
Treatment and Disposal Facilities) Order, 1989
HAZARDOUS WASTE LEGISLATION
Regulations specify:
• Before disposal, be rendered innocuous
• Wastes generated shall be reduced
• Generators notify DOE
• Wastes generated stored, recovered & treated on-site
• Land farming, incineration, disposal, off-site recovers, storage
and treatment, by DOE licensed premises
• Waste containers –clear label, proper, adequate
• Generators shall obey the requirement of consignment note
system when transporting
HAZARDOUS WASTE LEGISLATION
• Use of durable waste containers with clear labels. Storage of
wastes shall be proper and adequate;
• Waste generators shall conform to the requirements of the
consignment note system when transporting wastes to
ensure it reaches the approved destination and are carried
out by licensed transporters
• Waste generators shall provide information to a transporters
regarding the nature of the wastes transported and action to
be taken in case of accidents
 OTHER LEGISLATION
• Basel Convention-Technical Guideline on the Environmentally
Sound Management of Biomedical and Healthcare Waste.
• Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations, 1989
• Ministry of Health Malaysia, Management of Clinical and
Related Wastes in Hospital and Health Care Establishments,
1993
• Environmental Quality (Dioxin and Furan) Regulations 2004
Environmental Quality (Dioxin and
Furan) Regulations 2004
• Date of regulations gazetted : 25 March 2004
• Date of regulations is effective: 1 May 2004
• Parameter to control : Dioxin dan Furan
• These regulations apply to the 4 facilities:
1) Municipal solid wastes incinerator
2) Scheduled waste incinerator
3) Pulp or paper industry sludge incinerator
4) Sewage sludge incinerator