Toxic Wastes Name: Pranay

Class: X
Subject: EA
School: Future Kids
School
Acknowledgement

I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my teacher Anji Reddy siras well as
our principal Saritha mam who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project
on the topic “Toxic Wastes”, which also helped me in doing a lot of Research and i came to
know about so many new things I am really thankful to them.
Secondly i would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing
this project within the limited time frame.

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Contents
• Introduction
• Classification Of toxic Wastes
• Health Effects Of Toxic Wastes
• Disposal of Toxic Wastes

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Introduction
of toxic wastes

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Toxic wastes
introduction

Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that

can cause harm (e.g. by being inhaled, swallowed, or
absorbed through the skin). Many of today's household
products such as televisions, computers and phones contain
toxic chemicals that can pollute the air and
contaminate soil and water. Disposing of such waste is a
major public health issue.

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Classification
Of toxic wastes.

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Classification of toxic wastes
Toxic wastes are byproducts of as a result of industrial manufacture , farming, construction, automotive
manufacturing, etc. which contain heavy metals, which emit radiation are very harmful for humans if
inhaled or swallowed. These toxic wastes has become more abundant after the industrial revolution .
 Products such as mobile phones, computers, televisions, and solar panels contain toxic chemicals that can
harm the environment if not disposed of properly to prevent the pollution of the air and contamination of
soils and water.  Even households generate hazardous waste from items such as batteries, used computer
equipment, and leftover paints or pesticides are toxic.
The United Nations Environment Programme has identified 11 key substances that pose a risk to human
health

•Arsenic: used in making electrical circuits, as an ingredient in pesticides, and as a wood preservative. It is

classified as a carcinogen.
Asbestos: is a material that was once used for the insulation of buildings, and some businesses are still
using this material to manufacture roofing materials and brakes. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to
lung cancer and asbestosis.
•Cadmium: is found in batteries and plastics. It can be inhaled through cigarette smoke, or digested when
included as a pigment in food. Exposure leads to lung damage, irritation of the digestive tract, and kidney
disease.
•Chromium: is used as brick lining for high-temperature industrial furnaces, as a solid metal used for
making steel, and in chrome plating, manufacturing dyes and pigments, wood preserving, and leather
tanning. It is known to cause cancer, and prolonged exposure can cause chronic bronchitis and damage
lung tissue.

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Clinical wastes: such Cyanide: a poison
as syringes and found in some
medication bottles can pesticides
spread pathogens and and rodenticides. In
harmful large doses it can lead
microorganisms, to paralysis, convulsio
leading to a variety of ns, and respiratory
illnesses. distress.

Lead: is found in Mercury: used

batteries, paints, for dental fillings and
and ammunition. batteries. It is also used
When ingested or in the production
inhaled can cause of chlorine gas.
harm to the nervous Exposure can lead
and reproductive to birth defects and
systems, and kidneys. kidney and brain damage

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PCBs, or polychlorinated
biphenyls, are used in many
manufacturing processes, by
the utility industry, and in
paints and sealants. Damage
can occur through exposure,
affecting the nervous,
reproductive, and immune
systems, as well as the liver.
Strong acids and
alkalis used in
manufacturing and
industrial production.
They can destroy
tissue and cause
internal damage to the
body.
POPs, persistent organic
pollutants. They are found in
chemicals and pesticides,
and may lead to nervous and
reproductive system defects.
They can bio-accumulate in
the food chain or persist in
the environment and be
moved great distances
through the atmosphere.
wastes which contain these
substances should be disposed
properly, otherwise people
come in contact with them
either directly or indirectly are
prone to many deseases which
are caused by radiation. It may
be obsorbed by the skin . Even
the materials we use daily as
dry cells , pesticides , paint
contain these material.
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Health effects of
toxic wastes
Health effects of toxic wastes

Toxic wastes often contain carcinogens, and exposure to these by some route, such as leakage or evaporation from the
storage, causes cancer to appear at increased frequency in exposed individuals. For example, a cluster of the rare blood
cancer polycythemia vera was found around a toxic waste dump site in northeast Pennsylvania in 2008. [4]
The Human & Ecological Risk Assessment Journal conducted a study which focused on the health of individuals living
near municipal landfills to see if it would be as harmful as living near hazardous landfills. They conducted a 7-year study
that specifically tested for 18 types of cancers to see if the participants had higher rates than those that don't live around
landfills.
People encounter these toxins buried in the ground, in stream runoff, in groundwater that supplies drinking water, or in
floodwaters, as happened after Hurricane Katrina. Some toxins, such as mercury, persist in the environment and
accumulate. As a result of the bioaccumulation of mercury in both freshwater and marine ecosystems, predatory fish are a
significant source of mercury in human and animal diets. Toxic Waste." National Geographic. National Geographic, 2010.
Web. 26 Apr 2010.

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Disposal of toxic
wastes

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Disposal of toxic wastes

One of the biggest problems with today's toxic material is how to dispose of it properly. The agriculture industry uses
over 800,000 tons of pesticides worldwide annually that contaminates soils, and eventually infiltrates into groundwater,
which can contaminate drinking water supplies. The oceans can be polluted from the storm water runoff of these chemicals
as well. Toxic waste in the form of petroleum oil can either spill into the oceans from pipe leaks or large ships, but it can
also enter the oceans from everyday citizens dumping car oil into the rainstorm sewer systems. Disposal is the placement
of waste into or on the land. Disposal facilities are usually designed to permanently contain the waste and prevent the
release of harmful pollutants to the environment.
The most common hazardous waste disposal practice is placement in a land disposal unit such as a landfill, surface
impoundment, waste pile, land treatment unit, or injection well. Land disposal is subject to requirements under EPA's Land
Disposal Restrictions Program. Injection wells are regulated under the federal Underground Injection Control program.
Organic wastes can be destroyed by incineration at high temperatures. However, if the waste contains heavy
metals or radioactive isotopes, these must be separated and stored, as they cannot be destroyed. The method of storage will
seek to immobilize the toxic components of the waste, possibly through storage in sealed containers, inclusion in a stable
medium such as glass or a cement mixture, or burial under an impermeable clay cap. Waste transporters and waste
facilities may charge fees; consequently, improper methods of disposal may be used to avoid paying these fees. Where the
handling of toxic waste is regulated, the improper disposal of toxic waste may be punishable by fines or prison terms.
Burial sites for toxic waste and other contaminated brownfield land may eventually be used as greenspace or redeveloped
for commercial or industrial use.
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ThankYou