Human Activity and the

Environment
 Learning Competencies
• Describe how people generate different types of waste (solid, liquid, and
gaseous) as they make use of various materials and resources in everyday
life (S11ES-Ii-19),
• Explain how different types of waste affect people’s health and the
environment (S11ES-Ii-j-20), and
• Cite ways of reducing the production of waste at home, in school, and
around the community (S11ES-Ij-21).
Define the following terms:

• a. Solid, liquid, and gaseous waste

• b. Leachate
• c. Eutrophication
• d. Siltation
• e. Acid mine drainage
MOTIVATION
 PAYATAS DUMPSITE

• One of the many garbage dumpsite in Metro Manila.

On the 10th of July 2000, a landslide of garbage killed
218 people living on the dumpsite with 300 people still
missing.
• The dumpsite covers an area of about 13 hectares.
• ‘Why is there a
need for
dumpsites, such
as the Payatas
dumpsite?’
Table 1: Regional waste generation estimates (in million tons) in 2007 and 2010 in the
Philippines (Environmental Management Bureau, n.d.).
• It is estimated that, in the next 30 years, Metro Manila
alone will generate approximately 230 million cubic
meters of solid waste– enough to fill the country’s
largest shopping mall over 175 times (Asian
Development Bank, 2004).
• This then leaves us with this important question: ‘what
are we going to do with this situation?’
To monitor the type and amount of garbage their respective household
generates for a period of one week.
• 1. How much of the waste in figure 2
is considered biodegradable?
• 2. How do nations normally dispose of
dispose of large volume of waste?
• 3. Given the composition of the
garbage, propose how we can reduce
the volume of waste.
• 4. What possible hazards are
associated with improper waste
disposal? Are there government
regulations to control this?
• 5.Can landfills cause pollution to the
local environment? Justify your
answer.
How much of the waste in figure 2 is considered biodegradable?

Kitchen and food wastes- 33%

Organic waster- 17%
Paper wastes- 12%

Total = 62%
How do nations normally dispose of dispose
of large volume of waste?
• sanitary land fill
• incineration
 Given the composition of the garbage, propose
how we can reduce the volume of waste.
A large volume of the waste is biodegradable.
This can be used for composting.
An equally large proportion of the waste can be recycled.
 Waste generation can also be minimized.
 What possible hazards are associated with improper waste
disposal? Are there government regulations to control this?

Some of the possible hazards associated with improper

waste disposal:
Pollution of bodies of waters, such as rivers, lakes,
the marine environment, and ground water –
Loss of habitat from pollution of environment –
Clogging of waterways /drainage system (canals,
rivers, and streams) which can cause flooding –
Unsanitary conditions leading to the spread of
disease and pests that carry disease –
 Burning of waste can release toxic gases
(formaldehyde, hydrogen chloride, sulfur
dioxide, dioxins, and furans) –
Unsightly and destroys the natural beauty of the
environment
Some government regulations that control
improper waste disposal:

• - Republic Act No. 9003 is an act providing

for an ecological solid waste management
program, creating the necessary institutional
mechanism and incentives, declaring certain acts
prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating
funds therefor, and for other purposes.
Prohibited acts include:
• ๏ Littering, throwing, dumping of waste matters in public
places
• ๏ Undertaking activities in violation of sanitation operation
• ๏ Open burning of solid waste ๏ Causing non-segregated waste
• ๏ Squatting in open dumps and landfills
• ๏ Open dumping, burying of biodegradable materials in flood-
prone areas
• ๏ Unauthorized removal of recyclable material
• ๏ Mixing of source-separated recyclable material with other
solid waste
• ๏ Establishment or operation of open-dumps
• ๏ Manufacturing, distributing, using, and importing consumer
products that are nonenvironmentally-friendly materials
• ๏ Importing toxic wastes misrepresented as ‘recyclable’ or
‘with recyclable content’
• ๏ Transporting and dumping in bulk in areas other than facility
centers
• ๏ Site preparation, construction, expansion or operation of
waste management facilities without an Environmental
Compliance Certificate and not conforming with the land
use plan of LGUs
• ๏ Construction of establishment within 200 meters from
dump sites or sanitary landfills
• ๏ Operation of waste disposal facility on any aquifer,
groundwater reservoir or watershed area - Municipality
ordinances
 Can landfills cause pollution to the local
environment?

Leachate from landfills can contaminate

groundwater if not properly managed. Moreover, it can
cause soil contamination and the production and release
of methane (a greenhouse gas) from the decomposition
of organic matter.
• A leachate is a liquid that has dissolved or entrained
environmentally harmful substances (contaminated
fluid).

• • Electronic waste (e.g. batteries) is a source of

hazardous elements, such as mercury, cadmium, PVC,
solvents, acids, and lead.
• Eutrophication - excessive richness of nutrients can
cause algal blooms (dense growth of plant life),
which can be detrimental to animal life due to lack
of oxygen.
• Siltation - pollution of water by silt or clay. Siltation
can have a negative impact on flora and fauna. It
can cause smothering of filter feeders, as well as an
increase in the turbidity of waters (decrease light
penetration).
 Other Sources of Wastes and their
Environmental Impact
• 1. Industrial waste
• Waste released from manufacturing plants, such as
chemical plants, cement production, textile industries,
metallurgical plants, textile, food processing, power
plants, etc
2. Agricultural waste

• Excess use of fertilizers and pesticides can cause

land and water pollution.
• Rice paddies release methane to the atmosphere.
• Excess excrement from poultry and other livestock
can cause eutrophication of bodies of water.
 3. Mining waste
• • Waste generated from the exploitation of mineral resources
• • Overburden material - ground (soil and rock) that is removed to extract
the mineral deposit. Release of overburden material to the environment as
a result of improper management can cause siltation of bodies of water.
• • Acid mine drainage - water that has come to contact with oxidized rock
or overburden that contains sulphide material (coal, zinc, copper, and
lead). When acid mine drainage is not properly managed, it can find its
way into waterways and the ground water. High pH waters can be
detrimental to plant and animal life. Acid mine drainage is also associated
with the release of heavy metals to the environment.
4. Biomedical Waste

• • Waste generated by hospitals and other health

care institutions
• • This type of hazardous waste includes
infectious waste and chemical waste dangerous to
people and the environment.