What is Hazardous waste?
A waste is a hazardous waste if it exhibits, any of the characteristics identified below:
- Corrosivity (C)
- pH less than 2 or greater than 12.5
- Reactivity (R)
- Reactive in nature with water and forms toxic gases e.g. picric acid,
- Ignitability (I)
- Flashpoint less than 60° C
- Toxicity Characteristic(T)
- Heavy Metals, Solvents Pesticides and Herbicides
Why Hazardous waste Management?
- Heavy Metals and Persistent Organic Pollutants from Hazardous Waste effects seriously to Human Health.
- Carcinogenic Impact on Environment due to persistency of Heavy metals enter in Ground water by leaching up through Ground and implicated adverse effect on human health from Cancer to Birth defects.
- Open & Illegal Incineration causes Emissions of Tons of Sox, NOx and SPM which causes serious damages in Human Body after direct or Indirect Exposure.
- Some of the waste having heavy Metals having Irradiation quality effects the genetic system after a Long term Exposure.
Major Instances
- Orgno Mercury leakage in MINAMATI in Japan
- Bhopal gas Disaster
- Shri Ram Oleium gas Leak
