HUMAN ACTIVITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Agricultural Solid Waste
Here are some human activities that contribute to
ENVIRONMENTAL LOSS:
 Deforestation
 Overpopulation
 Waste
 Pollution
 Overuse of Natural Resources
 Energy Industry
Waste
 Any material, substance, or byproduct that is
eliminated or discarded as no longer useful or
required after the completion of a process.
Types of Liquid Wastes
Types of Waste
1. Solid Waste
 any unwanted or useless solid material generated
from human activities in residential, industrial or
commercial areas.
 can be classified according to its:
a. origin (domestic, industrial, commercial,
construction or institutional)
b. content (organic material, glass, metal, plastic,
paper, etc.)
c. hazard potential (toxic, non-toxic, flammable,
radioactive, infectious etc.)
Types of Solid Wastes
A. Residential Solid Waste
 Generated by households
 Examples: food wastes, paper, cardboard,
plastics, special wastes such as consumer
electronics, batteries, oil, tires, and
appliances)
B. Industrial Solid Waste
 Generated by factories and power plants
 Examples: housekeeping wastes, packaging,
food wastes, construction and demolition
materials, industrial process wastes, scrap
materials, hazardous wastes, ashes, and
special wastes such as obsolete machineries
C. Commercial Solid Waste
 Generated by stores, hotels, restaurants,
markets, and office buildings
 Examples: Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood,
food wastes, glass, metals, special wastes,
hazardous wastes.
D. Institutional Solid Waste
 Generated by Schools, hospitals, prisons,
and government centers.
 Examples: Paper, cardboard, plastics, wood,
food wastes, glass, metals, special wastes
(e.g. obsolete equipment), hazardous wastes
(infectious waste from hospitals and clinics)
E.
 Generated by farms and crops produced in
farms
 Examples: Spoiled food wastes, agricultural
wastes, hazardous wastes (e.g., pesticides)
2. Liquid waste
 any waste that is in liquid form that came from
different sectors of the society.
 classifications of liquid waste:
– Wastewater
– Fats, oil, or grease ( FOG )
– Used oil
– Sludges
– Hazardous household liquids
– Inorganic wastewater
– Organic wastewater
A. Residential Liquid Waste
 are often referred to as domestic liquid waste
 liquids that come from our day-to-day living
and include those from food preparation,
washing, bathing and toilet usage.
 basically, every liquid that we use and
dispose inside our homes are considered
domestic liquid waste.
B. Commercial Liquid Waste
 liquids that come from buildings,
establishments, shops, markets, restaurants,
cafes, etc.
 similar to domestic liquid waste
 however, commercial production and
effluents that come from these places may
sometimes contain high levels of oils, fats,
and grease that are usually not produced at
home.
C. Industrial Liquid Waste
 generated from the manufacturing or
processing of different industries. (e.g.,
power plants and factories
 may contain chemical compounds that are
harmful to humans
 requires hazardous wastewater
management in order to be treated properly.
D. Stormwater
 a kind of wastewater
 might be contaminated with different
pollutants from the surroundings (e.g., rat
urine)
 evidently different from residential,
commercial, and industrial liquid wastes.
3. Gaseous Waste
 waste products in gas form resulting from various
human activities like manufacturing, processing,
material consumption, biological processes etc.
Examples of Gaseous Waste
A. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
 a colorless greenhouse gas
 can be found in spring water and is released
when volcanoes erupt, trees are cut down, or
fossil fuels and products made from them
such as oil, gasoline, and natural gas are
burned
 used in dry ice, refrigeration, carbonation of
beverages, and production of fertilizers
B. Methane (CH4)
 a colorless and extremely flammable gas
that can explode when mixed with air
 primary content of natural gas
 natural sources of methane include termites,
bodies of water, forest fires, and digestive
processes of animals.
 released from coal deposits during
underground and surface mining and from
decomposition of waste
 emitted from burning gasoline and fossil
fuels, including coal, natural gas, and oil, and
from hydraulic fracturing and landfills
C. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 a group of odorless, non-toxic, and
nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of
carbon, chlorine, and fluorine
 CFCs have been banned in 1996 because
they damage the earth’s ozone layer
 Before they were banned, they were used in
aerosols, refrigerators, air conditioners, foam
food packaging, and fire extinguishers
D. Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
 a group of seven gases and compounds
composed of nitrogen and oxygen.
 emitted from vehicle exhaust, and the
burning of coal, oil, diesel fuel, and natural
gas, especially from electric power plants.
 also emitted by cigarettes, gas stoves,
kerosene heaters, wood burning, and silos
that contain silage
 forms smog when it reacts with sunlight and
other chemicals
E. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
 a colorless. highly poisonous gas
 turns into liquid under pressure
 produced by burning gasoline, natural gas,
charcoal, wood, and other fuels.
 appliances, tools, space heaters, and
generators that use fuels can produce
carbon monoxide through incomplete
combustion
 vehicle exhaust and tobacco smoke contain
carbon monoxide
 also released from forest fires
F. Oxides of Sulfur (SOx)
 compounds of sulfur and oxygen molecules
 most common is Sulfur Dioxide
 usually comes from the burning of coal and
oil in power plants
 emitted by trains, large ships, and some
diesel equipment that burns high sulfur fuel
 also emitted by volcanic eruptions
 often used as a preservative for fruits and
vegetables
Waste Management Methods
1. Waste Segregation
 Segregation - the separation of
biodegradable waste from non-
biodegradable waste for proper disposal and
recycling.
 - Improper segregation may mix substances
in landfills. This can lead into toxic release in
the ground and contamination of ground
water.
A. Biodegradable Waste
 materials that can be decomposed by
micro-organisms such as bacteria,
enzymes, and fungi
 Examples: human and animal waste,
plant products, wood, paper, food
waste, leaves, grass clippings, remains
from the death of living creatures
B. Non-Biodegradable Waste
 objects that cannot be decomposed into
organic waste products
 Examples: glass, metals, plastics,
electronic devices, medical waste
2. Waste Hierarchy (3R’s)
A. Reduce
 The concept of reducing what is produced and
what is consumed is essential to waste
management
 The process of reducing begins with an
examination of what you are using, and what it is
used for
Things we can do in order to reduce:
 Print on both sides of the paper to reduce paper
wastage.
 Use electronic mail to reach out to people instead
of sending paper mail.
 Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
 Avoid using disposable plates, spoons, glass,
cups and napkins.
 Avoid buying items that are over-packaged with
foil, paper, and plastic
 Buy durable goods that have long warranty. They
generally run longer and save landfill space.
B. Reuse
 Learning to reuse items, or re-purpose them for a
different use from what they are intended for is
essential in waste management
 Things that can be reused:
 Old jars and pots - Old jars and pots can be used
to store items in kitchen. They can also be used
to store loose items together such as computer
wires.
 Used wood - Used wood can be used as
firewood or can be used woodcrafts.
 Newspaper - Old newspapers can be used to
pack items when you’re planning to move to
another home or store old items.
 Waste paper - Waste paper can be used to make
notes and sketches and can be send to recycling
center when you don’t need them anymore.
Things that can be reused by other people:
• Old books - Your old books can be used by poor
children or can be donated to public libraries.
• Old clothes - Your unwanted clothes can be used
by street children or can be donated to charity
institutions.
• Old electric equipment - Old electric equipment
can be donated to schools or NGO’s so that they
can use them.
• Rechargeable batteries - Rechargeable batteries
can be used again and again and helps to reduce
unnecessary wastage as opposed to regular
batteries.
C. Recycle
 Recycling- refers to the process of transforming
an item into a raw material that can be used to
produce a new item
 Example – recycling a used can of drink in order
to produce another can
Classification of Plastics
#1 - PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
 one of the most commonly used plastics in consumer
products
 found in most water and pop bottles, and some
packaging
 intended for single use applications; repeated use
increases the risk of leaching and bacterial growth
 Should be recycled but NOT reused
#2 - HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
 stiff plastic that is used to make milk jugs, detergent
and oil bottles, toys, and some plastic bags
 most commonly recycled plastic and is considered
one of the safest forms of plastic
 very hard-wearing and does not break down under
exposure to sunlight or extremes of heating or
freezing
 reusable and recyclable
#3 – PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
 a soft, flexible plastic used to make clear plastic food
wrapping, cooking oil bottles, teething rings, children’s
and pets’ toys, and blister packaging for myriad
consumer products.
 commonly used as the sheathing material for
computer cables, and to make plastic pipes and parts
for plumbing
 dubbed the “poison plastic” because it contains
numerous toxins which it can leach throughout its
entire life cycle
 cannot be reused and recycled
#4 – LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
 found in shrink wraps, dry cleaner garment bags,
squeezable bottles, and the type of plastic bags used
to package bread
 plastic grocery bags used in most stores today are
made using LDPE plastic
 considered less toxic than other plastics, and
relatively safe for use
 Reusable, but not always recyclable
#5 – PP (Polypropylene)
 tough and lightweight, and has excellent heat-
resistance qualities
 serves as a barrier against moisture, grease and
chemicals
 commonly used for disposable diapers, pails, plastic
bottle tops, margarine and yogurt containers, potato
chip bags, straws, packing tape and rope
 Not usually accepted by recyclers, but reusable
#6 – PS (Polystyrene)
 inexpensive, lightweight and easily-formed plastic with
a wide variety of uses
 most often used to make disposable styrofoam
drinking cups, take-out food containers, egg cartons,
plastic picnic cutlery, and foam packaging
 structurally weak and ultra-lightweight
 Should be avoided as much as possible
#7 – Other (BPA, Polycarbonate and LEXAN)
 used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, water cooler
bottles and car parts
 not for reuse and potentially releases carcinogens
3. Dumping/Disposal Methods
Primary Disposal Methods:
 Landfill - a conventional dumping method, which
involves burying of wastes in a common pit far away
from residential areas
 Incineration - a dumping method which involves
combustion of the waste materials which are later
converted into steam, gas, ash, and heat.