Environmental Hazards Essay

If some(a)one was to acquire you, What is an open immerse? What would you say? Would you do what to spot them? An open dump is abandoned piles of household drivel, bags of yard bollix, appliances, old barrels, used tires, and demolition debris can threaten the health of wildlife, the environment, and humans. They can cause such(prenominal) health, environmental, and safety issues as fires or explosions, the inhalation of toxic gases, injuries to children playing in or around the dumpsites (I take up personal experience of cutting my bag on broken glass as a child playing in an open dump), diseases carried by flies, rodents and mosquitos, and other hazards. Open Dumps, 1996 2011).Early Landfill guess it or not, landfills go way back in history. Of course, back thence they were called drivel dumps. For instance, early American puttlers used to deal with their garbage by dumping it over the back fence, burying it in their back yards, or dumping it in rivers. They withal would burn their garbage. (Amsel, 2005 2013). We can go level(p) further back in history with this subject. Case in drumhead Did you know the cause of the bubonic plague (14th century) was too much garbage in the streets? Allow me to explain.The bubonic plague, also called, the black death, spread by Africa, Asia, nd Europe, killing 75 million people. What these people did not know at the time was they had too much garbage in their streets. in that location was so much it was in piles. These piles of garbage in malefactor attracted rats. The rats had fleas. The fleas carried the disease. With rats carrying the disease from place to place, the lack of sanitation made it the worst plaguey in human history. (Amsel, 2005 2013). Many of the early landfills were made in wetlands. These wetlands were mentation to be wasteland at that time. These landfills leaked into lakes and rivers and strengthened up gases, such as methane.As garbage rots, it gives off a flammable gas, called methane. Because of this many garbage dumps would catch fire or explode The first garbage burning plant was built in 1885 in New York on Governors Island. It was called an incinerator. There were 300 incinerators burning garbage in the U. S. by 1914. (Amsel, 2005 2013). Leachate The most serious problem with landfills is ground piddle contamination. As water percolates through with(predicate) the ground (like water does in a coffeemaker), chemicals can be released in the ground and get carried along in a process called leaching. The resulting water with the assorted pollutants is called leachate.As the water percolates through Municipal Solid bollix up (MSW), a noxious leachate is generated that consists of residues various decomposing original matter mixed with various metals from rusting items in the landfills. This can funnel directly into the groundwater without correct preventative measures. (Wright, 2011). Methane Municipal Solid Waste is about 2/3 organic material. B ecause of this, it is subject to natural putrefaction. Buried wastes atomic number 18 anaerobic, meaning they decompose without oxygen. A major by-product of this process produces a combination of about 2/3 methane and 1/3 hydrogen and carbon dioxide, called biogas.This is a super flammable mixture. This has caused homes to explode at up to 1000 feet off and has caused some deaths. Also, gases seeping up to the surface have killed vegetation by intoxication their roots. (Wright, 2011). Incomplete Decomposition Commonly used plastics resist natural decomposition because of their molecular structure. Microbes are unable to digest them because they are polymers of petroleum-based compounds. There have been biodegradable plastic polymers developed from other sources, such as cornstarch, lactic acid, jail cellulose, and soybean protein, as well as petroleum. Wright, 2011).Settling Finally, as waste compacts and decomposes, it settles. This problem was recognized from the beginni ng and there have been no buildings built on landfills. Settling creates shallow depressions that collect and hold water. These can also be deep holes. This can be addressed by constant supervise and filling to restore it to a level surface. (Wright, 2011). new-fashioned Landfill Modern landfills are designed to address the previous mentioned issues. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has upgraded requirements for landfill siting.New landfills are to be sited well above the water table on game ground. The coldcock is contoured so water drains into a tile leachate collection system. The sides and floor are covered with a plastic liner and at least(prenominal) two feet of compacted soil. This allows any percolating leachate to drain into the leachate collection system and be case-hardened as necessary. Layers of refuse are positioned so the fill is built up in the shape of a pyramid. It is then with at least 18 inches of earthen material and then seeded. This cap and the pyramid shape athletic supporter the landfill in shedding water.The entire landfill site is surrounded by groundwater monitoring wells and periodically checked. This checking must go on indefinitely. (Wright, 2011). Mariannhill Landfill, South Africa I chose the Mariannhill Landfill, South Africa for innovative practices in making it more productive and reduce its environmental impact. In reading the description of this landfill, it seemed more like a recreation res publica and less like a landfill. I could tell a lot of thought and planning went into this. This landfill contains several cells to hold waste. begrime from the landfill area is removed and put in storage.The resulting hole is the cell. Once the cell is full the soil is replaced. Vegetation is also removed and placed in a large holding nursery on the site. This is called Plant extradite Unit or PRUNIT. There is a barrier system in each cell to prevent harmful waste by-products from seeping into the environment. Lea chate is toughened on site. This is done by a biological primary intervention with sludge followed by a polishing treatment by a reed bed. The Mariannhill site treats landfill water to reduce leachate until the water is reusable. Mariannhill has also set up a landfill gas extraction scheme.It has been operational for four eld as of 2008. It also has a bird hide and conservation area with nature trails that link up with existing green space in the metro. (Mariannhill Landfill Conservancy, 2008). This has been a truly eye-opening assignment. Little did I realize as a child that some of the areas I was playing in were so dangerous. Im not sure if my parents knew, but they always told me to stay away from places like that. I am so thankful these places (older landfills and dumps) are practically figments of the imagination now. We need to take better care of our satellite Lets all chip in