S.I.R.TTOPIC : Composting, medical wastes and E-wastes

Submitted by:Alkesh khareRoll no.-0133IT121008Branch- IT

Composting• Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil amendment or as

a medium to grow plants. Mature compost is a stable material with a content called humus that is dark brown or black and has a soil-like, earthy smell. It is created by: combining organic wastes (e.g., yard trimmings, food wastes, manures) in proper ratios into piles, rows, or vessels; adding bulking agents (e.g., wood chips) as necessary to accelerate the breakdown of organic materials; and allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a curing process.

• Natural composting, or biological decomposition, began with the first plants on earth and has been going on ever since. As vegetation falls to the ground, it slowly decays, providing minerals and nutrients needed for plants, animals, and microorganisms. Mature compost, however, includes the production of high temperatures to destroy pathogens and weed seeds that natural decomposition does not destroy.

The types of composting

Composting by trenchingTrench composting is very simple. You dig a

trench (we're using the word “trench” loosely here; it doesn't matter what shape your hole is) approximately twelve inches deep, add roughly four to six inches of compostable materials, such as kitchen scraps, spent garden plants, prunings, thinnings, and weeds, and bury it with the soil you dug out of the trench.

• Open windrow composting

In agriculture, windrow composting is the production of compost by piling organic matter or biodegradable waste, such as animal manure and crop residues, in long rows (windrows). This method is suited to producing large volumes of compost. These rows are generally turned to improve porosity and oxygen content, mix in or remove moisture, and redistribute cooler and hotter portions of the pile. Windrow composting is a commonly used farm scale composting method. Composting process control parameters include the initial ratios of carbon and nitrogen rich materials, the amount of bulking agent added to assure air porosity, the pile size, moisture content, and turning frequency.The temperatures of the windrows must be measured and logged constantly to determine the optimum time to turn the windrows for quicker compost production.

Mechanical Composting

• As an alternative to windrow composting, it is possible to produce humus within 5-7 days using mechanical systems often the composted material is removed and cured in open windows for an additional period of about 3 weeks. Once the solid waste has been converted to humus, they are ready for the third step of product preparation and marketing.

• Medical Waste• Pharmaceutical Waste • Pharmaceuticals in Water• Medical waste is all waste materials generated at health care facilities, such as

hospitals, clinics, physician's offices, dental practices, blood banks, and veterinary hospitals/clinics, as well as medical research facilities and laboratories.

• The Medical Waste tracking Act of 1988 defines medical waste as "any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals." This definition includes, but is not limited to:

• blood-soaked bandages• culture dishes and other glassware• discarded surgical gloves• discarded surgical instruments• discarded needles used to give shots or draw blood (e.g., medical sharps)• cultures, stocks, swabs used to inoculate cultures• removed body organs (e.g., tonsils, appendices, limbs)• discarded lancets

E-waste• Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or waste electrical and electronic

equipment (WEEE) describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. There is a lack of consensus as to whether the term should apply to resale, reuse, and refurbishing industries, or only to a product that cannot be used for its intended purpose. Informal processing of electronic waste in developing countries may cause serious health and pollution problems, though these countries are also most likely to reuse and repair electronics.

• All electronic scrap components, such as CRTs, may contain contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. Scrap industry and USA EPA officials agree that materials should be managed with caution