Chapter 4. Environmental pollution with industrial waste

4.1. Production and consumption waste. Maximum acceptable concentrations in soil. Waste toxicity classes

Human life and production (industrial, technogenic, agricultural), unlike the natural one, is based on waste technology. Human life is inevitably associated with waste generation. Waste means all substances or objects that the owners seek to dispose of at their own will or at the request of the authorities.

Chemical and pharmaceutical enterprises as in any production environment, in addition to useful products, generate a significant amount of waste that can cause harmful effect on humans, fauna and flora when released into the environment. Such waste is called process, or industrial, waste.

Production waste (industrial waste) is residuals of raw materials, materials, semi-finished products, chemical raw materials, which were generated during manufacture of products or performance of work and have completely or partially lost their original consumer attributes.

In addition to production waste, there is also consumption waste, or household waste.

Consumption waste means units and materials that have lost their consumer attributes as a result of physical or moral deterioration.

Production and consumption waste (hereinafter referred to as waste) means residuals of raw materials, materials, semi-finished products, other units or products that were generated in the process of production or consumption, as well as goods (products) that have lost their consumer attributes.

More than 600 substances and compounds are classified as especially hazardous for the environment and human health (special waste). These are:

• pesticides contained mainly in waste products from chemical crop protection agents;
• radioactive waste generated at nuclear fuel cycle enterprises and at enterprises using radionuclides;
• mercury and its compounds, mercury thermometers;
• arsenic and its compounds contained in waste of metallurgical production and thermal power plants;
• lead compounds, which are especially common in waste of refinery and coating industries;
• power supply elements;
• unused medicines, residues of chemical crop protection agents (toxic chemicals), paints, varnishes, anti-corrosion agents, adhesives, cosmetics;
• residues of household chemical goods (cleaning agents, deodorants, stain removers, aerosols) (A.S. Grinin).

Since solid waste is disposed of on the ground (controlled and uncontrolled dumps, landfills, etc.) or disposed in the soil, the MAC soil (maximum acceptable concentration of toxic substances in soil) is of great importance.

MAC soil means maximum acceptable amount of a chemical in tilt-top soil, mg/kg. This amount should not cause direct or indirect negative effect on the environment in contact with the soil (atmosphere, ground or soil waters, plants), on human health, as well as on the self-purification capacity of soil.

Information on the MAC soil allows calculating the hazard (toxicity) class of waste.

Criteria for classifying hazardous waste as an environmental hazard class are presented in table 4.1.

Table 4.1. Waste depending on hazard for the environment (I.A. Rozdin)