PHYSICAL AND EMERGING HAZARDS
You are employed by a local municipality as environmental health officer and are placed in charge of solid waste disposal and management. Assignment Currently the county disposes of their municipal solid wastes in a landfill. The landfill’s capacity will end in a few years and a new option is being considered to manage solid waste management in the county for the next 50 years. Write a paper in which you: 1. Compare and contrast two alternatives for the county’s solid waste disposal (for example landfill versus incineration). Examples of factors to consider in your analysis may include environmental impacts, human health impacts, resource conservation or recovery, occupational hazards for operators and sustainability. 2. Select the best method for solid waste disposal in this scenario setting and explain your rationale.
Sample Solution
One of the alternative methods for managing solid waste disposal that is being considered by a local municipality is landfill versus incineration. Landfills are traditionally used to dispose of municipal solid wastes, but incineration has been gaining traction in recent years due to its potential benefits. Both options have their own advantages and disadvantages; this essay will discuss some of the key factors in order to better compare and contrast these two alternatives.
Regarding environmental impacts, landfills can cause significant air pollution due to release of methane gas when organic material decomposes (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 2021). In addition, there is also potential contamination of groundwater with leachate created from landfill run off (U.S Environmental Protection Agency 2021). On the other hand, incineration produces ash that may contain heavy metals and other toxic pollutants which can be hazardous if not properly disposed (World Bank Group 2018). It also requires more energy than landfills and has higher operating costs associated with it as well (World Bank Group 2018).
When examining human health risks both options pose potential hazards depending on how they are managed. For example, improper management of leachate from landfills has been known to cause respiratory problems such as asthma or allergies due to dust and mold spores generated by rotting materials (Liu et al., 2020). Incinerators on the other hand emit particulate matter into the atmosphere which could potentially lead to an increase in cardiovascular diseases or cancer from long term exposure (Kaur et al., 2017).
From a sustainability perspective, both options can provide economic benefits by creating jobs as well as generating revenue via fees charged for waste disposal services. However, they both require careful management in order ensure that environmental standards are met while also preventing any accidents or spills which could negatively impact public health.
Overall, both landfills and incineration offer viable solutions for managing solid waste however each option presents their own set of pros and cons which must be carefully weighed before making a decision about what approach should be taken.
