Essay

Student Name Course Title Course Instructor Date Question 1 Incineration is termed as a thermal method of waste disposal which is applied in controlling the emission of volatile organic compounds especially in industries. This method involves burning the organic compounds in very high temperatures so that these compounds are converted into residue instead of being emitted to the environment as pollutants. The adsorption system for the control of volatile organic substances on the other hand is a method that uses absorbers such as carbon and zeolite which adsorbs the volatile compound within their inner surface to prevent them from reaching the environment as described by Opperman & Brown (2001). Moreover, the absorbers react chemically with the volatile organic substances hence they are able to hold the compounds more strongly to prevent them from being released to the atmosphere. Bio-filtration is a technology used to control emission of Volatile organic compounds by mineralizing the substances. According to Saxena & Samaddar (2010), bio-filters are used to control the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Each of these methods of VOC control has advantages and disadvantages as explained below. Incineration is a technology that is relatively safer using incinerators which are equipped with environmental controls to prevent release of harmful substances to the environment. Moreover, incineration reduces the volatile organic compounds by about 85% which is relatively advantageous since handling of the resultant residue is made easy. Incineration can be used to control all kinds of volatile organic compound thus it is not limited. On the other hand, Opperman & Brown (2001) explain that adsorption has the advantage of being cost effective as compared to the incineration of VOC. In addition, adsorption completely reacts with the compounds hence no emissions leaks to pollute the environment. Bio-filtration is an effective method of VOC control because it is a low temperature method that helps to prevent incurring of the high costs related to consumption of energy. The bio-filtration method is also environmentally friendly because only very small amounts of carbon dioxide are released to the atmosphere. Though incineration is described to be cheaper in the long term, a lot of electrical energy is used in burning the volatile organic compounds thus leading to high costs of controlling these substances. In addition, the incinerators usually produce toxic compounds that are harmful to health such as doxin which has been known to cause cancer. The disadvantage of using absorbers to control volatile organic compounds is that they may not be applicable with all VOCs because each absorber is specific to a certain substance which makes it a more complex method of safeguarding the environment from pollutants. As illustrated by Opperman & Brown (2001) adsorption is disadvantageous because some absorbers may not be able to control specific volatile organic compounds especially those which have low degradation and adsorption rates. Moreover, it is expensive to install the large bio-filtration systems which are required in industrial settings. The advantages associated with the various methods of disposal should thus me evaluated with the benefits associated with each method so that effective methods are used to dispose various volatile chemical compounds. Question 2 Risk assessment in waste management is a methodology that is used to select the most appropriate method of waste disposal so that the negative impact of the disposal of waste to the environment is minimized as much as possible. Risk assessment therefore must consider the kind of waste material to be disposed. For example hazardous wastes such as chemicals, paints, glue and solvents require specific controls because of their harmful nature. As shown by Ferguson (2001), the risks involved in disposal of waste varies from one substance to another hence a proper risk management plan is necessary to ensure that waste is disposed without polluting the environment or producing hazardous compounds that would harm human health. Industrial wastes vary depending on the type of products being manufactured. An appropriate risk assessment and management plan thus considers the location of the industry. For example, oil industries located near water bodies must assess the risks involved in spillage of oil to water and the harmful effect this can cause to the aquarium. In addition, the method used to dispose waste is determined by the availability of space for waste disposal. Landfills for example occupy large areas and thus are not suitable in highly populated areas. Industries located in urban centers may thus opt to incinerate their waste to reduce the environmental pollution and harm that can result from disposal of waste in an urban environment as demonstrated by Alberini & Frost (2007). The management of waste must be aimed at reducing the environmental pollution that would result from the disposal of the waste. The risks associated with various compounds such as volatile substances are higher hence appropriate methods of controlling these substances should be employed. Many industries usually consider the financial burden associated with waste disposal leading to some waste material being disposed in an environmentally harmful manner as long as they are cheaper. A proper waste management plan thus should be based on the risks associated with the method of disposal rather than the cost of the waste disposal approach. The method should also aim at reducing the amount of the waste to the minimum. This is the reason why the incineration of waste is preferred despite the high energy requirements that are associated with this method of disposal. However, it should be noted that the cost of disposal should be realistic. Risk assessment methodology should also involve a plan for the assessment of the impact of waste disposal on human health. Therefore the techniques and methods of waste disposal should therefore consider the population that is potentially exposed to industrial waste so that the method of disposal and the location where the waste is to be disposed is predetermined. This should aim at reducing the chances of industrial waste of being harmful to the health of the surrounding community. According to Ferguson (2001), the risk assessment in industrial waste management is a tool that gives various alternatives to waste disposal so that only appropriate methods that are free from environmental pollution are used. This thus will help to safeguard the society from the hazardous substances. Question 3 Noise is one of the pollutants of the environment which is commonly affects population that live around industrial establishments. Ali & Al-Attar (2000) assert that part from being a disturbance; noise has health implications associated with exposure to noises of high magnitude. Therefore there is a need for proper planning of industries so that the population is saved from the nuisance of industrial noise and the health implications of the noise on the human hearing. Industrial noise is indicated by the level and intensity of the noise, the distance of the noise from residential areas and its volume as illustrated by Ali & Al-Attar (2000). These indicators are used in industrial planning so that human beings are not exposed to noise that would be harmful to their health. In planning for industries, the local industries are situated away from the residential areas in remote locations. It is not common to find industries within the urban centers unless the intensity of the noise produced by these firms is considered to be below a given safe threshold. Human inhabitants would also be located away from manufacturing industries which produce very high volume of noise. Because such noise disturbs the human activities, institutions such as schools and colleges are situated away from such industries. In addition, hospitals are located away from industries because of the nature of health care services provided in hospitals. The location of various institutions is further determined by the availability of land and accessibility to resources. The intensity of the noise determines its harming effect on the human health. Some noises are too loud that they impair human hearing especially when exposed for a prolonged period of time. For example people who live near airports are reported to experience a certain degree of hearing loss due to the frequent exposure to the noise of the plane engine during landing and flight Alberini & Frost (2007) point out that there are acceptable level of noise below which human inhabitation near industries would be acceptable. As a result of the noise problem, various countries have instituted noise regulations that determine the threshold beyond which industrial noise cannot be bearable in the surrounding society. The transport industry has affected the planning for the residential homes in many states. The air transport industry in particular causes a lot of harmful noise from aircraft hence building of homes around airports is not permitted in many countries. According to Ali & Al-Attar (2000), the indicators of noise are used to lay policies and legislation which determines the location of various industrial plants in relation to institu...