The impact of waste on the human body. Household waste, its impact on the environment

We found that in the village, the final processing of waste, today, means either their burial in a landfill or incineration, and these two types of final processing have a different, but in both cases negative, impact on environment. In order to study the effect of household waste on human health, we visited the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Boguchansky District.

We found that the maximum accumulation of garbage occurs in autumn, since in autumn the share of garden waste in terms of volume is equal to all other categories of garbage combined. Old landfills contain a large number of hazardous waste and toxic chemicals that have been placed on them for years and seep into the environment. Waste disposal in landfills releases methane, one of the greenhouse gases and hazardous chemicals that have harmful effect on the environment.

Waste incineration leads to the release of various gases. These gases contain dangerous chemical substances such as cadmium, mercury and lead. It is known that when they enter the body, they can affect the function of hematopoiesis, pose a danger, contributing to the development of carcinogenic, genetic biological effects. In addition to this, on natural environment is influenced by the release of biogas - methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide, the content of which can be tens of percent. These values ​​exceed sanitary norms and can cause human suffocation [see. Appendix 6, tab. 5]. Biochemical decomposition and chemical oxidation of the landfill material may be accompanied by the formation of heat emission centers with an increase in temperatures up to 75°C, i.e. spontaneous combustion of the waste is possible. The rotting of MSW material is accompanied by the spread of odor over a distance of more than 1 km.

Waste electrical appliances and electronics (TVs, refrigerators, etc.) continue to be dumped, although they contain harmful substances. Human exposure to chemicals can occur in a variety of ways: by inhalation, by skin contact, and by ingestion with food. Once ingested, chemicals are distributed to various parts of the body, where they are metabolized, which may be accompanied by the transformation of these substances into toxic [see. Appendix 5, tab. four].

A person throwing garbage in the wrong place does not think about the consequences of his actions. But this garbage contains the entire bouquet of those substances that are toxic to humans. It's good to know that:

Ø Rotting food waste- breeding ground for microbes; decomposition time: 1–2 weeks; It is strictly forbidden to throw into fire, as dioxides may be formed.

Ø Waste paper. The paint with which the paper is coated can emit toxic gases, and when decomposed, toxic substances; Decomposition time: 2-3 years;

Ø Cans poisonous to many organisms; decomposition time on earth is several tens of years, fresh water- about 10 years, in salt water - 1-2 years.

Ø Iron compounds are poisonous to many organisms; decomposition rate: on the ground - 1 mm deep in 10-20 years, in fresh water - 1 mm deep in 3-5 years, in salt water - 1 mm deep in 1-2 years.

Ø Foil decomposition time on the ground is several tens of years, in fresh water - several years, in salt water - 1-2 years.

Ø Cans of beer and other drinks decompose on the ground - hundreds of years, in fresh water - several decades, in salt water - several years. The time of decomposition of glass containers on the ground is several hundred years, in water - about 100 years.

Ø Plastic products prevent gas exchange in soils and water bodies; can release toxic substances during decomposition; decomposition time: about 100 years or more.

Ø Batteries are very dangerous waste! Poisonous to humans and many organisms; decomposition time: on land - about 10 years, in water - several years, in salt water - about one year.

Dumps near settlements, become the main gathering place and food for many birds and mammals. A large number of rats, mice, cats and dogs live here. In landfills, they are attracted to food waste. These animals are simply weaned from chasing live prey, they are completely satisfied with the dregs of the human table. These animals become carriers of various infectious diseases.

It's no secret to anyone that last years most topical issue for Russian citizens is an environmental issue. This is confirmed by a survey of the All-Russian Center for the Study public opinion(VTsIOM), carried out on behalf of the Ministry natural resources and ecology of the Russian Federation. The survey determined that the greatest concerns among residents are problems municipal waste- this is 44% of the total volume marked by citizens environmental issues.

There are usually many problems associated with traditional landfills - they are breeding grounds for rodents and birds, pollute water bodies, ignite spontaneously, the wind can blow debris off them, etc. In the 1950s, the so-called "sanitary landfills" began to take root for the first time, where waste is poured over with soil every day.

Based on website articles: http://ztbo.ru/o-tbo/lit/ekologicheskie-problemi-otxodov/zaxoronenie-musora-tbo http://ztbo.ru/poligoni-tbo/rekultivaciya-poligonov-tbo http://news.ners. ru/dom-u-svalki-est-li-opasnost.html an article was written about the mortal danger for residents of the solid waste landfill

The landfill or landfill is a complex system, the detailed study of which has only recently begun.

With a lack of oxygen organic waste landfill undergoes anaerobic fermentation, which leads to the formation of a mixture of methane and carbon monoxide (the so-called "landfill gas"). A highly toxic liquid (“filtrate”) is also formed in the depths of the landfill, the entry of which into water bodies or The groundwater highly undesirable.

Requirements for modern landfills include requirements for site selection, design, operation, monitoring, decommissioning and provision of financial guarantees (disaster insurance, etc.)

When choosing a site, it is necessary to avoid the proximity of airports, reservoirs, groundwater outlets, the proximity of wetlands, tectonic faults and seismically hazardous zones.

The safe operation of the landfill involves the following measures:

hazardous waste exclusion procedures and record keeping of all waste received and the exact location of their disposal;
providing daily coverage of dumped waste with soil or special foam to prevent waste from spreading;
control of disease vectors (rats, etc.), which is usually achieved by the use of pesticides;
pumping out explosive gases from the bowels of the landfill (methane can be used to generate electricity, for example, throughout the UK, such installations produce 80 MW);
controlled access of people and animals to the landfill - the perimeter must be fenced and guarded;

hydraulic structures should minimize the ingress of rainwater and surface water into the landfill;
surface runoff from the landfill should be sent for treatment; the liquid that is released from the waste should not enter the groundwater - for this, special drainage and waterproofing systems are created;
regular monitoring of air, ground and surface waters in the vicinity of the landfills should be carried out.
Particular attention should be paid to the decommissioning of the landfill with subsequent reclamation of the landfill. As a rule, the original design of the landfill should include a plan for remediation and long-term monitoring. closed landfill etc.

Reclamation of waste landfills (MSW)

Each landfill sooner or later closes when it accumulates the maximum allowable amount of waste. And it is quite logical that the land occupied by the landfill must be re-introduced into economic use or reclaim. Moreover, the costs of this event should be included in the cost even at the stage when the design of solid waste landfills is carried out.

Thus, the reclamation of solid waste landfills is a set of works aimed at restoring the national economic value and productivity of the restored territories. In addition, these works are also aimed at improving environmental conditions environment.

The process of reclamation of solid waste landfills begins immediately after the end of the storage of garbage on it. This procedure is performed in two separate stages: technical and biological.

At the technical stage, the development of technological and construction measures, design solutions for the installation of protective screens for the base and surface of the landfill, the collection, purification and utilization of biogas, the collection and processing of leachate and surface Wastewater. Thus, the technical stage of landfill reclamation includes the following activities:

Stabilization of the landfill body (delivery of soil for backfilling dips and cracks, its layout and creation of slopes with the required angle of inclination, etc.).
Construction of a degassing system to collect landfill gas.
Creation of a system for the collection and removal of leachate and surface runoff.
Creation of a multifunctional reclamation protective screen.
The biological stage of reclamation provides for a complex of agrotechnical and phytomeliorative measures aimed at restoring disturbed lands. This stage is carried out after the engineering and technical stage of reclamation. This stage of landfill reclamation includes the following activities:

Soil preparation.
Selection of planting material.
Sowing plants.
In each case, the choice of design solutions for the reclamation of a closed landfill is carried out on the basis of preliminary engineering surveys.

Collection of landfill gas (syngas)

Landfill gas is formed as a result of fermentation of the organic components of the waste that are in the body of the landfill during the processes of biochemical decomposition. In addition, a sufficiently large amount of water vapor also occurs. The gases and vapors arising in the body of the landfill form a wet gas mixture, the main components of which are methane CH and carbon dioxide CO2.

Because of this chemical composition, as well as the presence of other hazardous components in landfill gas, its emission may have Negative influence on the environment, which manifests itself in the form:

fire and explosion hazards.
interference for the reclamation of the solid waste landfill.
the spread of the corresponding unpleasant odor.
release of components toxic and hazardous to human health.
negative impact on the climate.
Based on this, the landfill gases that form must be collected and subsequently disposed of (treated). To do this, at the stage when the construction of the solid waste landfill is carried out, special gas outlets are provided. Through them, landfill gas enters the storage site, where it undergoes a purification procedure.

The collection of landfill gas is a rather responsible business, since, if its collection is not properly managed, an excess amount of gas accumulates inside the landfill. This leads to an increase in pressure, the accumulated gas is looking for a way out, as a result of which the body of the landfill is destroyed. And this can lead to rather unpleasant consequences, since raw landfill gas contains great amount harmful and toxic substances which are extremely hazardous to human health.

There is another category of garbage dumps, which appeared as a result of the actions of the shadow business. Waste is accepted and stored on them in violation of all standards. As a result, groundwater, soil, air are polluted - from uncontrolled burning of garbage. “The biggest difficulty here is that often, having “shat” on a certain territory, “merchants” disappear or get off with minor fines for them, while dozens of hectares remain polluted forever,” says Sergei Vinogradov, chairman of the Green Front NGO.

Legal landfills - subject to all technological standards of operation and constant monitoring - theoretically should not harm the city and citizens. In practice, the so-called human factor is often included. “Any landfill is a source of potential danger. main factor negative impact These are landfill mass fires as a result of negligence and violation of the rules for the operation of landfills, ”says Gulnara Gudulova, assistant head of the Rosprirodnadzor Department for the Northwestern Federal District.


Residents of areas located in relative proximity to solid waste landfills feel the results of such negligence on themselves, periodically inhaling smoke or “ambre” carried by the wind. “It can be argued with a high degree of probability that bad smell from landfills has a negative impact on human health,” says Sergey Vinogradov. In his opinion, when burning plastics, substances such as formaldehyde, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, carbon monoxide, dioxins can be released into the air. The latter have a powerful mutagenic, immunosuppressive, carcinogenic effect. When burning foam rubber, which is used to make furniture, toxic gases containing cyanide compounds enter the atmosphere. Burning rubber gives off dense black greasy smoke containing hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. Both gases are hazardous to health. As a result of the decay of garbage left in the ground, Vinogradov continues, dangerous radon gas is formed, which is difficult to detect, since it has no color and smell. But this gas is poisonous, and even radioactive.

Polygon "Yadrovo". Photo: Vsevolod Dmitriev

On March 22, Ekaterina Semenova, Ombudsman for Human Rights in the Moscow Region, said that the release of gas from the Yadrovo landfill did not cause any harm to the residents of Volokolamsk.

Rospotrebnadzor assures that excesses are maximum allowable norms toxic substances was not found, and the complaints of sixty children who went to the hospital had nothing to do with the landfill.

Parents do not really believe in coincidence, and their distrust is understandable.

And on March 25, new information appears. Deputy Governor of the Moscow Region Alexander Chuprakov, at an operational meeting with the initiative group, reports that the environmental monitoring station recorded an excess of the gas norm by seven times.

However, after a few hours, this message disappeared from the media sites, and the official refuted himself: the recorded excess was short-lived and harmless - “it only begins to smell”.

“We promptly took measures to plug the gap. There was no average daily excess,” he said.

Such inconsistent reports of officials suggest not very cheerful.

However, let's digress from the specific situation in Volokolamsk and see what is in the medical literature on the topic of interest to us.

Difficult story

Research on how landfills affect the health of people living nearby has been ongoing since the seventies of the last century. Their results are inconsistent.

Although in many scientific papers a link has been established between pollutants emitted into the air by landfills and human health problems, there are a sufficient number of studies that do not find such a link.

Experts note that around the world, landfills are not located in the richest areas, and their residents tend to eat less and generally care less about their health than residents of more financially prosperous areas, and this can shift their health indicators for the worse.

Scientists reviewing the entire body of studies believe that the difference in results can be explained by another obvious reason: not all landfills are equal. They can differ significantly from each other in terms of the type and amount of waste, age, hydrogeological and meteorological conditions, as well as activities carried out (or not carried out) to detoxify landfills, so the results obtained by researchers in one area cannot always be extrapolated to others. .

But even taking into account the circumstances listed above, the accumulated data is enough to cause serious concern about the problem of landfills.

In autumn 2015, a conference of 24 experts was held in Bonn (Germany) World Organization from 11 countries that published a report Waste and human health: Evidence and needs at its completion.

The authors of the report cite data obtained by researchers different countries. This is mainly about the long-term effect of exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) and other harmful substances emitted from landfills on the health of nearby adults and their offspring.

A number of studies (for example, this work by British scientists) indicate an increased risk of giving birth to babies with organic defects in women living within a radius of 2 km from landfills with hazardous waste. These are defects in the structure of the neural tube and abdominal wall, gastroschisis, embryonic hernia, low and very low birth weight.

As for women living near landfills, these risks, based on the results of a British study, are not so obvious for them, but WHO experts believe that such a relationship cannot be completely excluded, especially since this meta-analysis of Italian scientists characterizes these the risks are very real.

In addition, the authors of the report report an increased risk of cancer (pancreas, larynx, liver, kidneys), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, noted in a number of studies, stipulating, however, that the data obtained need additional verification.

Also, living near the landfill can contribute to respiratory diseases, which is not at all surprising from the point of view of common sense.

Why are landfills dangerous?

They emit hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride, methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide. Hydrogen sulfide and nitrogen dioxide are strong irritants, their action can lead to inflammation and bronchospasm. Hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride irritate the mucous membranes of the nose and upper respiratory tract cause cough and shortness of breath.

In addition, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has been recorded in the landfills evaporation of metals and other substances that are carcinogenic. These are cadmium, lead, formaldehyde, styrene.

Extremely toxic are also volatile organic compounds, such as arsine (convertible in the human body to arsenic) and stibine, but they are usually degradation products of industrial rather than household waste.

Harmful substances from landfills get not only into the air, but also into drinking water if its source is local. In this case, the residents of the area receive an additional toxic load.

New Italian study

The topic of the health of people living near landfills is very relevant for Italian scientists. In 2009-2011, they studied the risks in areas where waste dumps were poorly controlled by government agencies. In Campania, for example, they found a statistically significant increase in mortality compared with the population of areas far from the landfills, as well as higher risks of liver cancer (in both sexes), stomach and lung cancer (in men).

In addition, among the birth defects in infants in these populations, anomalies of the urogenital tract significantly exceeded the average level.