Definition and Treatment of Hazardous Wastes

What exactly does hazardous waste include? Sludge, electroplating waste liquid, chemical laboratory waste, spent catalyst, pesticide waste, animal carcasses, waste acid, waste alkali, waste mineral oil and other such hazardous wastes. Improper handling of these hazardous wastes will cause environmental pollution, and it is easy to breed pathogens, which will cause serious impacts on human health that cannot be eliminated in a short time.

The disposal methods of hazardous waste include physical method, chemical method, biological method, solidification treatment method and heat treatment method. The physical method is treatment through crushing, decomposition, extraction and other methods. The chemical method is a treatment method that adds chemical substances to trigger chemical reactions and then generate new substances. The biological method is a treatment method that uses microorganisms to decompose degradable substances, thereby reducing the harmfulness of the waste. The heat treatment method is a treatment method that uses incineration and heating to promote the decomposition of waste. The solidification treatment method combines the waste with a solidification base material, so that the waste is wrapped or covered by the solidification base material, thereby preventing the environment from being harmed by the waste.

Hazards of hazardous waste:

① Damage the ecological environment. Hazardous wastes that are arbitrarily discharged and stored will pollute water bodies and soil under the long-term penetration and diffusion of rainwater and groundwater, and reduce the environmental function level of the region.

② Affect human health. Hazardous waste cause poisoning through ingestion, inhalation, skin absorption, and eye contact, or trigger dangerous events such as combustion and explosion; long-term hazards include long-term poisoning, carcinogenesis, teratogenesis, and mutagenesis caused by repeated exposure.

③ Restrict sustainable development. The pollution of the atmosphere, water sources, soil and other aspects caused by untreated or non-standard treatment and disposal of hazardous waste will also become a bottleneck restricting economic activities.

Hazardous waste treatment

Hazardous waste treatment must adhere to the treatment principle of "reduction, recycling, and harmlessness". Priority should be given to the recycling of hazardous waste, the reduction of hazardous waste, and ensure the complete harmlessness of hazardous waste.