Impact of Industrial Waste – Every major industrial sector that always produces their various products to be marketed to consumers will have a major impact on the environment around these industrial plants because of the waste they produce.
Even though the industrial sector is a large company that supports human needs because of the products they make, unfortunately they are still not able to handle the disposal of industrial waste that they produce with a fairly good management.
Industrial waste, especially in large companies, has an extraordinary impact on the environment which is definitely polluted because in fact there are still many irresponsible industrial factories disposing of their waste in places where it should not be. As a result, a lot of nature is polluted, such as river water, oceans, air polluted by severe pollution as a result of industrial waste disposal.
As citizens who care about environmental health, it’s good for us to understand how dangerous the impact of industrial waste is which is very bad for the environment, not only for human needs but also for the needs of other affected living things.
For this reason, in this discussion, we have presented related information regarding the harmful effects of industrial waste on environmental health.
Further information about the impact of industrial waste can be seen below!
Definition of Industrial Waste
Waste is residue resulting from a business or activity that contains hazardous or toxic materials which, due to their nature, concentration and amount, can directly or indirectly threaten the environment, health, survival of humans and other living things.
Substances commonly found in waste include biodegradable organic matter, volatile organic matter, organic matter which is difficult to decompose, toxic heavy metals, solids, nutrients, pathogenic microbes and parasites.
Industrial waste is an object or material used in certain industrial activities that cannot be used anymore so that the object or material cannot be used again. The waste generated in different industries has different characteristics starting from its phase, shape, size and characteristics.
Waste is usually generated from stopped activities. For example: plastic bottle waste is thrown away when the water in the bottle is finished being consumed, but it turns out that waste, especially industrial waste, can be produced through different processes. The sequence of industrial production process activities from the ongoing production process, the potential for industrial waste to arise can appear in different stages, namely before the start of the production process, during the production process and after the production process ends.
This indicates that the industrial waste generated can be in the form of materials or resources that have been spilled, contaminated, obsolete, damaged and used in a way that cannot be used during industrial operations, be it preparation, use or delivery, processing, post-processing.
Types of Industrial Waste
Based on the stages formed, industrial waste can generally be grouped into three parts, namely industrial waste in the form of solid, liquid and gas. The following types and examples of industrial waste:
1. Industrial solid waste
Solid waste generated during processing or waste from industrial activities and public places. Industrial solid waste can be either organic or inorganic waste. Solid waste is the remaining waste from industrial activities, not only production waste which is actually solid, because sludge is also classified as solid waste.
Solid waste that is dumped into the water pollutes the water and can damage or even kill its ecosystem. If solid waste is dumped on land without prior treatment, it will cause environmental pollution in the area. Examples of industrial solid waste include clothing waste, plastic waste, wood chips, pulp waste, cables, cement pulp waste and iron.
Examples of solid household industrial waste include plastic, bags, leftover clothing, used paper, cables, electricity, excess cement, industrial waste sludge, etc.
Industrial solid waste generated by different industries is usually grouped into two parts, namely B3 solid waste and non-B3 solid waste
A.) B3 solid waste
B3 solid waste can be generated from different industries, such as the pulp industry, the textile industry, the automotive industry, the zinc industry, the pharmaceutical industry. Solid B3 waste produced by industry is waste with properties that are usually explosive, flammable, reactive, toxic, infectious and corrosive.
B.) Non-B3 Solid Waste
Non-B3 Solid Waste is waste that is not contaminated or mixed with industrial waste which is hazardous and toxic.
2. Industrial Liquid Waste
Liquid waste as the name implies is liquid waste generated from industrial production. This waste is usually disposed of in ditches, rivers or even the sea. Liquid waste has different concentrations depending on industrial production. There are liquid industrial wastes that can be easily and quickly neutralized, and liquid industrial wastes with hazardous content. Disposal of hazardous liquid waste without prior treatment can cause water pollution and damage the ecosystem and kill the organisms in it. Liquid industrial waste, for example stamp residue, tofu residue, food or clothing coloring residue, preservative residue, washing water from production materials, iron content in water and other chemical residues.
The emergence of industrial liquid waste is usually caused by resources in the form of spills, defects or product residue, when the industrial waste treatment process is complete (waste as liquid industrial waste in industrial waste treatment plants), processing in industrial waste processing plants, leaking or damaged solvents, etc.
3. Industrial gas waste
Gas waste is waste generated during industrial activities in the form of gas molecules. Gas molecules become waste if there are too many of them or exceed the norm. This waste pollutes the air, which has a negative impact on living things if not handled properly. Some examples of industrial emissions are gas leaks, factory smoke, factory combustion, excess methane gas, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen peroxide.
The Impact of Industrial Waste on the Environment
This waste has a toxic effect that damages the environment. Various cases of pollution due to industrial waste are clear examples of how dangerous this very important waste is. Of course, this problem requires special attention from all of us. Not only government and industry representatives, the waste problem must also be our shared responsibility.
Industrial waste is usually included in the category of B3 waste. Namely waste that needs special handling before being released into nature. What if this waste is dumped carelessly? The following are the harmful effects that occur:
1. Environmental pollution from industrial waste
Industrial waste has important impacts, one of which is the environmental impact. In general, waste can pollute the environment, including water, soil and air. Black and polluted air damages lung health and causes health problems for organisms exposed to it.
Although water is also often polluted, especially due to the dumping of industrial waste into rivers which often occurs in many cases. The effect can be seen in the destruction of ecosystems and aquatic life. This also has an impact on the lack of clean water.
In fact, contamination of soil waste can have a negative impact, namely reducing soil fertility. Of course it’s bad for people. Because this country is the perfect place to provide people with food.
2. Pollution of Industrial Waste for Health
Indonesian people still often use groundwater as a source of clean water. Groundwater contamination causes various health problems. In addition, the existence of untreated solid waste also produces toxic waste.
This can lead to bad consequences that affect the emergence of various diseases. Be it diseases that are spread through the food chain, diseases caused by flies, rats or other animals. It is a disease caused by the presence of toxic waste products.
3. Dirty Polluted Environment
The dirty environment due to industrial waste is also a negative impact that cannot be simply thrown away. Garbage collected without proper handling pollutes the environment.
In addition, the air quality in this place is polluted and disturbing comfort. Also, with a high probability that insects that cause health problems live and breed in garbage heaps. This situation is troubling not only the people who work in the factory, but also the people who live in the vicinity.
Thus, some of the impact of industrial waste pollution on humans and also on the environment. This negative effect is always felt when industrial activities are not accompanied by knowledge about how to handle waste properly and correctly.
How to Handle Industrial Waste
Business actors must also have a good understanding of waste management methods. The goal is to prevent and reduce the harmful effects that can occur in industrial waste. So that environmental damage can be prevented so as not to cause worse consequences. What actions should be taken in waste management? Here are the three main steps that are most effective:
1. Do not dispose of waste directly into water sources
One way to reduce the negative impact of waste is not to dump industrial waste into rivers. Liquid or solid waste must not be discharged into water bodies. Because it is fatal to aquatic ecosystem life.
In addition to water pollution, dumping of industrial waste into rivers or water bodies is also detrimental to aquatic life. And cause the death of creatures and plants that live in it.
Therefore waste must be handled first. Its purpose is to separate harmful substances from it. In this way, waste is safer when it enters nature and its potential for the environment is much lower.
2. Separation of Organic and Inorganic Waste
Industrial waste in solid form can be divided into two, viz. organic and inorganic waste. Organic waste is a type of waste that is easily decomposed, so this organic waste decomposes quickly when buried in the ground.
Organic waste can be treated by placing it in a pit and then letting it decompose and decompose. In addition to making the environment cleaner and tidier, organic waste disposal sites are also very profitable. Because it makes the soil more fertile so that it can be used for certain purposes.
However, inorganic waste or waste that cannot be decomposed even for decades. Inorganic waste that can still be used can be recycled. Namely by recycling and then making new stuff. In addition to dealing with solid waste, this recycling process helps save raw materials for production.
3. Planting trees around the factory
Planting trees around factories can also be a simple way to reduce the impact of industrial waste. In addition to liquid and solid waste, industrial activities usually also produce waste in the form of gas. What exhaust gases can pollute the air and deplete the ozone layer.
Therefore, planting trees is one option that can be used. The goal is to neutralize polluted air. So that the air quality in the factory environment can be even better.
The harmful effects of industrial waste can be reduced in several ways. Protecting the environment in order to remain sustainable must be a shared responsibility. One way is to process industrial waste properly and correctly.
4. Reducing a consumptive lifestyle
One of the efforts to overcome the problem of the large amount of industrial waste is to reduce a very consumptive lifestyle, such as reducing buying goods that are actually purchased not because of necessity but because of desire and eventually become goods that have no functional value.
This consumptive culture is a walking bomb for environmental health because various household products are produced by factories that produce them because of their high selling value to the public. So that the more goods produced also results in the greater amount of industrial waste produced.
Conclusion
This is a brief discussion of the harmful effects of industrial waste on environmental health. Not only discussing the definition of industrial waste, but also discussing the types of industrial waste, the adverse effects of industrial waste, and how to properly handle industrial waste.
Knowing information about industrial waste gives us valuable lessons on how important it is to protect and care for nature from even the smallest things. Because, indirectly we also play a role in climate change, weather, and environmental health which are getting worse every day the impact of environmental health is deteriorating due to human activities that produce industrial waste. Therefore, let’s take care of nature and the earth together so that we can provide a better life by creating a healthy environment for the next generation.
This is a review of the adverse effects of industrial waste and how to handle it properly.