Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Scientific Waste management and Recycling

Scientific Waste Management and Recycling

Wherever men live, the waste follows. Since he is responsible for waste, it is his pious duty to manage waste in scientific way. A contaminated environment places people at obvious risk of exposure to pathogens/harmful organisms that lead to infection and diseases.

In urban areas, waste generation and its handling has become an important issue. Many biotechnologies developed for waste recycling in agriculture were suitably modified to manage urban waste as well. To begin with, a household level solid waste management system was developed. Subsequently, scientific waste management systems for residential colonies were also developed. A project for IFFCO, Aonla was implemented by Morarka Foundation on turnkey basis. During this period itself, solid waste management systems for food outlets, food processing industries, restaurants and five star hotels have also been successfully developed and implemented. Recently, Morarka Foundation has also developed biotechnology solutions for waste water recycling. Many pilot projects have been successfully commissioned in last three years.

The biotechnology for waste water recycling process is based on treatment during organic and hydraulic loading. Suitable biological filters can be designed, made with natural materials. Microbes inoculated in these filters can absorb both organic and inorganic impurities of waste water. The system efficiency can be further improved by utilizing select plants, where root zone treatment can be carried out. These systems remove all harmful microbes and reduce residual BOD and COD.

To diversify biotechnology applications for industrial waste water recycling, an in-depth assessment was also carried out for textile process house at Bhilwara. With three months of continuous research, a biotechnology process has been successfully developed. In most of these biotechnology based scientific waste management solutions, though there is an initial capital investment. But, in most of these applications, the operating costs per unit of waste handled and recycled, it is almost one-third to one-fifth of normal conventional methods of waste management.

Morarka Foundation has already been awarded few more projects, notably amongst them being 50,000 litres of urban sewage waste water recycling at Udaipur and 10,00,000 litres of textile processing unit at Bhilwara.


What is waste?

Thus it can be stated that waste is unwanted or undesired material left over after the completion of a process. In other words it can also be stated that any substance or object which the holder discards or intend to discard is also waste.

Type of Waste Materials?

Basically the waste can be categorised into (a) Biodegradable Waste and (b) Non Biodegradable Waste. Biodegradable waste or, if recovered, the biodegradable component of mixed wastes (e.g. paper & food waste) can be composted or anaerobically digested to produce soil improvers and renewable fuels. Non-biodegradable waste is that waste which cannot be degraded.

Waste is broadly segregated into solid, liquid and gaseous waste materials. Waste falls into a number of different waste types. It can exist in any phase of matter (solid, liquid, or gas) or as waste heat. When released in the latter two states the wastes can be referred to as emissions. It is usually strongly linked with pollution. Waste may also be intangible in the case of wasted time or wasted opportunities. Here waste refers to things which are used inefficiently or inappropriately.

Some components of waste can be recycled once recovered from the waste stream, e.g. plastic bottles, metals, glass or paper.

There are many different waste types or waste streams which are produced by a variety of processes. Each waste type has different methods of associated waste management. The following is a list of waste types viz.: Animal By-Products, Biodegradable waste, Bulky waste, Business waste, Clinical waste, Commercial waste, Construction and demolition waste (C&D waste), Controlled waste, Domestic waste, Electronic waste (E-waste, WEEE), Farm waste, Food waste, Green waste, Grey water, Hazardous waste, Household waste, etc.

Management

The management of different waste requires different kind of procedures to handle as the different toxic compounds that might be present in one may not be present in the other. But, Morarka Foundation aims in utilizing all natural ways of handling the waste in a nature or eco friendly manner.

Mother Nature recycles all types of waste materials. We are producing more waste materials then nature is capable of recycling and thus it results into pollution.

ECO Friendly Management

A very attractive way to change garbage into rich humus is to utilize the services of earthworms. Vermi means earthworms and culture means farming. Vermiculture means farming of earthworms through bio-degradable material. Earthworms are nature's fertilizer factory. Physically they are crushers and grinders, due to action of their gizzard. There are thousands of different species of worms, but the best manure worms is Eisenia foetida, as it works everywhere, in the indoor as well as at outdoor. They are a surface dwelling variety of worms that hate the light and reproduce at an amazing rate. In urban areas for treatment and conversion of household waste into high quality compost, a package has been developed by Morarka Foundation. The package aims at:

ECO Friendly Management

  • Creating awareness at household level regarding the issue of garbage and its proper management.

  • Collection of wastes in segregated form.

  • Conversions of organic/wet waste into high quality Vermicompost i.e. put your waste in and get the Vermicompost out there by recycling the nutrients.

  • Appropriate use of Vermicompost for planting trees, gardens, lawns, etc. to make clean and green environment surrounding our houses.
Scientific Waste Management In urban areas, waste including human excreta and waste from polluting industries are disposed through sewers. This pollutes the environment, under ground water and exposes people to infection.

Open decomposition of solid waste and sewer water through existing river systems takes very long period in natural treatment while causing many health hazards.

In many countries, initiatives to develop the skills through recycled waste materials for producing vegetables by the poor have brought about excellent results.

Waste ManagementIn some Latin American countries, vegetable production in urban areas through waste recycling have not only been able to reduce the direct and indirect costs associated with waste disposal but it has also simultaneously been able to solve the problems of urban sanitation, while becoming an income generating activity as well.

In view of above, a new approach has therefore been developed by Morarka Foundation to utilize biotechnologies for recycling of waste materials. Production of foods from recycled wastes is now also known as ECO-SANITATION.

Morarka Foundation has worked for over five years to develop technologies for recycling of segregated urban solid waste (only organic matter) are as under:
  • Household level waste management & recycling
  • Solid waste management in residential colonies
  • Waste management for food outlets - processing industry
  • Hotel Industries and Corporate Sectors
  • Scientific waste water treatment and recycling.
  • Biological-Sanitizers
Urban Solid Waste?

• Household waste
    - Solid waste
  • Recyclable
  • Non recyclable (Biodegradable)
    - Waste water
  • Reusable
  • Non reusable (Chemicals and heavy metal contaminated)
• Commercial activity waste
• Industrial waste
• Horticulture waste
• Animal waste

Any waste management process begins with the identification of waste materials and their sources.

Urban Waste Management

Solid Waste:
• Segregate waste at the time of generation
• Collect segregated waste
• Recycle waste materials
• Process non recyclable materials in decentralized manner

Waste Water:
• Segregate different streams of waste water/s
• Install filter/s according to reuse requirement

All very simple and easy to do.

Scientific Waste Management Tools

Physical Treatment:
• Reduction in volume/s and weight/s
• Reducing the size of waste material/s

Biological Treatment:
• Solid sanitizers
• Deodorizers
• Microbial cultures for accelerated decomposition
• Microbes for waste conversion

Google News Blog: News mapped out on Google Earth

Google News Blog: News mapped out on Google Earth

Google LatLong: Where in the world is...

Google LatLong: Where in the world is...

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Organic method of pest control

Organic method of Pest control

1. Neem oil spray

Materials needed

• 500 ml of neem seed oil
• 100 ml Soap solutions
• 9.5 liters of water

Procedure
The neem oil should be mixed thoroughly before adding the water in it with the soap solutions of the above recommendations and then it should be sprayed. It acts mainly as repellant.


How to use
Dilute 500 to 750 ml of neem oil with 9.5 to 9.25 liters of water. Add 100 ml of soap solutions and stir well, then it should sprayed.


Target pests
Aphids, Brown plant hoppers, Flea beetles, Leaf hoppers, Potato tuber moth,
Scale insects, White files


2. EM (Effective Microorganisms)

EM, consists of a mixed culture of beneficial and naturally occurring microorganisms that can be applied as inoculants to increase the microbial diversity of soils and plants


• EM enhances the photosynthetic capacity of plants.
• EM increases the efficiency of organic matter as fertilizer.
• EM improves the physical, chemical and biological environment of soil.
• EM suppresses soil pathogens and pests.
• EM ferments organic matter as opposed to rotting it.
• EM breaks down organic matter rapidly, once incorporated into the soil.
• EM facilitates the release of greater quantities of nutrients to plants.


Principle Micro-organisms in EM

• Photosynthetic bacteria
• Lactic acid bacteria
• Yeast
• Actinomycetes
• Fermenting Fungi

EM Stock solution is dormant and needs to be activated

To activate 1 liter of EM Stock solution we need:

Maple EM.1 1 liter
Jaggery 1 Kg
Water 18 liters


Procedure

1. After the jaggery has been well dissolved the full amount of water is filled into the container and Maple EM 1 is added.
2. The mixture is left in a clean, food-grade plastic container with an airtight lid for one week.
3. The gas pressure which develops during the fermentation needs to be released for a second every day.
4. After 7 days the EM solution is activated with a pH below 4, which gives a sweet –sour smell and is now ready for use.
5. The white foam that appears on the surface of the solution indicates successful fermentation and should be used along with the solution.


3. Dasakavya

Dasakavya is obtained by adding foliar extracts of five plants along with panchakavya.
The plants to be mixed should be available in abundance, unfit for livestock feeding and resistant to pests and diseases.

Materials needed

The plants selected for Dasakavya are
• Lantana camera - Unnisaedi
• Leucas aspera - Thumbai
• Azadiracta indiaca – Neem / Veambu
• Vitex negunda – Notchi
• Calotropis gigantia – Calotropis / Erruku
• 1 liter water
• 1 liter cow urine

Procedure
The plant extracts are prepared by separately soaking the foliage in cow urine and water in 1:1:1 ratio (1 kg chopped leaves, 1 liter water and 1 liter cow urine) for ten days. The filtrated extracts of all the plants are than added to the panchakavya solutions @ 2 liter each. The mixture is kept for 25 to 30 days and stirred well, mean while, to ensure thorough mixing of panchakavya and the plants extracts

Method of Usage
Dasakavya, so obtained has the potential to promote growth and boost immunity in the plant system against pests and diseases. It enhances the biological efficiency of crop plants and the quality of fruits and vegetables.

• Foliar spray
• Seed and seedling treatment
• Pesticide


Note
Cow’s urine is used for disease control. This extract can be stored and used for a period of 60 days.

Target
Used as organic growth promoters, protect from sucking pests and caterpillars.


4. Fish meal Extract

The extract obtained from fish is an effective solution as an immunity booster, growth
Promoter and for disease control.

Materials needed

1. Fish - 1 kg
2. Jaggery - 1 kg
3. Lemon - 3 no’s


Procedure

Take a wide mouthed mud pot and add the fish cut into small pieces, 1 kg of jaggery and 3 squeezed lemons. The mouth of the pot should be tied with khadda cloth and then buried in a compost pile or soil for 30 days. A honey paste like extract is obtained which is filtered and used.


Dosage

This extract is used at 5- 10% concentration




Impact of Green Revolution On Ecosystem Quality

IMPACTS OF GREEN REVOLUATION ON ECOSYSTEM QUALITY

INDIAN AGRICULTURAL BEFORE GREEN REVOLUTION
♣ Small – marginal farmers producing food and because animal products for families
and village communities
♣ Crops d/o on soil – climate
♣ Soil health – pest control – shifting cultivation, conversation, FYM, legume crop
rotation
♣ 1892 -10 million people died in famine and frequent famine before 1947 – National
and International cooperation - managed




Green revolution – 1965 -66
•Hybrids and HYV
•More irrigation
•Fertilizer use
•Pesticides
•Herbicides

Higher yields




Impacts of Green Revolution on Ecosystem Quality
The ills of green revolution are stated to be :

vReduction in natural fertility of the soil
vDestruction of soil structure, aeration and water holding capacity
vSusceptibility to soil erosion by water and wind
vDiminishing returns on inputs ( the ratio of energy input to output halves every 10 years ).

Indiscriminate killing of useful insects, microorganisms and predators that naturally
check excess crop damage by insect pests


Breeding more virulent and resistant species of insects
Reducing genetic diversity of plant species
Pollution with toxic chemicals from the agrochemicals and their production units


üEndangering the health of the farmers using chemicals and the workers who
produce them
üPoisoning the food with highly toxic pesticide residues
üCash crops displacing nutritious food crops
üChemicals changing the natural taste of food
üHigh inputs increasing the agricultural expenses
üIncreasing the farmer’s work burden and tension


qDepleting the fossil fuel resources
qIncreasing the irrigation needs of the land
qBig Irrigation projects often resulting in soil salinity and poor drainage
qDepleting the ground water reserves
qLowering the drought tolerance of crops
qAppearance of ‘difficult’ weeds
qHeightening the socio-economic disparities and land holding concentration
qHigh input subsidies leading to inflationary spirals


¤Increasing the political and bureasucratic corruption
¤Destroying the local culture (commercialization and consumerization displacing self-
reliance )
¤Throwing financial institutions into disarray ( as impoverished farmers demand write –
off of loans)
¤Agricultural and economic problems sparking off social and political turmoil resulting
in violence


Fertilizer – 1950-0.6 kg ha-1
1987-50 kg ha-1
2000-145 kg ha-1
•No humus
•Deficiency of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Mg, Mo & Bo
•Affects soil physicals, chemical and biological properties
•Release of N2o to atm.- depeletes O3 – Green house effect – Global warming
•Kills soil living organism



Pesticides

Ø Newer pest buildup
Ø Loss of natural enemies
Ø Only portions of pesticides - kill pests – major portion reaches air, soil and water- effect living organisms – environment
Ø Pesticides donot break down easily – absorbed in food chain


Herbicides
*Residual effect in soil, affect crops in rotation
*Kill soil living organisms
*Residue in grain and straw
*Affects human and animal health
*Pollution soil and water


Irrigation
Ø Over exploitation of ground water
Ø High cropping intensity
Ø More pest and disease
Ø Stalinization
Ø Mono-cropping of paddy – impervious layer of soil – prevents nutrients from deeper layer


Ø Today’s ecology is more important than tomorrows economy
Ø Because no economy without ecology