Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Scientific Waste management and Recycling
Scientific Waste Management and Recycling
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:
- 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.
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.
In 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
• Household waste
- - Solid waste
- Recyclable
- Non recyclable (Biodegradable)
- - Waste water
- Reusable
- Non reusable (Chemicals and heavy metal contaminated)
• 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
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
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