What are the harmful effects of non-biodegradable waste? (2023)

FAQs

What are the harmful effects of non-biodegradable waste? ›

Temperature and sunlight may also play roles in the decomposition of biodegradable plastics and other substances. If such materials are not biodegradable, they remain in the environment for a long time, and, if these same substances are toxic, they may pollute the soil and water.

Ans. (i) The non-biodegradable substances get accumulated and doesn��t get decomposed hence it remains in the ecosystem and causes pollution, chokes the system of many animals and kill them. (ii) These substances due to accumulation cause water and soil pollution e.g., pesticides, detergents, polythene.

Non- biodegradable waste is more hazardous as it takes thousands of years to get decomposed. It does not mix with the soil and does not get decomposed easily by the microorganisms. It poses a serious threat to our environment.

Some common examples of non-biodegradable wastes are plastic, glass, metals, etc. Metals, glass and plastic can be recycled if they are conserved properly after using them once.

Unnecessary utilization of non-biodegradable wastes such as fertilizers and D.D.T like chemical pesticides makes the soil alkaline or acidic, thereby affecting the fertility of the soil. It may also harm aquatic life as they pollute water. It also causes diseases in human beings.

The decomposition of non-biodegradable waste takes longer because they contain particles that are not decomposable in nature. Consequently, they can't be broken down by an organism and lead to all sorts of pollution. In the long run, that material will remain in the soil for thousands of years, causing critical damage.

Non-biodegradable pollutants are those which cannot be decomposed by bacteria e.g., mercury, polythene, aluminium DDT etc.

It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

What are the beneficial effects of non-biodegradable materials? ›

The main benefit of non-biodegradable waste is that this type of waste can be recycled and reused. Recycling brings a lot of benefits to society. Recycling helps the economy of many industries, as they can use recycled raw material at low cost, rather than spending more money in new, pure raw material.

So, the correct answer is 'radioactive waste'.

Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals can become entangled in or ingest plastic debris, causing suffocation, starvation, and drowning.

​a substance or chemical that is non-biodegradable cannot be changed by the action of bacteria to a natural state that does not harm the environment opposite biodegradableTopics The environmentc2.

As mentioned, any waste type which cannot be decomposed by natural or biological processes is considered as non-biodegradable waste. Besides plastic, glass and metals, it includes cardboard, paper, old clothes, thermocol sheets, cans, man-made polymer, biomedical waste, chemical waste, electronics, batteries etc.

Non-biodegradable materials are not easily affected by the natural process as they do not react with and dissolve in the soil easily. Some of these items that are commonly used in day to day lives are plastic products, aluminium cans, bottles, metal scraps, glasses, grocery bags and Styrofoam (polystyrene).

Examples:- DDT, plastics, polythene bags, insecticides, pesticides, mercury, lead,arsenic, metal articles like aluminum cans, synthetic fibers, glass objects, iron products and silver foils are non-biodegradable pollutants.

Non-Biodegradable Wastes: Those waste materials which cannot be broken down into non-poisonous substances in nature are called non-biodegradable wastes. They cannot be recycled easily and therefore have to be dumped, which requires a lot of space. This causes wastage of land.

When the biodegradable wastes enter the water supply, they become a food source for aerobic bacteria (oxygen using bacteria). If a large amount of waste is present, then a lot of bacteria can feed on it.

Here, recycling (option D) is the best way to get rid of non-biodegradable waste. As burying non-biodegradable wastes will not have any effect and burning them can also lead to release of carbon monoxide which is toxic and is harmful for breathing.

How can non-biodegradable pollutants be prevented? ›

The main reason of a substance being biodegradable is being organic that can be used up by scavengers of environment. On the other hand some substances are non biodegradable because they are synthetic and cannot be decomposed by the microorganism.

It mainly comes from plant or animal sources. The biodegradable trash can be buried in deep trenches and allowed to decompose naturally. Examples - food waste, paper waste, human waste, green waste, etc.

Excessive use of non-biodegradable wastes like chemical pesticides (D.D.T) and fertilizers make the soil acidic or alkaline, thereby affecting soil fertility. 2. These substances can also be washed away from fields into nearby bodies of water, thereby affecting aquatic life and promoting algal blooms.

These wastes include municipal waste, human waste, sewage sludge, slaughterhouse waste. Non- biodegradable wastes can't be degraded easily and accumulate in the environment thereby causing harm to the environment. These wastes include plastics, rubber, chemicals, batteries, metals, and paints.

Simply defined, a hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment.

Hence Industrial waste is the most harmful type of waste.

Currently the main environmental threat from biowaste (and other biodegradable waste) is the production of methane from such waste decomposing in landfills, which accounted for some 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-15 in 1995.

Agricultural waste mostly consists of animal and plant residues which are biodegradable and hence least harmful.

What happens to the non biodegradable materials in our oceans? ›

Unlike some other kinds of waste, plastic doesn't decompose. That means plastic can stick around indefinitely, wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems. Some plastics float once they enter the ocean, though not all do. As the plastic is tossed around, much of it breaks into tiny pieces, called microplastics.

The toxic chemical additives and pollutants found in plastics threaten human health on a global scale. Scientifically-proven health effects include causing cancer or changing hormone activity (known as endocrine disruption), which can lead to reproductive, growth, and cognitive impairment.

It takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. Unfortunately, the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

The decomposition of non-biodegradable waste takes longer because they contain particles that are not decomposable in nature. Consequently, they can't be broken down by an organism and lead to all sorts of pollution. In the long run, that material will remain in the soil for thousands of years, causing critical damage.

The major impact of plastic bags on the environment is that it takes many years to for them to decompose. In addition, toxic substances are released into the soil when plastic bags perish under sunlight and, if plastic bags are burned, they release a toxic substance into the air causing ambient air pollution.

Use of plastics should be avoided as it is non-biodegradable and causes soil and water pollution. Plastic waste is hazardous for land and water animals who can ingest and get choked on plastic waste.

Why is biodegradable plastic bad? Biodegradable plastics are often claimed to be sustainable and better for the planet. These properties are inaccurate and misleading. Not only are biodegradable plastics made from fossil-fuels, they also end up creating microplastics and contaminating other plastics recycling streams.

​a substance or chemical that is non-biodegradable cannot be changed by the action of bacteria to a natural state that does not harm the environment opposite biodegradableTopics The environmentc2.

(a) Waste materials that cannot be broken down into non-poisonous or harmless substances in nature are called non-biodegradable wastes. Examples are plastic and iron nails. (b) Animal bones and leather belts are biodegradable wastes.

How do you dispose of non biodegradable waste? ›

Conventional plastic is made from oil. The production of plastic is not sustainable, and it can contain substances we know are dangerous if ingested. In recent years, bioplastics have come onto the market as an alternative to conventional plastic.

Plastic bags are difficult and costly to recycle and most end up on landfill sites where they take around 300 years to photodegrade. They break down into tiny toxic particles that contaminate the soil and waterways and enter the food chain when animals accidentally ingest them.

Can biodegradable and compostable plastic be bad for the environment? Yes. If these materials are not managed properly once they become waste, then they likely will not break down as intended.