When plastic waste is burnt, a complex weave of toxic chemicals is released. Breaking
down polyvinyl chloride (PVC) — used for packaging, toys and coating electrical wires
— produces dioxin, an organochlorine which belongs to the family of Persistent Organic
Pollutants (POPs). A recent Dioxin Assessment Report brought out by the United States
Environment Protection Agency (USEPA) says the risk of getting cancer from dioxin is
ten times higher than reported by the agency in 1994.
Yet the Delhi government is giving the green signal to a gasification project which will
convert garbage into energy without removing plastic waste. Former transport minister
Rajendra Gupta, the promoter of this project, says this is not necessary.
He claims no air pollution will be caused and that the ash produced can be used as
manure. An earlier waste-to-energy project set up in Timarpur failed. The new one, built
with Australian assistance, will cost ₹ 200 crore. It will generate 25 megawatts of power
and gobble 1,000 tonnes of garbage every day.
“Technologies like gasification are a form of incineration,” says Madhumita Dutta,
central coordinator with Toxics Link, New Delhi. Incineration merely transfers hazardous
waste from a solid form to air, water and ash, she points out.Toxins produced during incineration include acidic gases, heavy metals as well as
dioxins and furans. “The ‘manure’ will be hazardous and a problem to dispose,” says
Dutta.
Municipal solid waste contains a mix of plastics. Breaking down this waste emits
hydrochloric acid which attacks the respiratory system, skin and eyes, resulting in
coughing, vomiting and nausea.
Polyethylene generates volatile compounds like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, both
suspected carcinogenic. Breathing styrene from polystyrene can cause leukaemia.
Polyurethane is associated with asthma. Dioxin released by PVC is a powerful hormone
disrupter and causes birth defects and reproductive problems. There is no threshold
dose to prevent it and our bodies have no defence against it.
“Even the best run incinerators in the world have to deal with stringent norms, apart
from contaminated filters and ash, making them hugely expensive to operate,” says
Dutta. In Germany, air pollution devices accounted for two-thirds the cost of
incineration. Despite such efforts, the European Dioxin Inventory noted that the input of
dioxin into the atmosphere was the highest from incineration.
“India does not have the facility to test dioxin and the cost of setting one up is
prohibitively expensive,” says Dutta.
Besides, Indian garbage has a low calorific content of about 800 cal/kg, since it has high
moisture and requires additional fuel to burn. Toxics Link calculates that the electricity
generated from such technology will cost between ₹ 5-7 per unit, which is six times
higher than conventional energy. India has chosen a dioxin preventive route and
burning of chlorinated plastics is prohibited under Municipal Solid Waste and Biomedical
Rules.
Nearly 80 per cent of Indian garbage is recyclable or compostable. Resident
associations, the informal sector and the municipal corporation can make Delhi’s
garbage disappear in a sustainable manner.
C. Find words in the passage similar in meaning:
(a) Waste material
(b) Swallow
Answers
Answer:
The correct answer is (a) Waste material, (b) Swallow
Explanation:
A.
(a) 1. cancer
(b) 2. garbage into energy
(c) 1. gasification
(d) 2. high moisture
B.
(a) Dioxin, an organochlorine, belonging to the family of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is produced. It causes cancer.
(b) Converting garbage into energy to produce 25 megawatts of power and swallow 1,000 tonnes of garbage everyday. Incineration simply changes risky waste from solid form to air, water and ash.
(c)
(i) Hydrochloric acid attacks the respiratory system, skin and eyes and results in coughing, vomiting and nausea.
(ii) Polyethylene produces volatile carcinogens like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde which cause cancer.
(iii) Breathing styrene from polystyrene can cause leukaemia.
(iv) Polyurethane is linked with asthma.
(v) Dioxin disrupts hormones, causes birth defects and reproductive problems.
(d)i) Exorbitantly expensive to operate.
To learn more about recyclable, visit :
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