Organic Waste Management Practices and Their Impact on Human Health

Abstract

Human activities have always generated waste. This was not a major issue when the human population was relatively small and nomadic, but became a serious problem with urbanization and the growth of large conurbations. Poor management of waste led to contamination of water, soil and atmosphere and to a major impact on public health. In medieval times, epidemics associated with water contaminated with pathogens decimated the population of Europe and even more recently (nineteenth century), cholera was a common occurrence (Guisti. Waste Manag 29:2227-2239, 2009). Some of the direct health impacts of the mismanagement of waste are well known and can be observed especially in developing countries. As science and technology developed, the management of an ever increasing volume of waste became a very organized, specialized and complex activity. The characteristics of waste material evolved in line with changes in lifestyle, and the number of new chemical substances present in the various waste streams increased dramatically. The long-term health effects of exposure to substances present in the waste, or produced at waste disposal facilities are more diffi cult to measure, especially when their concentrations are very small and when there are other exposure pathways (e.g. food, soil). Nonetheless, lack of evidence can cause public concern. Well-publicized industrial accidents, often unrelated to waste management activities , have produced a NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome that causes fi erce opposition to the construction of landfi lls, incinerators, or other waste disposal facilities. Government and health authorities are under increasing pressure from the public to provide epidemiological evidence of potential adverse health effects produced by these activities. Thousands of manuscripts have been published on the impact of emissions in proximity of waste disposal sites.