Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 3
Engineered Phyto-Covers as Natural Caps for
Containment of Hazardous Mine and Municipal
Solid Waste Dump Sites-Possible Energy
Sources
M. N. V. Prasad
Abstract
In India the estimated mineral deposits are about 20,000 representing
about 60 different kinds. At most of these reserves mining activity is in progress.
Abandoned mine sites and smelting areas have often been neglected for restora-
tion. Ecorestoration is a necessary step failing which the detrimental effects would
be loss of forest cover, leaching of toxic substances, contamination of cultivated
land and ultimately posing threat to biodiversity. Establishment of phyto-cover for
containment of hazardous waste, and municipal solid waste; phyto-treatment tech-
nologies for environmental remediation and possibilities for energy generation are
presented in this paper.
Keywords
Aluminium smelter
·
Constructed wetland
·
Engineered vegetative
cover
·
Fly ash
·
India
·
Odisha
·
Phyto-treatment
·
Spent pot-line
1 Introduction
The demand of natural resources by the global population of 7 billion is resulting in
technogenic and anthropogenic pollution. Often these pollutants are piled up result-
ing in hazardous waste. Unless these hazardous waste dumps are handled properly,
the toxic spills keep spreading uncontrollably in the environment “a true chemical
time bomb”. We are currently living in a world of insecurities. Often we refer to
environmental security, energy security, food security, nutritional security and water
security etc.
India is forging ahead to attain high GDP growth rate to achieve the status of
industrialized and developed world 2020. In order to achieve this heavy consump-
tion of natural resources is inevitable. The other side of the coin of this task is enor-
mous waste generation. The waste management summit held in 2012 has estimated
