Waste management refers to the process of collecting, moving, handling, and disposing of waste that results from human activities. In this case, waste management has the main aim of reducing waste in the environment, thus helping to minimize possible effects. This paper will present discuss cement waste, identify the impact it has on the environment and human health and offer recommendations on how to manage it. Cement waste comes from construction and manufacturing activities and needs to be appropriately managed to eliminate the effects it has on the environment and human health. Waste released from cement plants plays a significant role in polluting water and air. The cement manufacturing process releases poisonous and carcinogenic pollutants from the cement kiln, which, when inhaled, can be harmful to human health (Sreenivasan, 2021). The increasing demand for cement has enhanced the waste from manufacturing plants indicating that there is a need to develop effective measures and practices that will help to limit pollution.
Waste generated from cement plants contributes significantly to environmental pollution. The cement sector accounts for about five hundred thousand tons of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon monoxide in a year (Environmental Protection Agency, 2021). This results from the fact that cement is one of the materials used in many construction activities. The process of making cement involves firing limestone, clay, and other materials derived from the kiln (Ramsden, 2020). The energy created in the process and the chemical reaction contribute to the emission of carbon monoxide. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted from cement manufacture exceeds that of all automobiles in the world (Dezem, 2019). This shows an urgent need to manage the waste generated from activities that involve the use of cement.
Waste generated from cement plants has contributed significantly to climate change since it leads to the emission of greenhouse gases. The cement manufacturing process contributes to the emission of five percent of the greenhouse gases released worldwide (Morsali, 2017). In this case, the gases emitted from cement manufacturing plants can easily lead to extreme weather conditions, disrupting food supply patterns, acidic rain, and global warming. Nine in ten persons breathe the poisonous air released into the atmosphere, thus contracting respiratory diseases such as asthma, with many of them ending up dead as a result of complications (Etim et al., 2021). This shows that there is a great need to manage the waste generated from cement manufacturing plants to reduce adverse environmental and health effects.
One of the recommended practices to manage waste from cement manufacturing plants is using alternative fuel sources to reduce the emission of poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Alternative sources of fuel allow manufacturing industries to cut down on costs, enhance environmentally friendly waste disposal, and help to limit the release of greenhouse gases (International Finance Corporation, 2017). The UAE has started using camel dung as an alternative source of fuel in cement manufacturing industries to reduce emissions to the atmosphere and also eliminate animal waste from landfills (Reuters, 2019). Camel dung is collected from farmers and blended with coal in manufacturing companies. Two tons of camel dung produce the same amount of energy as a ton of coal and promise reduced emissions to the atmosphere. In their production operations, cement industries in the UAE have also started using fuel from household waste. This will help address the environmental challenges posed by using current energy sources.
One of the innovative solutions being undertaken in the UAE to manage waste is converting it into energy. To achieve this, the country has resorted to building a plant that helps to change waste into energy by burning garbage. The plant is targeted to help manage about two-thirds of the waste generated by households in the country (Ratcliffe, 2021). However, the strategy can only dispose of non-recyclable materials since it produces emissions. This might act as a barrier to the United Arab Emirates achieving its desire to eliminate carbon emissions. The biggest challenge faced by the UAE in managing waste is that it does not have facilities that can recycle household waste. The UAE has a ban that limits the transportation of hazardous waste by sea, land, or air to eliminate pollution (UAE, 2018). Dubai Municipality also announced the construction of a plant to convert solid waste to energy. This aimed to reduce landfills in the region and eliminate methane gas that results from them.
In conclusion, there is a need to adopt innovative solutions that will help to eliminate the gaseous emissions that result from cement-related activities. Emissions play a significant role in climatic changes and health problems among human beings. Inhalation of the gases leads to respiratory problems such as asthma. The emission of harmful gases to the atmosphere contributes to global warming, acidic rain, and extreme weather conditions. One of the solutions that can be used to manage cement waste is using alternative energy sources such as camel dung and household waste. This strategy will help to reduce the gases emitted into the atmosphere, thus reducing climatic changes and health problems. Failure to come up with innovative practices to manage cement waste will lead to a reduction in air quality in the future. In this case, the population will not have safe air to breathe and might end up experiencing health problems. This will increase the costs incurred in catering for medication and mortality. Failure to manage cement waste appropriately will also contribute to climatic changes, which will negatively affect the population.
References
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‌ Morsali, S. (2017). Cement production effects on human health with respect to cement lifecycle assessment.Researchgate. Web.
‌ Ramsden, K. (2020). Cement and concrete: The environmental impact.PSCI. Web.
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