Page 425 - AWSAR 2.0

Legacy waste at Brahmapuram waste treatment plant.
Ambient air sampling at Brahmapuram MSW plant.
waste dumps and collected 10 ash samples from distinct spots over the burned area. We started our journey back to NIIST at around 7.30 p.m. The laboratory analysis of air and ash samples were completed in 2 weeks, and unsafe levels were found in the samples. An estimated quantity of 1800 tonnes of MSW caught fire during the incident. Now, the emission factor determined by the simulated waste combustion study became a handy tool to assess the total emission. Further, 72 mg TEQ of dioxins were estimated to be formed during the incident. While only a very small fraction of the dioxins generated reached humans through various pathways, the total dioxins generated were sufficient to exceed a
An accidental fire at Brahmapuram plant.
Ash sampling at Brahmapuram MSW plant.
tolerable annual intake of 1.3 million persons. The fire breakout study report was also submitted to KSPCB and other governmental bodies along with recommendations.
At the end of the day, we were quite satisfied with the fruitfulness of emission factors determined by simulated waste combustion studies. Moreover, we could contribute as a team to the societal benefit and raised the relevance of the unique facility at NIIST. We are now focused on disseminating the knowledge and creating awareness among the general public about the harmful effects of the open burning of MSW. We are confident that these efforts will sensitize all the stakeholders and lead us to sustainable waste management.
Mr. Ajay S. V. || 401