Preface

This book provides guidance on assessment and management of radioactive and electronic waste. It refers to those wastes classified as unwanted materials generated from nuclear and industrial activities. These wastes impose the need to modify or change the character of raw or primary materials available to support or sustain the disposal of radioactive and electronic waste or new reuse in case of electronic waste. The development and application of approaches and technologies that provide economic and safe management is an essential issue in the treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes.

The authors have summarized their experience and present advances in relevant fields related to assessing the management of these materials. The book contains five chapters, organized in three sections that cover important research aspects of hazardous waste management technologies. The first section is an introductory chapter prepared by the editor to present a brief background on the generation, composting, types, and management of hazardous waste.

The second section presents the biological assessment and remediation of hazardous wastes. It comprises two chapters that deal with the toxicity testing bioassay using *Aremetia* spp. as a biological model. The use of this model is widespread due to its advantages. The first chapter is prepared by Yin Lu and Jie Yu. The second chapter, Phytoremediation of hazardous radioactive wastes, is prepared by Deepak Yadav and Pradeep Kumar.

The third section presents recycling and disposal of electronic waste, where Lucier and Gareau present the handling and regulation of e-waste as both a hazardous waste stream and as a source of secondary raw materials in the past decade. Okorhi Johnson prepared the last chapter in this book and it covers conducting the wastes from Industrialized Nations: A Socio-economic inquiry on E-waste Management for the Recycling Sector in Nigeria.

The editor wishes to thank all the participants in this book for their valuable contributions and to Ms. Nina Kalinic Babic for her assistance in finalizing the work. Acknowledgment for the IntechOpen staff members responsible for the completion of this book and other publications for free visible knowledge.

> **Hosam El-Din Mostafa Saleh** Atomic Energy Authority of Egypt, Cairo, Egypt

**1**

Section 1

Introduction

Section 1 Introduction

**3**

waste [3].

four characteristics [4]:

• *Ignitability* or something flammable

• *Reactivity* or something explosive

• *Corrosivity* or something that can rust or decompose

• *Toxicity* or something poisonous (EPA, USA, etc.)

**Chapter 1**

Wastes

**1. Introduction**

and/or toxic [1].

dangerous illness.

Introductory Chapter: Hazardous

Hazardous wastes can be defined as materials and equipment generated due to either natural or various anthropogenic activities and spiked with hazard ingredients, which there is no further use as well. Therefore, hazardous wastes are materials, direct disposal of which can pose threats to man and his environment. They can be explosive, flammable, oxidizing, poisonous/infectious, radioactive, corrosive

According to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) [40C.F.R. 261.31-33], a hazardous waste can be defined as a spiked material that poses a substantial threat to human health and/or his environment when segregated, sorted, handled, treated, stored, transported and disposed of under improper as well as uncontrolled conditions. Moreover, as spiked material, it has the capability to cause or can contribute to elevate mortality or a rise in epidemic and

Hazardous waste generation and accumulation are the most acute brain teaser within the last two centuries, opposing world attention and priority for decisionmaking. Since the industrial revolution started, the hazardous wastes problem caused great and broaden damage to man's Ecosystems, therefore, it becomes an issue of serious not only for national but also for international concern [2].

Department of Environment and Energy, Australian Government, prescribed

However, the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) summarized that into

hazardous waste as which has any of the following characteristics: explosive; flammable liquids/solids; poisonous, toxic, ecotoxic; infectious substances, clinical wastes; waste oils/water, hydrocarbons/water mixtures, emulsions; wastes from the production, formulation and use of resins, latex, plasticizers, glues/adhesives; wastes resulting from surface treatment of metals and plastics; residues arising from industrial waste disposal operations; wastes which contain certain compounds such as copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead and other heavy metals and asbestos; household waste; or residues arising from the incineration of household

*Hosam M. Saleh and Samir B. Eskander*
