S.M. MALAYAMAN THIRUMUDIKARI AND T. RAKESH SHARMA
Abstract
As a result of liberalization, privatisation, and globalization policies in India, industrialization, and urbanization progressed rapidly. This led to an increase in the number of growing cities. In these growing cities, waste generation has increased. Handling the waste had been a great challenge for them. Segregation of wastes and composting of organic waste, along with appropriate disposal of non-biodegradable waste according to its nature, is a sustainable solution. In the current situation, since municipal solid waste contains heavy metals, these metals are also present in the resulting compost. When compost containing heavy metals and other contaminants are used in agriculture, they can impact soil fertility, human health, and the environment. For this study, 32 developing cities in Tamil Nadu were selected and thirty-two samples were taken from their RRP (Resource Recovery Park). This study reveals the extent to which four heavy metals, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni), are present in the compost, Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) was used to determine the levels of these heavy metals. The levels of the four heavy metals are below the maximum limits set by the government. However, 85.5 mg/kg of lead in Kannanur and 47 mg/kg of chromium in Mamallapuram are higher than in other urban local bodies. This is due to the floating population, more economic activities, and industries in those areas. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of clearly separating metal containing waste at the initial stage, identifying and continuously monitoring the sources of metal contamination, using the right technology during composting, and creating awareness among the public about the harmful effects of heavy metals.