The Treatment, Storage and Transportation of Contaminated Waste

Contaminated waste can be treated in many cases to render it harmless, or at least less harmful, to the environment. This is usually the preferred option as long term storage of the waste brings with it a whole set of new problems that have to be dealt with.

Often the waste needs to be transported from its source to a treatment facility. If the waste is hazardous, as is often the case, then it needs to be managed in a way that stays within the law and abides by the many regulations governing such waste.

Companies that produce in excess of 500 kilograms or 500 litres of contaminated waste in any year, that is also hazardous, must register with the Environment Agency in the UK. Registering is easy. It can be performed by telephone or through email, or the appropriate paper form can be filled in and sent by post. There is a charge for registering.

Moving or transporting contaminated waste requires a consignment note. This identifies the type of waste and becomes a means of tracking its movement. A registered waste carrier must be used to move or transport contaminated waste to a suitable treatment facility that must also have the appropriate permit for handling contaminated waste.

The treatment of contaminated waste depends on the type of waste. Some wastes can be treated with a water treatment system. Ultra violet light and titanium oxide can be used to break down substances posing a potential hazard. Poly-aromatics, pesticides and complex organics can be successfully treated in this way.

Inclined plate clarifiers can be used to separate suspended contaminated materials from liquids. The system uses a gravity effect to separate the heavier oils and sludge from the water by forcing contaminated water up an inclined plate. This system is commonly used where suspended solids need to be removed. Removal rates down to one part per million can be achieved in this way.

Inclined plate clarifiers can be used with various kinds of filters to achieve impressive decontamination of liquids. They are often to be found used in conjunction with oil skimmers and gravity separators as well as other successful technologies.

Contaminated waste can be anything from oily water to naturally occurring radioactive material waste or NORM. The degree of treatment required is of course different in every case. NORM requires highly specialised teams who had received the proper intensive training, while oily water can be treated in a much easier and simpler way.

Many industries produce contaminated waste as part of their natural production and every day work. The chemical industry, oil industry, hospitals, farms and others are examples of industries that have to deal with their waste on a daily basis.

Sometimes the treatment of the waste is contracted out and dealt with in that way. Large industries, such as oil and gas and certain chemical work may deal with their waste in-house. Either way, it is always essential that contaminated waste is dealt with responsibly and properly in order to protect the people who may come into contact with it as well as the environment.