SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ISSUE IN MALAYSIA

Litter at the roadside, drains clogged up with rubbish and rivers filled with filthy garbage definitely indicate that solid waste is a major environmental problem in Malaysia. As of the year 2008, 23,000 tons of waste is produced each day in Malaysia, with less than 5% of the waste being recycled. In Selangor alone, waste generated in 1997 was over 3000 tons/day and the amount of waste is expected to rise up to 5700t/day in the year 2017. 19% of waste ends up in our drains, which then causes flash floods and drainage blockage. This situation has reduced our environmental capacity to sustain life.

Despite the massive amount and complexity of waste produced, the standards of waste management in Malaysia are still poor. Waste that end up in water bodies negatively charged the chemical composition of the water and will affect all ecosystems existing in water causing cause harm to animals that drink the water.

Soil contamination is another environmental effect. When plants transpire, they suck in the hazardous chemical into their bulks. Consequently, any animals or human that consume these plants will be infected too.

            Bad waste management practice can also cause respiratory problems and other adverse health effects as contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body. In addition, leachate is a major problem of environmental effect. Leachate is defined as a liquid that forms as water trickles through contaminated areas. It is a very harmful mixture of chemical that may result in hazardous substance entering surface water, groundwater and soil.

           Exposure to hazardous waste can affect human health. The group at risk from the unscientific disposal of solid waste include the population in areas where there is no proper waste disposal method and whose water supply has become contaminated either due to waste dumping or leakage from landfill sites. Examples of infections or health problems are skin and blood infections resulting from direct contact with waste and eye and respiratory infections resulting from exposure to infected dust, especially during landfill operations.

WHO estimate that 2.1 million people die annually from diarrhea diseases due to parasite worm infection related to improper waste management.   Other than that, disposal of health-care wastes require special attention since it can create major health hazards, such as Hepatitis B and C, through wounds caused by discarded syringes.