Hazardous wastes: the growing environmental threat in developing and developed countries

Hazardous wastes are posing the greatest threat to the environment than ever before. Indiscriminate transfer of technology from the Developed Nations for the production of highly hazardous chemicals can lead to a frequent contamination of the environment with the hazardous wastes. The situation appears to be very serious in many of the Third World Nations, where basic problems of water supply and sanitation still need a solution. Contamination of the ground and surface waters with hazardous materials is likely to increase in the developing countries, owing to lack of suitable monitoring techniques. Location of the industries producing hazardous chemicals in the crowded cities has to be prevented to obviate recurrence of serious catastrophes in future. The situation appears to be equally alarming in the developed countries, where ground and surface waters are at a greater risk of contamination with the hazardous wastes. Co disposal of solid chemical wastes with the municipal solid wastes will result in a greater contamination of the ground and surface waters, with longer lasting environmental effects. Hazardous gaseous spills can have serious environmental effects, particularly if the spills contain radioactive contaminants. The intensity of a hazardous gaseous spill can be greatly enhanced under abnormal meteorological conditions.