Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Waste disposal sites – South Africa – Limpopo'

Thesis ( MPH.) --University of Limpopo, 2014
The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practices among households at Ga-Mokgwathi Village regarding the disposal of mercury coated bulbs. Cross-sectional design with quantitative approach was used in this study. The study objectives were to determine the knowledge about the disposal methods of mercury coated bulbs and also to determine the practices of handling broken mercury coated bulbs among the villagers of Ga-Mokgwathi. Data collection was done using self-administered questionnaires. Cluster random sampling was used in the study where a total number of 338 households were randomly selected to participate in the study. The results indicated that 36.7 % of the households at Ga-Mokgwathi Village had knowledge of safe disposal methods of mercury coated bulbs, 7.7% were not sure and 55.6% did not have such knowledge. Furthermore, the results indicated that 51.5% of the households had improper practices regarding the handling of broken mercury coated bulbs, 6.2% were not sure and 42.3% had proper practices regarding the handling of broken mercury coated bulb. The results of the study concluded that the majority of people were lacking knowledge of proper disposal methods and the handling of mercury coated bulbs. These results necessitate education of people about the disposal methods and handling of mercury coated bulbs.

Poverty and unemployment in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape is forcing thousands of vulnerable people into waste picking. There is growing recognition that waste re-claimers contribute to the local economy, to public health and to environmental sustainability. However, they often face low social status, tragic living and working conditions, and little support from local governments. The waste reclaimers of the Raymond Mhlaba Municipal area are unemployed, experiencing a poorer quality of life and feeling even more socially and economically excluded from the rest of society because of the “limitations” on landfill salvaging currently. Moreover, they have developed feelings of resentment and anger that have resulted in defiant acts of trespassing and theft. This social development study highlights the implications of landfill closure for waste salvagers in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. Landfilling has been the main method for municipal waste disposal in Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality. To combat the effects of uncontrolled release of landfill gases, the uncontrolled release of leachate that may affect water quality many landfills in the Eastern Cape are being considered for close down and for rehabilitation. To consider as well is the socio-economic backlog and anticipated population growth in the province, which means that landfill salvaging will continue to be an important source of revenue for the poor and homeless. This research used observation, semi-structured one-on-one interviewing, focus group interviewing and questionnaires as well as conducted a review of waste management policy-related documents and secondary data analysis in this qualitative research to analyse the social and the economic impacts. The research found that waste reclaimers in the Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality area disagreed with the closure of the Fort Beaufort landfill because of what the researcher assumed to be a lack of general environmental awareness and because of their vulnerability to poverty. Research findings also highlight that waste reclamation can be considered as a viable option to minimize waste at landfills and waste reclaimers have shown an increasing interest and commitment to being trained formally to continue reclamation work. This study has suggested disadvantages in rural landfill closure, without feasible alternatives. Focus must move away from extending waste collection and closing down landfills and instead improve final disposal and initiating minimisation- recycling programs as part of their strategies through the formation of waste cooperatives. This research suggests formalizing and controlling waste recovery to cater for the immediate and most basic needs of the poor. The recommendations will hopefully influence thinking about waste management policy planning and implementation in general, and be of service to furthering Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality achieve goals of sustainable employment creation and poverty alleviation.

MENVSC
Department of Ecology and Resource Management
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strategic management of the Thohoyandou Block J landfill site. There are limited documented materials on strategic management of landfill sites in South Africa. As a result, this study sought to close this gap and expose new insights that it deemed to be of great importance in the management and operations of landfill sites. The capacity of a TBJ landfill site in terms of its efficiency in disposing waste, adherence to rules and procedures and the overall management of the site are the key areas of this study. The dominant types and sources of solid waste disposed at the TBJ landfill site, efficiency and effectiveness of operation of TBJ landfill site and operational challenges are the main areas covered in this study. The study adopted the mixed methods approach, involving both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Both primary and secondary data were acquired. Primary data were obtained through a questionnaire, an interview and field observation, using an observation checklist. Secondary data were obtained from ArcGIS Desktop Help 9.2 and documented materials from the Thulamela Local Municipality and the TBJ landfill site, the Integrated Waste Management Plan, Integrated Development Plan, TBJ landfill site’s monthly report, audit report and landfill site’s operating plan. Basically, field observation and a questionnaire completed by the waste manager, landfill operator and supervisor, were used to collect data on the operational challenges of TBJ landfill site and to obtain data on the efficiency and effectiveness at which the TBJ landfill site is operating. Waste pickers were interviewed and field observation was undertaken, to identify the dominant types and sources of waste disposed at the TBJ landfill site. A questionnaire completed by TBJ landfill operator, ArcGIS Desktop Help 9.2 for field measurement, reports of the amount of waste recorded and the municipality’s database, were utilized to elicit data regarding the determination of the capacity of TBJ landfill site. The results obtained revealed that the TBJ landfill site’s remaining capacity is 317 085 m3, which will be exhausted in the next 4 years. Plastics were found to be the dominant waste disposed at the TBJ landfill site, at 40%, followed by card-boxes, which constituted 32%. The dominant sources of solid waste generation in the TBJ landfill site were households, at 51%, followed by commercial, at 31% and industrial, at 11%. The absence of a weighbridge, to weigh loads of waste, frequent break down of equipment, lack of equipment required to operate the TBJ landfill site efficiently and the presence of fire hazards, were some of the
NRF

This research aimed to investigate an area of research that has largely been overlooked in the past, that is, the efficiency, profitability and sustainability of informal waste recycling in semi-urban areas. In exploring the research topic, a recycling buyback centre was used as a case study. The centre facilitates collection, sorting and selling of waste and is located in Senwabarwana, Northern Limpopo Province. Here the P.E.A.C.E (Planning, Education, Agriculture, Cooperatives and Environment) Foundation, an organisation looking at rural poverty alleviation in South Africa, initiated a flagship recycling buyback centre as a community project. This research picks up on prior research that was conducted on a similar project initiated by the same organisation in Ndumo, KwaZulu Natal. Even though the location is different from KwaZulu Natal, both Senwabarwana and Ndumo are faced with similar challenges affecting social, economic and environmental circumstances. Five objectives were identified to provide structure to this research. Through action research, the study assessed the sustainability of this recycling buyback centre with regard to the impact on social, economic and environmental factors within Senwabarwana. It also covered problems experienced in rolling out waste management initiatives within the semi-urban study location and assessed the municipal framework with regard to waste and how waste is managed and recycled. Furthermore, analyses of the waste data generated at the recycling centre was examined that culminated in offering solutions to the identified problems. Recommendations for acceptable practices in semi-urban waste management are made to enable further research and potentially up-scaling the project for application in other geographic areas. The study reports both qualitative and quantitative data collected through the investigation of the case study in the start-up phase. The data gathering was done through administering questionnaires to waste pickers associated with the case study centre. Telephonic and face-to-face interviews and secondary data were interchangeably used to address each of the five objectives. The results from the data gathered show that, if properly coordinated and structured, informal waste recycling in semi-urban communities is possible and can contribute positively to the socio-economic and environmental development of these areas. It is envisaged that this study would contribute to the body of knowledge already in existence, whilst also creating an opportunity for further academic research and input within this field to enable the scaling-up of such initiatives.
Environmental Sciences
M. Sc. (Environmental Science)

MPH
Department of Public Health
The sanitary state of an area is largely influenced by waste handling practices of the residents and measures in place for safe waste evacuation and disposal. Despite strategies that the municipality and local communities have put in place; namely, collection of wastes in one central spot in some villages, littering of all types of wastes is still on the increase in many rural areas. The focus of this study was on common refuse generated at Khakhanwa Village, different waste management practices and the knowledge of villagers on the impact of poor refuse management. The study was carried out using the quantitative, descriptive methodology. A total population of 312 households participated. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and ethical aspects were taken into consideration. Data was analysed descriptively using SPSS version 22.0. It is presented using graphs, tables and pie chart. The findings show that the respondents satisfactorily showed understanding of waste management and the impact of poor waste management. Due to lack of waste services, the majority of the residents resort to storing wastes within their homes, burning it and disposing of it in open dumping sites as major waste management practices. The most familiar wastes in Khakhanwa village are decomposable wastes, napkins and plastics. These findings call for strengthened waste services in rural areas and more waste education amongst all villagers. Policies on waste management need to be put in motion. Communities need to be equipped with the knowledge of reducing, reusing and recycling for the purpose of limiting wastes. Finally school curricula should be adjusted such that they inform learners about waste management from early ages.

MENVSC
Department of Ecology and Resource Management
The main objective of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of municipal solid waste management system, its potential implication in Vhembe District Municipality, South Africa and to recommend strategies for effective management of municipal solid waste in the district. To achieve this, structured questionnaires, interviews, field observations and focus group discussions were used to collect primary data within the district. The study focused on the four local municipalities: Makhado, Thulamela, Musina and Collins Chabane. Desktop study was also undertaken to gather secondary data by reviewing journals, technical reports, books and articles. The study adopted a mixed method approach comprising of triangulation of qualitative and quantitative design. The target groups of the study were selected through purposive sampling. The respondents in the study were 21 officials from local municipalities including directors, waste managers, superintendents, landfill supervisor and interns. Data was collected using focus group interviews and questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics which involve the presentation of numerical facts, or data, in either tables or graphs form. Municipalities in the district are producing a considerable amount of solid waste. Municipalities do not adhere to the existing guidelines on waste minimization at source, for example; they do not have zero waste strategy (3R) reduce, reuse and recycle, which is the highest priority of the National Waste Management Policy. Lack of the application of existing waste management policy leads to large amount of solid waste eventually ending up in landfill sites. The study recommends to municipalities to develop operational and monitoring waste management plans which will create continuous improvement on waste management. In the district, it was observed that the bulk of waste generated per month within municipalities is general waste comprising 64%, as compared to garden waste and building rubbles. There are no equipment and programs in place by municipalities to encourage waste separation at source, for example, municipalities do not have household‟s recyclable receptacles to encourage separation at source. Municipalities do not have weighbridge to quantify waste entering the site. It was observed that Thulamela and Collins Chabane Local municipalities create compost from garden waste received at the landfill sites, whereas Musina and Makhado Local Municipalities do not create compost from garden waste. Garden waste is dumped and compacted with other waste materials in the landfills. All municipalities should create compost from garden waste received at the landfill sites as it helps to extend the life span of the landfills because it v reduces the amount of waste to the landfill. There is lack of prioritization within municipalities, for example, in Makhado Local Municipality, when the new financial start, budget is allocated to other proposed projects by councilors as they consider waste management projects not a priority. It was observed that within the district, there is high level of illegal dumping in catchment areas and open spaces especially at Musina Local Municipality. Musina Local Municipality is using a quarry as disposal site which was not lined and it has led to contamination of underground water by leachate, whereas Thulamela, Collins Chabane and Makhado Local Municipalities are using lined landfill sites to avoid contamination of underground water. The available vehicles within the municipalities are not enough to meet the demand and some of them are too old, for example, tractors and trucks used by Makhado Local Municipality are 20 years old and they often breakdown, whereas Thulamela, Collins Chabane and Musina Local Municipalities are not using old vehicles as they auctioned old vehicles and bought new ones. Vhembe District Municipality should manage waste in accordance to the new approach of source separation, waste reduction, reuse and recycling by developing environmental awareness programmes supported by the placement of the recyclable receptacles at strategic points to collect recyclable materials which will reduce large amount of waste which eventually ends up in landfills. The study recommends that municipalities should have law enforcement structure which will create and enforce the laws/policies as it helps municipalities to implement effective waste management system and monitoring structure to monitor prioritization and budget allocation to avoid any wastage. Municipalities should have landfill monitoring committees to facilitate the compliance on the development and operation of the landfills to avoid the use of quarry as landfill sites.
NRF

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016
Introduction The aim of the study was to determine the knowledge and practices of health care workers on medical waste disposal at George Masebe Hospital, Waterberg District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Method A cross sectional study was conducted and simple random sampling was used to select participants. Data was collected using self-administered questionnaire which where total of 141 participants were sampled using the Slovin formula. Data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Version 22 and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to answer the study objectives. Results The study shows that 43% of the respondents had good knowledge on medical waste disposal, 13% were not sure and 44% had insufficient knowledge. Forty nine percent (49%) of the respondents practiced safe medical waste disposal, 4, 3% were moderate in practice and 46, 1% had insufficient practice in place. There was no statistical significant relationship between knowledge and practice of medical waste disposal control measures of health care workers. Conclusion The study concluded that knowledge of the respondents on medical waste disposal was insufficient, there were satisfactory medical waste practices and there was no relationship between knowledge and practice.

MPH
Department of Public Health
Health and safety issues pertaining to workers are global concerns and a major priority to the employers and government respectively. Employees in general across industries are faced with various health and safety risks. Epidemiological research has shown consistently that waste handlers are mostly exposed to various risks and hazards during their work as compared to other professions globally. This study focused on waste handlers employed by the Thulamela Municipality in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study employed qualitative explorative design and targeted all municipal waste handlers. Municipal waste handlers were sampled using non probability purposive sampling. In-depth interviews, using an interview guide, were conducted by the researcher and a voice recorder was used to record data from the participants after obtaining permission from them. The sample size comprised of 18 participants and was determined by data saturation. A thematically analysis technique was used to analyse data. Data from the participants were clustered into main theme, categories and sub-categories. The following themes emerged from data analysis: physical hazards, psychological hazard, biological hazards and chemical hazard. The study revealed that the municipal waste handlers are exposed to various occupational risks and are experiencing shortage of personal protective equipment, ranging from hand gloves, safety helmets, rain coats, overall uniforms, safety jackets and boots, to keep themselves safe from health problems and occupational injury when collecting waste. It is recommended that the Thulamela municipality should prioritise the working conditions for municipal waste handlers, by distributing suitable personal protective equipment such as hands gloves, safety helmet, rain coats, safety jackets and boots) and overalls
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A final research report submitted in fulfilment of part of the requirements for the degree of MSc Project management in construction in the school of construction economics and management, University of Witwatersrand
Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste generation is a universal problem and available landfill space is reducing as landfills reach capacity. Despite the huge effect of construction and demolition waste on the environment, there has been very little research on legislation around waste, and it is therefore increasingly important that compliance with legislation pertaining to management and disposal of construction and demolition waste be assessed. This study explored departmental awareness of the Waste Act in the City of Johannesburg municipality and also in the utility Pikitup, and assessed how the Act has been able to reduce waste. Qualitative data collection techniques in the form of unstructured interviews were used to interview 4 persons in the City of Johannesburg legal department, and 3 persons in the Pikitup department. The challenges and barriers the municipality faces due to the ineffectiveness of the relevant legislation were assessed to gain insight into difficulties with compliance. In addition, the study evaluated the effectiveness of the enforcement strategies that have been used. The results revealed that there is little or no awareness of the legislation so it is difficult for construction site workers to apply it effectively in their waste management activities. In addition, the results exposed a need for a review of the Waste Act as it applies to smaller construction firms and also renovation works, since it was found that it is impracticable for smaller companies to comply effectively with the legislation. All in all, this research sheds more light on the legislation and its purpose, and also on the reasons why it has been quite difficult to achieve compliance with this legislation in the construction and demolition sector. The research will enable useful recommendations for the municipality and also potentially raise awareness of the importance of legislation within the construction community. Key words: Construction waste, Creation, Disposal, Legislation, Management,
GR2017

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science (Building) in Construction Project Management to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Construction Economics and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017
There is a problem of construction waste on construction sites. However, there are various strategies that can be employed; not only on construction sites, but generally on construction projects from the inception of the project to manage construction waste more effectively. Construction waste management can loosely be defined as a function of controlling waste on construction projects to limit its generation and disposal but enhance reduce and recycling. Construction waste mainly arises from design changes, poor choice of construction materials, improper material specifications, inappropriate strategies employed or wrong strategies implemented; leading to poor management of waste on construction projects. Construction waste can be ‘physical’ or ‘non-physical’. Physical construction waste refers to tangible solid waste of materials emanating from construction activities. Non-physical waste pertains to waste of time and project funds in the form of unnecessary expenditure. The aim of this study is to identify waste management strategies utilized on construction sites in Gauteng. Pertinent literature provided a basis of the study. A cross-sectional survey using three construction sites in Gauteng: an office building project, a road project and a civil works project was adopted. The most common strategies were found to be –proper selection of construction materials, proper planning and logical sequencing of construction work activities on a project. There is a variety of branded materials hence the need for proper selection of materials. Further, there are a lot of factors that influence the flow of work activities hence the requirement to keep track and plan activities accordingly to counter distortions. It is acknowledged that strategies found to be common in Gauteng are basic techniques in controlling construction waste generation and the results tied back to the literature. It was established that technological tools like Building Information Modeling are not yet common in Gauteng. Improvements on usage of prefabricated components and offsite manufacturing of components is recommended to stakeholders of the construction industry. It is also logical to conclude that waste management strategies employed on construction sites in Gauteng are anchored on factors of economic viability and government policies. In their quest to make projects profitable and in their efforts to make construction projects compliant to regulations, as a result, construction contractors achieve reductions in waste generation on construction projects. Therefore what the study found out are mainly practices that could, in addition to achieving primary aim, contribute to waste reduction. These strategies identified are implemented primarily to achieve time, cost and quality objectives and thus indirectly waste reduction.
MT2018

MENVSC
Department of Ecology and Resource Management
Over the years it has been observed that the solid waste sector has been an increasingly major contributor to the amount of Greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. To some extent a great chunk of these GHGs in the atmosphere is from Landfill gas (LFG). This study employs two theoretical models (LandGEM and Afvalzorg models) to estimate the amount of LFG emitted from Weltervenden and Thohoyandou landfill sites located in Limpopo province of South Africa. Furthermore, the study investigated the appropriate technique of the LFG utilisation as a source of electricity and the number of households using electricity. LFGcost model was used to estimate the cost and benefits related to the implementation of a LFG utilisation technology. Also, the possible health and environmental impacts of the landfill emissions on the people living closer to the landfill site were determined. The LandGEM model’s simulation concludes that CH4 and CO2 peaked in the year 2020 with values of 3.323 × 103 Mg/year and 9.118 × 103 Mg/year, respectively, for the Thohoyandou landfill. Results from the Afvalzorg model indicate that the CH4 peaked in the year 2020 with value of 3.501 × 103 Mg/year. Meanwhile the total emission of CH4 from 2005-2040 by the LandGEM and Afvalzorg models are 66200 Mg/year and 69768 Mg/year, respectively. However, for the Weltervenden landfill, the total LFG peaked in the year 2023 while the CH4 peak at 4061 Mg/year and 3128 Mg/year for LandGEM and Afvalzorg models, respectively. Furthermore, results from the cost analysis and benefits for the implementation of a LFG utilisation technology in both landfills show that the implementation of such a utilisation technology will be economically feasible considering the sale of t CO2 equivalent in the carbon market. However, without considering the sales of t CO2 equivalent, not all the LFG engines are economically feasible for both landfills. This study also shows that the residents living closer to the Thohoyandou landfill are at a higher risk of environmental pollution and could suffer negative impacts from the landfill than residents living far from the landfill site. However, the Weltervenden landfill did not have lots of communities living closer to the landfill and therefore it was not included in this study.
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Waste minimisation is implemented worldwide and has become an urgent priority in South Africa as evidenced in the promulgated National Environmental Management Waste Act (2008). The most common waste disposal method in South Africa is by landfill, which is unacceptable. Local municipalities have made little progress towards waste minimisation. The aim of this study was to present a solution to waste minimisation for the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM) by determining the feasibility of establishing composting facilities on landfill sites. One third of all municipal waste consists of green waste, which is compostable and can be converted on landfill sites. Nine municipal landfill sites were screened. The four most feasible sites were evaluated further by applying identified parameters that address physical, social and operational requirements. It is a possible to establish composting facilities on all four sites investigated, with Hatherley ranking as the most suited. The findings of this study clearly provided the basic parameters and requirements for constructing a composting facility and practical procedures applicable within a South African context. The evaluation method used can be applied as a model to evaluate similar studies in other municipalities to aid them in the decision-making process for waste minimisation.
Environmental Management
M.A. (Environmental Management)

M.Sc.
The location of a solid waste landfill site is not only determined by the need of the local population of an area but also by minimum requirements imposed by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. These minimum requirements act as a method of environmental protection against pollution caused by landfill sites. The objective of this study is to explore the utilization of a geographical information system as an aid in selecting the best possible location for a new solid waste dumping site. It is possible to determine the most appropriate location for such a new waste dumping site by using the minimum requirements set forward by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry as guidelines in the site selection process. The minimum requirements can be used to eliminate all those places that do not meet the necessary requirements. The remaining areas can all be considered as potential sites and must be investigated personally by the people responsible, in the local government. A need for a regional solid waste landfill site in the area of Howick, Hilton and Mpopomeni in the KwaZulu/Natal Midlands was identified and used as the basis for this study.

MESMEG
Department of Mining and Environmental Geology
The increase in the demand and market price of gold has led to reprocessing of gold tailings in many parts of the world. Mines are recently closing down due to depletion of resources and increasing mining costs leading to the reprocessing of old tailings dams. The cost of rehabilitation is high, and therefore a more convenient way of rehabilitation is required. The most convenient strategy identified here was to reprocess tailings for gold and use waste rocks as construction materials. The tailings residues (waste remaining after reprocessing) will be relocated to a more convenient place to avoid pollution. Gold reprocessing from tailings dams has gained momentum in South Africa especially in the Witwatersrand Basin where there are large volumes of tailings. Gold is being reprocessed from tailings in this area using hydraulic monitors. This study focused on the evaluation of gold and heavy metals within the tailings at Consolidated Murchison Mine tailings in Gravelotte, Limpopo province. Augering was conducted over the tailings up to a depth of 8 m along four sampling Profiles. The first profile had two sampling points, the second profile with three sampling points, the third and fourth profiles consisted of four and five sampling points respectively. Samples were collected at 1 m interval, therefore a total of 112 samples were collected and analysed for heavy metals using X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry and 84 samples were analysed for gold using fire assaying. Tailings sampling was accompanied with tailings logging, taking note of colour, texture and moisture content. Based on this, the oxidation status of the tailings dam was determined. Oxidation zone of this tailings dam was mainly from top down to a depth of 3 m. The transitional zone was not identified, hence after the oxidation zone, the rest was unoxidized zone. This study established that gold was erratically distributed within the tailings dam with the lowest and highest values of 200 mg/kg and 1880 mg/kg respectively and the average was 670 mg/kg. The tonnage of tailings within the dam was found to be 13 280 310 tons with a total gold amount of 8 897. 81 kg. At the current world market, this interprets to US$ 306 932 396.00 (R 4 281 706 924.20). It was concluded that this tailings dam is economically viable for reprocessing, although previous studies have indicated that it is not possible to extract gold from tailings dams completely. The heavy metal content of Pb, Ni and Cr were found to be high with average values of (ppm); 5631.5, 2062.6 and 1345 v respectively. The metals with the lowest values were Cd, Co and Cu, averaging (ppm); 0.01 ppm, 19.8 ppm and 42.1 ppm respectively. Heavy metal content in soil around the tailings dam was gradually decreasing with distance from the tailings dam. Waste rocks have been used in some parts of the world as sub-base material for engineering construction, hence in this study, a total of 6 waste rock samples were collected using grab sampling method for geostatistical investigation. Such samples were subjected to various geotechnical tests which included particle size distribution analysis (sieve analysis), Atterberg limit tests and laboratory compaction test to determine their suitability for construction. The waste rock material was found to be suitable for road construction as it was classified under Group A-1-a using the AASHTO classification system. The material consisted mainly of rock fragments, gravel and sand material with minor silt/clay. In general, Consolidated Murchison mine waste was found to be suitable for road construction.
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Bibliographical refernces appear at the end of each chapter
This study reviews solid waste management practices in Polokwane City. The study area covered some of the residential areas in Polokwane City; namely; Ivy Park, Fauna Park, Welgelegen, Westernburg and the City Centre. This article describes two main methods that were used to collect data; that is Qualitative and Quantitative method. Field survey was also made to validate data obtained from the participants that were interviewed during qualitative data process. After framing the problem, the objectives of Solid Waste Management Practices in Polokwane City were briefly outlined as follows: • Assess solid waste management practices in Polokwane City. • Make comparison on how households and the municipality take responsibility in storing, collecting, transporting, treating and disposing solid waste. • Investigate what problems the City encounters in managing solid waste. • Make relevant recommendations aimed at improving solid waste management practices within the City. The service management was administered by the municipality and private sector. From the five study residential areas, the Municipality manages waste in the City Centre while the private sector manages waste in the other residential areas. However, the City continues to play an administrative role over the contracted service provider. Statistical results were presented in figures and tables. The results showed the storage habits, frequency of collection, mode of transport and methods of disposal for solid waste in Polokwane City. The only method of disposal in the city was found to be landfilling. Activities that took place at the landfill site, such as reclaiming were outlined together with the economic values that these activities add to the City. The study also revealed that as population increases, the amount of solid waste generated also increased.
Environmental Sciences
M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017
The purpose of the study was to explore public perception on how sanitation has effects on the environment in the Polokwane Local Municipality. Quantitative, analytical research was conducted to determine community perceptions regarding the state of sanitation in Polokwane, that is to establish the perception of the effectiveness of the waste and refuse removal programme and to determine the extent of land pollution in the Polokwane Local Municipality. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires in which community members participated in the study. The total number of respondents, who were community members sampled randomly, was N = 136. The study has highlighted the areas of potential on perceptions of the community regarding the state of sanitation in Polokwane and the relationship of the perception, sanitation practices, the effectiveness of the waste and refuse removal programme and the extent of land pollution in Polokwane and settlement type. The findings of the research study include the following:  The study reveals that the Polokwane Local Municipality does not provide adequate sanitation throughout the municipality especially in the rural settlements;  The results reveal that the Polokwane Local Municipality still has a long way in the prevention and control of land pollution and river streams;  The study further finds that there is no frequent waste removal in the municipality especially in the suburban and rural settlement;  Furthermore, results reveal that there is no adequate hygiene education provision in the Polokwane Local Municipality. In conclusion, it is evident that the Polokwane Local Municipality experiences challenges of the provision of sanitation to the communities especially those who live in rural settlements. In the 21st century and two decades after democracy in South Africa, the residents of Polokwane still experiences sanitation challenges that were promised to be addressed in the dawn of democracy in 1994. Those challenges are land pollution, infrequent waste removal, illegal waste dumping, air and land pollution, river and stream pollution, inadequate hygiene education, inadequate sanitation provision in the rural settlement, lack of waste sorting options. The study recommends that the Polokwane local Municipality should provide adequate sanitation services in rural settlement. It should further develop measures to prevent environmental pollution and to foster communities to have a litter-free environment. The study further recommends that the municipality should have a frequent waste removal programme throughout the municipality even in the rural settlement and suburban areas. The municipality should prioritise community awareness campaigns to educate community members about the negative impact of littering. It is further recommended that, in addition to public awareness against littering, rubbish bins should be made available at all public places and street corners.

Two coal utility plants in South Africa selected (one from Sasol and another from Eskom) for this study produce large volumes of fly ash (over 40 Mt from Eskom at Tutuka, and 3 Mt from Sasol Synfuels at Secunda annually), and brines as by-products during coal processing. Co-disposal of the brines and fly ashes has been a normal practice in these coal-utility plants for decades. Long-term management of fly ash is necessary and requires an understanding and knowledge of how the different waste materials interact with water and brines in different chemical situations. However the geochemistry of their interactions, the leaching and mobility of elements in these disposal systems has not been fully understood. This work gives insights into the chemical processes taking place in the brine-water/brines systems that govern the concentrations of major and minor elements in ash leachates under different environmental conditions. The possible presence of organic compounds (subsequently referred to as 'organics') in brines and their effects on the leaching chemistry of fly ash was also studied. Sustainability and long term impact of the co-disposal of fly ash and brines on the environment was studied through static (batch tests) modeling of the pH-dependent acid neutralization capacity (ANC) tests and columns modeling for dynamic leach tests. The modeling was based on experimental results from other Sasol-Eskom ashbrine project collaborators. Modeling results of the ANC tests were in good agreement with the reported experimental results, which revealed that the release trends of various elements (including trace, heavy elements and contaminants) contained in fly ash into solution is highly pH dependent. However Na, K, Mo and Li exhibited constant solubilisation which was independent of pH changes from all the scenarios. The presence of different constituents of brines subjected to ANC resulted to different ANC capacities ranging from 0.98 moles H⁺/Kg dry ash (of ash-organics mixed with Mg-brines) to 3.87 H⁺/Kg dry ash for those with the C(4) brines. As expected, those constituents from the cationic brines were found on the lower region of acid addition (in the order Mg-brines < Ca-brines < Na-brines) while the anionic brines were found at the upper region of acid addition (in the order S(6)-brines < Cl-brines < C(4)-brines). In the middle region of acid addition were three important scenarios: that of ash with brine, ash without brines (i.e. ash with DMW) and ash with both ASW organics and combined brines. It was from these three scenarios that a generalization of the effect of brines and organics on the ANC was inferred. The ANC of ash with demineralised water (DMW) was 2.33 mol H⁺/Kg dry ash and that of ash with ASW organics lower at 2.12 mol H⁺/Kg dry ash which was the same value as that of ash with combined brines. This indicated that brines decreased the ANC of ash by about 9.01 % and which could be attributed to the acid-base neutralization process and the dynamics of solid phase dissolutions in response to the acid addition. Both fly ashes exhibited a typical pH > 12 (suspension in demineralised water) and the predominant cation even at this high pH is Ca²⁺ (at concentration > 0.002 mmol/L). This indicates that dissolution of CaO and formation of OH⁻ species at pH > 10 contributes to acid neutralisation capacity of both fly ashes and is the greatest contributor to the acid neutralizing capacity of both fly ashes. Two broad leaching behaviours as a function of pH were observed from the three fly ash-ASW organics-brines scenarios (i) leaching of Ca, Mg, Ni and Sr follows a cationic pattern where the concentration decreases monotonically as pH increases; (ii) leaching of Al, Fe, Ti and Zn follow an amphoteric pattern where the concentration increases at acidic and alkaline pH, although Al showed some anomaly from pH 11 where the concentration decreased with the increase in pH. Al showed an amphoteric pattern in which its release increased between pH 12.8 and 11 for all the scenarios and then decreased with decrease in pH down to neutral pH of 7. The batch leaching simulation results from hydrogeochemical modeling also showed that mineral dissolution, precipitation and new phase formation during ash-organics-brines interactions was controlled by pH. The newly formed phases however remain in equilibrium with the ash-brines-organics mixture. Each individual mineral phase dissolution/precipitation/formation system controls the concentration and speciation of the respective constituent elements as evidenced by the log C-pH diagrams obtained from the modeled scenarios. The ash-brines-organics interactions do exhibit and affect the mineralogical chemistry of fly ash. However the extent to which these interactions occur and their effect, varies from one scenario to another, and are dependent on the amounts and type of the constituent brine components. Organics do have a significant effect on dissolution characteristics of few minerals such as calcite, mullite, kaolinite, Ni₂SiO₄, and SrSiO₃ due to complexation effect. The effect is quantitatively conspicuous for calcite mineral phase and for the formation of some new phases such as Fe(OH)₃(am)-CF and portlandite. The composition of the liquid phase from acid neutralisation capacity experiments was successful.Hydrogeochemical modeling was used as a means to provide insights and understanding of the complex reactions taking place, speciation and mineralogical changes occurring. These changes would serve to predict future environmental scenarios when pH conditions change. In this study, an extension of the application field of PHREEQC hydrogeochemical code for modeling and simulation of equilibrium; kinetic and transport mechanisms associated with the interaction of water; and organics and brines with fly ash during their co-disposal is successfully demonstrated. The parameters associated with these mechanisms were used as inputs into the PHREEQC program using modified Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) database for inorganic brines and MINTEQ.V4 database for organics, and used to model the results of ANC test data for the fly ashes. A special reference is made to two separate modeled mineralogical ash recipes from two of the South African power utility plants' fly ash systems, namely, Tutuka and Secunda. The effects of brines in the leaching of major, minor and trace elements at various pH values and the mineralogical changes associated with the intermediate and final products from the interactions of ash-brines systems under different scenarios are qualitatively and quantatively discussed. Multiphase saturation characteristics have been determined for mineral species in contact with water and brines. The modeling results indicated that several mineral phases could be controlling the species concentration in the leachates, and the ANC and column modeling results corroborated well in many aspects with the experimental results obtained from collaborating institutions (South Africa Universities and Research institutions). In addition, application of the PHREEQC model to the ash heap under different disposal systems was carried out to predict the heap leachate composition and geochemical transformations taking place in a period of time. Pore water chemical analysis, and moisture content analysis revealed that contact of the ash with water is a crucial factor in the mobilization of the contaminants with time. Maximum weathering/dissolution of the ash is observed in the top layer (1-3) m and at the point of contact with the subsurface water level which was in good agreement with the model results. The surface layer and the very lowest layers of the dump in contact with lateral flows experience the highest degree of weathering leading to depletion of species. The geophysical transformation of fly ash was also captured through the porosity change calculations and the results revealed that geochemical reactions do affect the porosity of fly ash during the weathering processes. These modelling results were in agreement with the hydraulic tests and salt leaching tests conducted during Sasol-Eskom ashbrine project in Phase I which suggested that salts captured in the ash will become mobile and leach from the fly ash over time. The data therefore indicates that ash dumps may not act as sustainable salt sinks. These findings may have some bearing on engineering decisions on fly ash reuse. From the above observations, it is apparent that release of large quantities of the salts in the ash depends on the extent of its interaction with brines being used for irrigation or with water, either through plug-in flow after a rainfall event or contact with groundwater. The results revealed effects of brine-water contact time with fly ash, the flow volume and velocity, the pH, the degree of saturation, hydrogeology and ash heap geometry as important factors that affect fly ash transformation and weathering. Overall, the ash heap modeling enhanced the understanding of the ash-brines interactions and demonstrated that leachate composition is determined by the following factors; (i) the mass flows from the pores of fly ash, (ii) the surface dissolution of the mineral phases, (iii) the various chemical reactions involved during the ash-brine and ash-water interactions, (iv) the interactions with a gas phase (atmospheric CO₂), (v) the composition of the initial fly ash, and (vi) by the leachate flow and hydrodynamics as captured in the conceptual model. Any ash handling system should therefore be designed to take these criteria into consideration to prevent environmental contamination. The modeling results also gave indications that the ash-brine co-disposal in dry ash systems would be an unsustainable way of locking up brine salts in the long run. In this Thesis, modeling results were used to support experimental data which further reaffirmed the important role hydrogeochemical modeling plays in liquid and solid waste management. Furthermore, hydrogeochemical modeling complements the work of analytical/environmental scientists as well as guiding the future solid waste management and engineering decisions.
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.

The study is about how the development of a teaching and learning programme may lead proper waste management in Limpopo. It is a case study and ten schools were identified. The questionnaire was handed out to learners and educators who participated as respondents. From the analysis of the views expressed on the questionnaire completed by the learners and educators, they indicated that there is no waste management programmes. Literature review in this study indicated how teaching and learning programmes have been developed globally and in South Africa with reference to industries, communities and schools. The questionnaire revealed that many schools did not have waste management programmes therefore it was confirmed that the development of a teaching and learning programme could lead to proper waste management.
Further Teaching Education
M. Ed. (Environmental Education)

Integrated management of municipal and hazardous waste is one of the challenges facing the new municipalities in South Africa, especially those located in previously disadvantaged rural areas. However, much of the research on solid and hazardous waste management in South Africa has examined waste management problematics in urban areas, the majority of which are located within the jurisdiction of local governments which are comparatively effective in terms of providing adequate disposal services. By contrast, this study has examined the environmental risk assessment associated with unregulated landfill sites in the Albert Luthuli municipality, in the Mpumalanga province. The determination of the environmental risk was achieved by the use of questionnaire surveys and landfill analysis forms in selected study areas. The findings have highlighted a very high environmental risk, nearly four times and above, the threshold limits set by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT, 2005:15) for all of the landfill sites examined. Several exposure pathways stemming from associated environmental impacts have also been identified for the study. The higher environmental risk determined for the problem sites is ascribed to numerous factors, including their ill-planned location, the sensitivity and vulnerability of the natural environment and adjacent rural settlements, the lack of appropriate waste pre-treatment processes prior to disposal, and most significantly, the lack of regulatory and control measures to contain the myriad of environmental problems generated. In conclusion, it is recommended that several measures (including closure) should be taken in order to reduce and contain the magnitude of environmental risks involved.
Environmental Sciences
M.Sc.(Environmental Sciences)

This case study was done in KwaZulu–Natal province in South Africa within two municipalities Ethekwini and Umsunduzi Municipality. Three communities participated in this study. The research is motivated by the lack of cooperation between some municipalities and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in implementing the National Waste Management Strategy (NWMS) at a local level. The primary goal is to explore the availability and development of learning support materials (LSMs) that relates to waste management in collaboration with CBOs and local councillors. The secondary goal is to explore the use of learning support material to promote participation in the implementation of the NWMS. Coresearchers were from the Community Based Organisations as well as local councillors who are located within the communities of these CBOs. Pseudonyms for co-researchers from CBOs and Councillors and the name of their townships have been used to protect co-researchers. A literature review has been conducted to explore research that has been done on the development, usage, accessibility and distribution of the LSMs. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews; field visits to communities, tape recording of discussions and the keeping of a field journal. Some of the key findings included that LSMs is used by both CBOs and Councillors to try to reduce local environmental problems. It also identified that there are no formal mechanisms between CBOs and Municipalities in dealing with waste management programmes within the identified communities. The other important finding was that the participation of CBOs in the development of LSMs normally excludes the user groups as a result language used is not always understood. Illustrations used in some cases may be misinterpreted if the reader is not English literate as most of material in circulation is written in English. Some recommendations for further research have been made in relation to the findings made in the study. These included recommendations on the development, usage of LSMs, participation of stakeholders in resource development within the context of CBOs and local municipalities.