Identification of hazardous solid waste (HSW) at Universitas Andalas, Limau Manis campus, Padang City

¹ Departement of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Padang, 25163, Indonesia
² Doctoral Programme in Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Andalas, Padang, 25163, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: yenni@eng.unand.ac.id

Abstract

In its operations, the Universitas Andalas Limau Manis Campus generates hazardous solid waste (HSW); however, no specific management is in place. This study aims to identify the HSW generated at Universitas Andalas Limau Manis Campus, including analyzing the waste generation rate, composition, and characteristics. Measurements were conducted at 36 sampling points representing office, academic, student, and other campus activities, with a confidence level of 99.92%. The analysis revealed that the specific HSW waste generation rate was 0.56 ± 0.28 g/person/day (0.10 ± 0.03 g/m²/day) by weight or 2.89 ± 1.19 mL/person/day (0.56 ± 0.16 mL/m²/day) by volume. The total HSW generation was 37.59 kg/day (169.68 L/day), accounting for 1.6% of the campus’s total waste. The composition of HSW includes HSW products 0.58%, HSW packaging 23.43%, electronic waste 46.35%, and expired or off-specification HSW products 29.65%. The HSW characteristics identified were toxic 76.70%, corrosive 13.19% and flammable 10.11%. Currently, HSW is mixed with non-HSW and ends up in landfills, except for electronic waste, which is stored in warehouses. This situation poses risks to health and the environment, thus highlighting the need for a specific HSW management plan.