Pollution from Hotel Industry
- Pollution of various forms is a cause of great concern for the existence of life on the earth. One of the most disconcerting effects of pollution is global warming. Other direct effects include increasing health problems, mental stress and strain, increase in the number of endangered species, ecological imbalance among others.
- Hotels are properties where the very high intensity of human and machine activities occur day in and day out. This is bound to produce all sorts of pollution and is subject to very stringent pollution control measures.
- In tourist destinations, there will be surface transport carrying guests to and from the hotels, thereby causing great pollution from automobile emission.
- Hotel Industry contributes to the following types of pollution:
- Water pollution
- Air pollution
- Soil pollution
- Noise pollution
Hotels and Water Pollution
- Rampant discharge of wastewater and effluents into water bodies has played havoc with hygiene and ecology.
- Wastewater disposal without proper treatment has severely affected marine life and living of downstream people using the water bodies for economic as well as day to day use of water.
- Discharge of hot water also produces pollution in changing the aquatic environment of water bodies.
- Hotels produce a lot of wastewater and many of them have now installed their own STP, which contributes greatly to reducing pollution as well as gaining economy by way of reuse of clear water.
- This pollution can be minimized at the source by restricting chemicals that mix with water.
Hotels and Air Pollution
- Hotels liberate gases and contaminated air from various utilities, such as kitchen gas and firewood ovens, fume from materials being cooked, boiler and diesel generating set exhausts, and release of refrigerant CFC, if there is any leakage.
- If the boiler is fired with pulverized (powdered) coal, the exhaust gas will have a lot of dust particles leading to air pollution.
- Diesel engines also produce pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon mono oxide and oxides of nitrogen.
Hotels and Soil Pollution
- Hotels contribute to soil pollution by dumping their solid waste and sludge into the soil.
- Excessive dumping of untreated or semi treated sewage and sludge may lead to contamination of soil and also produce a foul odor.
Hotels and Noise Pollution
Hotels have quite a few noises generating sources such as engines, pumps, motors, etc. And sound produced in banquet halls.
Liquid Waste (Sewage) its treatment and disposal
- Hotels produce a lot of wastewater and usually, the wastewater is disposed of in water bodies such as river, sea, lake or as landfill.
- But acc. to the norms of the PCB (Pollution Control Board), sewage needs to be properly treated before it is disposed of.
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