Abstract
Pollution is in vogue and this thesis deals with some aspects of pollution as well as waste management. The background and causes of today's problems are examined and the legal situation discussed. The nature of the material under discussion and its effects on the environment are established. Chapters 4 to 7 deal, in detail, with the methods for disposal and/or treatment and/or use of the material. Chapter 8 attempts to de-limit the size of the problem and Chapter 9 examines the consequences of bad or no management. The perspective of agricultural wastes in the Agricultural environment and in the National environment is then ascertained in Chapters 10 and 11. These latter two Chapters may, perhaps, be the most important as personal, subjective opinion from various sources is introduced. The facts established in the previous Chapters are used to determine the seriousness of the problems under discussion and the remedial actions that are available are examined from a cost/benefit basis. The benefits are subjective. The final Chapter is simply labled "The Future" and contains the inherent dangers of prediction. Agriculture deals with natural resources and re-cycling of wastes is essential to the industry's success. Depletion of a resource may produce problems, as may an imbalance. This thesis concerns an imbalance; it is easy to ignore the situation as if it didn't exist.