Waste Water and Health Risk

Waste Water As A Health Risk

Name: Samuel Oluwaremilekun K

7636903

University of Manitoba.

Wastewater is a term typically used to describe liquid wastes from two types of sources. The first source, sanitary sewage, is generated from homes, businesses, institutions and industries. The second source, storm water, is generated from rain or melting snow that drains off rooftops, lawns, parking lots, roads and other urban surfaces. Wastewater is collected by sewer systems and in most cases is treated before being released to the environment. In Canada for example, approximately 81% of the population is served by wastewater collection and treatment systems. The level of treatment ranges from no treatment to very sophisticated and thorough treatments. Wastewater effluents are released to a wide variety of receiving environments: lakes, ponds, streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans. Effluents released from wastewater systems do contain pollutants of concern since even advanced treatment systems are unable to remove all pollutants and chemicals. Furthermore the treatment of wastewater also releases emissions to air mostly in the form of carbon dioxide and methane (Chambers et al, 1997).

Several environmental and health impacts resulting from insufficient wastewater treatment have been identified. These impacts can include negative effects on fish and wildlife populations, oxygen depletion, beach closures and other restrictions on recreational water use, restrictions on fish and shellfish harvesting and consumption and restrictions on drinking water consumption. Decaying organic matter for example can use up dissolved oxygen in a lake so that fish and other aquatic organisms cannot survive. Excessive nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen (including ammonia), can cause eutrophication or over-fertilization of receiving waters, which can be toxic to aquatic organisms leading to a possible decline in certain...