Pollution from sewage

Fig. 3 Comparison of solid-phase biopiles (black bars) and bioslurry reactor (gray bars) in the removal of several emerging pollutants from sewage sludge with T. versicolor. Only compounds found during both kinds of treatment are included...

An adequate supply of clean, potable WATER is one of the primary requirements for good health. Traditionally, health hazards associated with water have been the classic waterborne diseases, namely, typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis. The advent, advancement, and practice of the science of bacteriology after the late 18th century led to the recognition of the causes and sources of these diseases, which resulted in the development of disinfection processes and in the recognition of the necessity to prevent public potable water sources from pollution from sewage and postdisinfection contamination. 

Markers of water pollution show the presence of pollution sources. These include herbicides indicative of agricultural runoff, fecal coliform bacteria that are characteristic of pollution from sewage, and pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical metabolites, and even caffeine that show contamination by domestic wastewater. 

The next sections discuss the removal of several groups of emerging pollutants at pre-existent concentrations from sewage sludge by means of fungal treatments in solid-phase biopiles, both under sterile and non-sterile conditions and in bioslurry reactors under sterile conditions. 

Chemical pollution From a qualitative point of view, an important common issue is the excess of chemicals (fertilisers and pesticides) associated with agrarian and livestock farming diffuse sources and the point-source discharge of (treated and untreated) sewage water. Industrial point-source pollution is not addressed as a relevant issue, but it is assumed that industries operate following the legal rules and only the incomplete elimination of industrial chemicals in urban wastewater treatment plants is perceived as a problem. 

HYAN [Hybrid anaerobic] A process for treating the supernatant liquor from sewage sludge treatment plants by anaerobic digestion. The methane produced is burnt to provide heat for the treatment plant and to destroy odors. Developed by a Canadian consortium and operated at the Lakeview Water Pollution Control Plant, Mississauga, Ontario, from 1991. 

Clean Water Act (CWA) was first enacted in 1948 as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. Subsequent extensive amendments defined the statute to be known as the CWA in 1972 it was further amended in 1977 and 1987. The CWA provides EPA authority to regulate effluents from sewage treatment works, chemical plants, and other industry sources into U.S. waterways. EPA has recently undertaken control efforts in on-point source pollution as well. 

Nitrification is a vital step in the process of biological elimination of nitrogen in sewage plants. The consortium of microorganisms involved in this process is usually very sensitive to many pollutants from different industrial and agricultural sources. The rapid detection of such pollutants is essential for processing of sewage. 

ENDS (1994) Dioxins from textiles pollute skin, sewage and rivers , The ENDS Report, no 235,... 

The most important industrial alkalis are the weak alkali ammonia (Section 9.3), caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), and lime (calcium oxide).1-6 For many industrial and agricultural purposes, the most economical source of alkali is lime, which is used in steelmaking and other metallurgical operations ( 45% of U.S. production of lime), in control of air pollution from smokestack gases (Chapter 8), in water and sewage treatment (Sections 9.6 and 14.5), in pulp and paper production (Section 10.4), in reduction of soil acidity, in cement and concrete manufacture (indirectly, as discussed later), and in many chemical processes such as paper making (Section 10.4). In short, lime is one of the most important of all chemical commodities. 

Pollutants from point sources domestic sewage (detergents), industrial effluents (synthetic organics, metal cyanides, metals, caustic chemicals), landfill waste disposal (metallic ions, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, and synthetic organics). 

Couillard, D. Zhu, S. (1992). Bacterial leaching of heavy metals from sewage sludge for agricultural application. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 63, 67-80. 

Sauerbeck, D. R. (1991). Plant, element and soil properties governing uptake and availability of heavy metals derived from sewage sludge. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 57-58, 227-37. 

Another common source of groundwater pollution is sewage, which includes drainage from septic tanks and inadequate or broken sewer lines. Animal sewage, especially from factory-style animal farms, is also a source of groundwater (and river water) pollution. Sewage water contains bacteria, which if untreated can cause waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and infectious hepatitis. If the contaminated groundwater travels relatively quickly... 

Domestic and municipal wastes, both from sewage and from disposal of chemicals, are another major source of chemical pollutants. At the turn of the twentieth century, municipal wastes received no treatment and were discharged directly into rivers or oceans. Even today, many older treatment plants do not provide sufficient treatment, especially plants in which both storm water and sewage are combined. In addition to organic matter, pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, and metals are significant pollutants discharged from urban areas. 

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