scholarly journals Impact on the Quality of Life When Living Close to a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Vantarakis ◽  
S. Paparrodopoulos ◽  
P. Kokkinos ◽  
G. Vantarakis ◽  
K. Fragou ◽  
...  

The objective of the study was to investigate the impact on the quality of life of people living close to a municipal wastewater treatment plant. A case control study, including 235 inhabitants living within a 500 m radius by a municipal wastewater treatment plant (cases) and 97 inhabitants living in a different area (controls), was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was self-completed by the participants which examined the general health perception and the overall life satisfaction. Also, the concentration of airborne pathogenic microorganisms in aerosol samples collected around the wastewater treatment plant was investigated. Significant risk for symptoms such as headache, unusual tiredness, and concentration difficulties was recorded and an increased possibility for respiratory and skin diseases was reported. A high rate of the cases being irritable and moody was noticed. Significantly higher gastrointestinal symptoms were also reported among the cases in relation to the controls. The prevalence of pathogenic airborne microorganisms originating from the wastewater treatment plant was reported in high numbers in sampling points close to the wastewater treatment plant. More analytical epidemiological investigations are needed to determine the cause as well as the burden of the diseases to inhabitants living surrounding the wastewater treatment plant.

2019 ◽  
Vol 252 ◽  
pp. 09009
Author(s):  
Dariusz Majerek ◽  
Sylwia Duda ◽  
Roman Babko ◽  
Marcin K. Widomski

The assessment of the ratio of self-purification processes in the natural environment, including the water bodies of streams and rivers is possible by the means of the numerical modelling. Nonetheless, the reliability of results of the qualitative numerical calculations may be affected by the quality of the collected input data and efficiency of the model calibration. The commonly required input data include pollutants characteristics and coefficients for empirical equations of their transport and decay, while calibration of a model requires series of measurements of selected pollutants concentration in water. This paper presents studies of concentration of pollutants measured in the treated sanitary wastewater discharged to the Bystrzyca river from municipal wastewater treatment plant, and their concentrations measured directly in the river, above and below the location of discharge point. The performed qualitative measurements of treated sewage discharged from municipal wastewater treatment plant and water of the Bystrzyca river included determination of COD, BOD5, N-NH4, N-NO2, N-NNO3, TKN, TN, TP and TSS concentration. The presented results of measurements are the first step in development and calibration of the model, allowing to successfully predict the influence of discharged sanitary wastewater on quality of water in the river.


2000 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 31-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Carraro ◽  
E. Fea ◽  
S. Salva ◽  
G. Gilli

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWTP) on the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts in the receiving water. All MWTP effluent samples were Giardia and Cryptosporidium contaminated, although low mean values were found for both parasites (0.21±0.06 oocysts/L; 1.39±0.51 cysts/L). Otherwise, in the raw sewage a greater concentration was detected (4.5±0.3 oocysts/L; 53.6±6.8 cysts/L). The major occurrence of Giardia over Cryptosporidium, both in the influent and in the effluent of the MWTP, is probably related to the human sewage contribution to the wastewater. Data on protozoa contamination of the receiving water body demonstrated similar concentrations in the samples collected before (0.21±0.07 oocysts/L; 1.31±0.38 cysts/L) and after (0.17±0.09 oocysts/L and 1.01±1.05 cysts/L) the plant effluent discharge. The results of this study suggest that the MWTP has no impact related to Giardia and Cryptosporidium river water contamination, and underline the need for investigation into the effectiveness of these protozoa removal by less technologically advanced MWTPs which are the most widespread and could probably show a lower ability to reduce protozoa.


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