Wastewater recycling and reuse
Mallikarjun Janardan Iyyer1986, American Journal of Public Health
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Abstract
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The paper discusses the long-standing practice of reclaiming wastewater for agricultural use and the emerging health concerns associated with its direct and indirect consumption. It highlights historical examples, such as the case in Chanute, Kansas, where municipal wastewater was treated and reused during a water crisis, noting the challenges in public acceptance despite meeting safety standards. The paper emphasizes the need for careful consideration of the potential health impacts of using treated wastewater, particularly in areas facing water scarcity, while also underscoring the importance of proper treatment processes.
Key takeaways
- California has been a leader in developing standards for reclaimed wastewaters used in agriculture and for the recharge of groundwaters.4 0"9'26 In lieu of standards for assessing the quality of reclaimed wastewater, Work, et al,27 proposed that treatment at Denver be capable of removing the increment added to the waste through use, thus returning the water to the quality initially present in the water supply source.
- If the reclaimed water was to be of the same or better quality than the current supply, results of a Denver survey showed that 84.1 per cent of the public agreed to some degree.27'32 Some 63 per cent of Denver residents favored eventual potable water reuse.27 Bruvold33 characterized the members of the public and the individuals having the most favorable attitude toward reusing reclaimed wastewater for drinking as well as those that did not have a favorable attitude.
- In conclusion, the direct reuse of reclaimed wastewaters for potable purposes should be deferred until enough scientific evidence is available to adequately assess the potentially adverse health effects, both acute and chronic.
- Cesarean section usage in the United States has increased dramatically in the past few decades from around 3 per cent to 20 per cent of all births.
- Obviously, if cesarean section is reserved for the babies with a better survival chance, it will make for a higher relative risk for vaginal delivery.
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Treated wastewater (TWW) reuse in South Africa is historically limited to irrigation of recreation facilities (sports fields, urban parklands). In rare instances, uses of these waters are allowed for food-related activities such as fodder production. Environmental health practitioners discourage reuse of TWW for aquaculture and production of edible crops for fear of adverse health effects. However, South Africa is a semi-arid county with erratic rainfall patterns. Demands from communities in and around urban areas to use treated wastewater for food production in small-scale farming practices are rapidly increasing. The Department of Health applies the South African Guidelines for the Permissible Re-Use of Treated Sewage Effluents (1978) to help regulate reuse of treated wastewater. The Guideline approach appears to favour the treatment method -and configuration that produces the effluent -as a benchmark for decision-making rather than the actual quality of such effluent. Reuse applications that involve more elaborate treatment facilities (primary, secondary and tertiary treatment processes within the configuration) would generally be favourably considered for purposes of food production and recreation-related applications. Applications for the reuse of effluent from waste stabilisation pond systems (WSP) are generally discouraged -regardless of the effluent quality. To illustrate this discrepancy a study was undertaken over a period of twelve months to assess the levels of faecal coliform bacteria in the effluent of two system categories. ➀ Two fully configured waste stabilisation facilities. ➁ Two waste stabilisation ponds, each consisting of a series of an initial anaerobic pond followed by several facultative ponds and ending with maturation ponds. There were no statistical significant differences in the effluent quality. Further discrepancies are illustrated in another study undertaken over the same period that compared the levels of faecal coliform bacteria in the effluents of the abovementioned system categories to that of a public stream receiving polluted urban surface runoff. There were statistically significant differences in the quality, with higher levels of faecal coliforms in the stream. Yet, unrestricted irrigation of food crops could be undertaken from the public stream. In practice this implies that the Guide (1978) does not provide the public health protection desired, nor suitable discretionary measures that may conditionally permit the reuse of treated wastewater -regardless of the system producing the effluent. Officials would therefore tend to implement an absolute precautionary principlethereby denying poor communities the sustainable use of a valuable resource.
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Rice*, J., P. Westerhoff, A. Wutich. (2013) Assessment of De Facto Wastewater Reuse: Trends between 1980 and 2008. Environmental Science & Technology. DOI: 10.1021/es402792s.
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Global concerns about water scarcity have led to studies and approaches to beneficial reuse of treated wastewater. Today, in many countries in the world, studies are carried out on sustainable water resources management and water efficiency in order not to face bad scenarios. The reclamation and reuse of used water is considered as a globally accepted solution alternative. Due to the decreasing fresh water resources, the treatment of waste water with appropriate methods and the evaluation of its reuse in various fields has become a necessity today. In order to eliminate the shortage of fresh water, the use of treated wastewater other than drinking water is encouraged. Studies show that treated domestic and industrial wastewater can be used in many areas such as agriculture, aquaculture, industrial, domestic and recreational use in many parts of the world.....................
Reuse of Treated Wastewater for Beneficial Effluent Management in Arid Environments
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