The Hazards of Wastewater

Water is a vital component of life and an essential component of any community. Water courses through homes, schools, parks and offices. Used water is often exposed to significant amounts of chemical and biological agents that can be harmful to humans. Nellie J. Brown at Cornell University classifies a community's wastewater as sewage and argues that both industrial and residential sewage sources exist in any community. The Center to Protect Workers' Rights (CPWR) points out that sewage treatment workers are at high risk due to their proximity to wastewater. The hazards are manifold but can be broken down into several classes of hazard.

Biological Hazards of Wastewater

• Biological organisms are common in wastewater.

  Water is often referred to by scientists as the source of life, and many organisms can survive in water. Some of these are harmful to humans.

  Viruses such as those causing tetanus, diphtheria and hepatitis can live in wastewater, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

  The CPWR points out that bacteria thrive in wastewater. Bacterial infections that can result due to wastewater exposure include salmonella, cholera and typhoid.

  Fungal infestations are also present in wastewater. Nellie J. Brown points out that there are hundreds of industrial contaminants that make their way into sewage, many of which harbor fungi that pose a threat to human health.

Chemical Hazards of Sewage

• The chlorine in pools is common in wastewater.

  With hundreds of industrial contaminants potentially present in wastewater, there are dozens or more dangerous combinations that may harm humans who come into contact with sewage.

  According to the Pennsylvania DEP, methane and carbon dioxide are common chemical byproducts of wastewater. If caught in a small enclosed space with a quantity of sewage, these gases can crowd out oxygen and asphyxiate anyone trapped in the area.

  The CPWR also demonstrates that the accidental ingestion of wastewater can be extremely hazardous. Wastewater can contain chlorine and common household cleaners that are poisonous if ingested.

Physical Hazards of Wastewater

• Wastewater can also pose a physical hazard, especially to sewage workers or anyone who lives too close to sewage infrastructure.

  The Pennsylvania DEP argues that drowning is a major hazard in sewage treatment facilities and in nearby infrastructure. Individuals can fall into dangerous high-speed currents and be unable to stay afloat or be carried into hard objects.

  Construction near wastewater can also be hazardous. According to the CPWR, trenches dug in the vicinity of wastewater pools or conduits can become inundated and collapse, burying anyone inside.

Ecological Sewage Hazards

• Mosquitoes are a common disease carrier that breed in stagnant water.

  Additional ecological dangers are posed by wastewater. Nellie J. Brown points out that wastewater is often a conduit for radioactive materials discharged from medical facilities. Radioactive materials may gather in sewage pools and endanger any nearby people or creatures.

  Mosquitoes are yet another hazard posed by wastewater. They are hardy insects capable of breeding in stagnant pools and are known to carry diseases to any mammal they bite.