Hazardous Waste Management in Sewage Treatment

Running head: HEALTHCARE
Hazardous waste management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction- Sewage treatment refers to the procedure of eliminating contaminants
from the wastewater generated in households and industries. Primarily, chemical, physical
and biological procedures are employed for the removal of contaminants that help in the
generation of treated wastewater, which is non-toxic enough for release into the surroundings
(Pronk et al., 2015). One common by-product of sewage treatment is slurry, commonly
referred to as sewage sludge that needs to be further treated, prior to its safe disposal or
incorporation to the land. Time and again it has been found that sewage treatment comprises
of five stages namely, pre-treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment, tertiary
treatment, and fourth treatment (Chiu et al., 2016). This essay will elaborate on two risks or
hazards to public health that arise from sewage treatment and will also discuss steps to
minimise or eliminate the risks.
Public health threats- Owing to the fact that urine and faeces from both animals and
humans carry several illness causing organisms, treated wastewater poses health problems.
One common public health threat that affects people working in sewage treatment facilities is
liver disease. It has been found that chronic exposure of people to the environmental
chemicals present in wastewater creates an impact on liver physiology. On investigating the
impact of these chemicals on liver, Filis et al. (2019) found an increased amount of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and comparatively less amount of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) amid males. Moreover, this exposure also creates an impact on
detoxification and xenobiotic response and bring about an alteration in lipid dynamics and
cancer-related pathways, thus increasing the likelihood of people to suffer from liver disease
due to sewage sludge exposure. Abnormalities in the liver due to sewage exposure can also
be accredited to the fact that sewage sludge results in significant alteration in the liver
proteome, in a sex-dependant fashion. Some proteins that have been identified in the sewage
water treatment affected spots comprise of detoxification enzymes, fatty acid oxidation

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enzymes, and important plasma-secreted proteins. An increase in transferrin and albumin
protein also affect liver function, thus triggering the onset and progress of hepatic diseases
(Filis et al., 2015).
Another public health threat is occupational lung disease. These lung diseases occur
due to prolonged exposure of the workers to particular irritants that are inhaled during
respiration, and the impacts persist, even after the exposure terminates. Chandra and Arora
(2018) found that despite the utilisation of different technologies like e Upflow Anaerobic
Sludge Blanket (UASB), Sedimentation, Fluidized Aerobic Bioreactor, and Trickling Filters,
workers employed in sewage treatment plants are continuously exposed to bacteria having
inflammatory potential. Noxious substances commonly include ammonia, carbon monoxide,
bioaerosol, hydrogen disulphide, and methane and increase the prevalence and incidence of
influenza like symptoms, sore throat, wheezing, cough, and production of sputum. Some of
the other common lung ailments reported by the workers are namely, lower airway
symptoms, chronic bronchitis, asthma, chronic phlegm, dyspnoea, and nasal catarrh. The
same has been confirmed by Haleema, Bhargava and Nirgude (2019) who found that sewage
treatment plant workers have forced expiratory volume with mild restriction, Moreover, they
also manifest signs and symptoms of small airway obstruction. Apart from the
aforementioned symptoms, impact of sewage exposure on the lungs can also be associated to
reports of cough with sputum, breathlessness, loss of consciousness, and blockage in the
airways. The prevalence of lung disorder can be accredited to lack of personal protective
equipment and the non-existence of sufficient barricades for preventing contact with clarifier
tank and anaerobic sludge reactor. Tuberculosis is another lung disease commonly reported
by people working in sewage treatment plants and occurs due to their chronic and toxic
exposure to bioaerosols and chemicals that are generated during the treatment process