Coastal water receives a lot of land-based pollutants, and one of the main sources is sewage pollution. The sources are mainly human waste, dishwashing or food disposal.
Land-based pollutants tend to go in coastal water and can affect rivers and streams. Further, this sewage pollution in river can infect water, which is used for agriculture, homes and not to mention aquatic life.
In addition to the nutrients which can cause over-enrichment of receiving water bodies, sewage pollution carries an array of potential disease-causing microbes known as pathogens.
How Does Sewage Pollute Water
Different types of raw sewage go into coastal or river water. Their categories are domestic, industrial, solid, toxic, etc. However, domestic sewage is the primary source of polluted water. So, the question is how sewage water problems begin?.
Domestic sewage includes human waste, which leads to pathogens and it is a threat to human health as organic matter decomposes naturally in the sewage by bacteria and other microorganisms. The microorganisms causes sewage pollution and harms the aquatic life.
In addition to this, improper disposal of solid waste causes river pollution. Solid waste is the primary cause of pollution in the rivers, and raw sewage adds to the damage. A significant amount of solid waste is damaging aquatic life and the ecosystem.
Effects of Releasing Untreated Sewage into a River
Releasing raw sewage causes river pollution and introduces large amounts of nutrients into the water. This process is known as eutrophication that causes pollution rivers and has severe consequences.
When raw sewage enters the water, it contains a lot of nitrogen and phosphorus. They can stimulate the growth of algae such as phytoplankton in the water or mats known as biofilms in the sediments, which can lead to algal blooms.
The algae covers the polluted water and blocks the sunlight from reaching the ecosystem in the water, which does not let plants photosynthesize. It’s one of the leading causes of sewage pollution as these plants die; they are eaten by bacteria which reduces oxygen in the water, killing fishes and other ocean organisms.
Water Pollution Sewage Treatment
Sewage pollution in rivers can be treated but it takes a lot of effort and equipment. The methods used are physical, biological, chemical, and sludge water treatment.
Sewage pollution in water gets dissolved, and it isn’t easy to extract.
- Physical treatment : It’s a process of removing small or large floating raw sewage through two processes of sedimentation and filtration.
- Biological treatment : It’s a process by which human waste or other degrading waste are treated by bacteria or microorganisms that converts raw sewage into byproducts like sludge.
- Chemical treatment : It’s a process in which chemicals are used to treat sewage water problems. Chemicals sterilize wastewater so that it does not transmit infections.
- Sludge water treatment : It’s a process to use microorganisms to feed on the organic compliments of raw sewage.
A more significant amount of river pollution will need a whole process for it to be treated. The treatment depends on where and how the raw sewage is collected in the water body. It can be treated and reused for agricultural purposes, and specific filters are installed as well to prevent sewage water problems.
Sewage pollution is a common issue and a serious one too. Polluted water affects the ecosystem in the water, and aquatic life is the one that is seriously in danger. We can pledge to take a stand and use certain water treatment plants to manage sewage pollution.
The topic of this blog is How Sewage Pollution Ends Up In Rivers, but you have divided this artlcle in three sections; how sewage pollutes water, sewage affects on river and how its treated.
According to the topic, your main focus should be on the ways sewage pollution ends up in water. Since you have already written the blog, you can change the topic maybe?
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