Ehalt Macedo, Heloisa, et al. “Distribution and Characteristics of Wastewater Treatment Plants within the Global River Network.” Earth System Science Data, Copernicus GmbH, 9 Feb. 2022, https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/14/559/2022/.
The efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in removing pollutants is an issue. The Plants focus on the removal of organic matter and macro-pollutants. Plants can not permanently remove specific contaminants from the water. Specifically, ones that could have detrimental effects on people are released into the environment. These contaminants’ dilution is usually not enough to have a significant impact. These go downstream through rivers and combine with other harmful chemicals that hurt the biodiversity of the ecosystem.
The pollutants that go into these bodies of water, lake, ocean, and rivers can have detrimental impacts on wildlife and the ecosystem. It is on a lower scale than what is happening out in the ocean with the plastic and the fish, birds, and turtles getting involved with it. It is an unnatural source of chemicals that disrupt biodiversity. We see this in the bleaching of the reefs. A combination of artificial issues results in whole ecosystems dying, which has a chain reaction too. While wastewater treatment plants have good effects and intentions for the environment when it comes to sustainability, it is unnatural and has to be monitored so it doesn’t become worse than it is better.
Wow, I had no idea that this was happening. As of now, do you think that Wastewater treatment plants are a net positive or negative? If positive, do you think that if left as they are for a while, they will become negative?
Hey, thanks for the response. This issue was definitely news to me before researching this. As of right now in this situation it is negative, if it is having bad effects on the environment around it, that is a sign it I not going well.
I agree with you that these pollutants seem very troubling and almost cause a problem in solving one. How do you think we can decide the value of different things when we have to make a tough decision like this?
Hey thanks for the response, there definitely isn’t a super quick easy solution to this problem as it is very expenisve. I think in these scenarios the well-being of the environment needs to be prioritized in these decisions.