I listened today to a discussion of “personal health care products” and pharmaceuticals in the effluent of sewage treatment plants. Few stories can be more discouraging. These substances, unlike industrial pollutants which can be kept out of the municipal system by pretreatment program, originate in what has always been regarded as the “uncontrollable sources,” i.e., the domestic sources of municipal sewage, but they are passing through the sewage treatment process and into aquatic environments where they are not harmless. It appears to be an impossible problem; one that, at best, we can make a dent in by reducing disposal of unused pharmaceuticals. But in fact, the problem is not insuperable. Most of the chemicals pharmaceuticals and personal products can be extracted from wastewater by biological processes, and if not biodegrade, at least sequestered and kept out of the receiving water. This is not true of all of them, but it appears that “advanced biological treatment” can offer a solution to a major portion of the problem. Furthermore, this can probably be achieved within the structure of an existing secondary treatment plant — we can upgrade the bugs, without have to build new banks of treatment tanks.
Ideally, then, advanced biotreatment would not necessitate a multi-billion dollar construction program. However, my guess is that it will inevitably become the future for municipal treatment. EPA won’t get there any time soon, and it won’t go there by itself, but that is where we are heading. A new layer of cost, but a promising alternative to the prospect of uncontrollable loadings of endocrine disruptors and other forms of toxicity into our rivers, lakes and coastal harbors.
Tags: Environment, water pollution
