You probably manage or operate an industrial facility that deals with wastewater. And if you do, then it’s vital for you to acknowledge the fact that wastewater treatment can be crucial in enhancing the health of your business. Another reason why it is such an important process is if you avoid or ignore it, you could be fined by the government as dirty wastewater from your industrial setup could affect public health. Different industrial processes lead to different wastewater compositions. Some of the most common wastewater contaminants include the following-
Nitrates and phosphates-
The reason why nitrates and phosphates are considered a pollutant is because when they get dissolved in the wastewater of your factory, they cause harm to the local environment where this water is released. There is another phenomenon linked to it- biochemical oxygen demand or BOD. Now, you must be wondering what biochemical oxygen demand is. This is basically the amount of oxygen that is present in water in a dissolved form. This is used by organisms in water bodies that basically thrive on Oxygen. They use this oxygen to break organic matter into different tiny molecules. When the level of BOD is high, it indicates that the wastewater contains a higher concentration of biodegradable materials. Now, by biodegradable, we mean fertilizer, faecal matter, and the like. When this BOD level increases in water, the aquatic animals present there begin to suffer and eventually die due to lack of oxygen. The reason why this is so risky is that it could disrupt the balance in aquatic ecosystems where such wastewater, contaminated with biodegradable matter, is dumped.
Pathogens-
Microorganisms, which cause health problems, are referred to as pathogens. They might include fungi, viruses and bacteria. Industrial wastewater often remains contaminated with pathogens. And that is why when it is released in the environment, it causes a lot of health issues. And that is why a lot of companies go for industrial wastewater treatment. Some of the most common health problems caused by pathogens include skin issues and digestive disorders. Sometimes, even death might occur. Other diseases that might get spread include giardiasis, botulism, hepatitis A, dysentery and cholera. Now, how do pathogens get into the body? Well, they get into the body when people drink contaminated water or eat food or drink beverages prepared out of it.
Metals-
A lot of industries produce or release metals as by-products. These metals might look like non-harmful elements, but they can cause serious problems not just in the environment but also inside the human body. The problem with metals is that they don’t degrade, they don’t get dissolved, and they also don’t get destroyed. And that is why they tend to accumulate over time; as a result of which external and internal human environments become toxic.
These are certainly not the only contaminants present in industrial wastewater; there are many others. If you want to make sure that the wastewater going out of your industrial setup is non-harmful for the environment or the living creatures around, then you will have to go for wastewater treatment.
