Why is sewage a pollutant?

What it provides

Sewage is considered a pollutant because it contains a wide range of harmful substances that can have negative impacts on the environment when released. These substances include bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and nutrients that can harm aquatic life, wildlife and human health.

Microorganisms

One of the main reasons why sewage is harmful to the environment is because it contains high levels of bacteria and viruses. These microorganisms can cause disease in both humans and animals, and can also lead to the death of fish and other aquatic life.
Sewage contains bacteria and viruses at far higher concentrations than are found in humans because it is a mixture of waste water and human excreta, which contains a large amount of microorganisms. Normally, the microorganisms that are present in the human body, such as bacteria and viruses, are present in low numbers and are not harmful to the body. They are present in the gut, skin and other parts of the body, and they perform important functions such as helping to digest food, maintaining the health of the skin, and protecting the body from disease. However, when these microorganisms are present in high numbers, as they are in sewage, they can cause infections and other health problems.

Sewage also contains other sources of microorganisms that are not usually found in humans such as those that are present in the environment and come from other sources such as agricultural runoff, industrial discharge and storm water runoff. These sources can add to the numbers of microorganisms present in sewage.

The reason that these microorganisms are present in far higher concentrations that they are in the human body is because they have the ideal conditions to grow and multiply. The warm, moist environment in sewage provides ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria and viruses, and the presence of organic matter in the sewage provides a food source for them. This allows the microorganisms to multiply and reach high concentrations in sewage.

Nutrients

Another reason why sewage is harmful to the environment is because it contains high levels of nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates. These nutrients can lead to an overgrowth of algae and other aquatic plants, which can consume oxygen and lead to a decrease in the dissolved oxygen concentration in the water. This can lead to the death of fish and other aquatic life, leading to the formation of dead zones, where there is not enough oxygen to support aquatic life.

There are several reasons why there are still nutrients left in urine and fecal matter when it is excreted from the human body. One reason is that the human body does not absorb or use all of the nutrients from the food we eat. Urine contains nutrients that are not able to be used by our bodies and the human body has a limited capacity to absorb certain nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals. Even when a person eats a healthy diet, they are biologically not be able to absorb all of the nutrients they eat. This means that some of the nutrients will be excreted and available for many microorganisms to use.

Other contributions

Sewage can also contains a wide range of chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers and industrial run oiff, which can be harmful to the environment. These chemicals can poison fish and other aquatic life, and can also contaminate the water, making it unsafe for human use.

Summary

Sewage is considered a pollutant because it contains a wide range of harmful substances that can have negative impacts on the environment when released into the environment. These substances include bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and nutrients that can harm aquatic life, wildlife and human health. As sewage has to exist because of dense populations centers, proper treatment of sewage is therefore crucial to minimize the negative impacts on the environment and human health.

23rd January 2023
Tom McNamara

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