SOURCE WATER CONTAMINATION RESOURCES

• Supporting Innovations To Reduce Nitrogen Pollution From Septic Systems

  Septic systems are common in coastal marine communities on the East Coast of the United States. Septic systems consist of subsurface wastewater treatment structure and use a combination of natural processes and technology to treat residential sanitary waste and greywater from bathrooms, kitchen drains, and laundry. Partially cleaned wastewater is discharged from septic tanks into drain fields, where the water is further treated through biological processes as it travels through gravel, soil, and can eventually reach groundwater. Groundwater linkages with surface waters can then transport any nutrients and contaminants that are present in discharge directly into coastal waters.

• AFFF Contamination — A Precursor To Long-Term Environmental Hazards

  Although aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) has been used to save lives, it may be impairing the health of many more. The persistent and pervasive nature of PFAS is again the culprit.

• Cyanotoxins Treatment Strategies For Water Utilities

  The last couple of years, many newspaper headlines were reporting animal poisonings and deaths, particularly concerning seizure in dogs following drinking from, or just swimming in, water sources contaminated with cyanobacterial blooms. Epidemiological evidence has proven the issue does not limit only to animals, as symptoms of poisoning were detected in humans following consumption of drinking water containing cyanotoxins (cyanobacterial toxins).

• Plastic Micro- And Nanoparticles In Drinking Water And Foods

  The prospect of plastics working their way into humans is a rising concern for the public, with information presented to them from various, and sometimes suspect, sources. To cut through the noise, findings from the top available sources — detailed international reviews — are presented here with commentary.

• Coronavirus And The Water Cycle — Here Is What Treatment Professionals Need To Know

  As the global health community tracks the spread of this virus, it’s important for water and wastewater professionals to keep updated on potential impacts.

• 4 Benefits Of Electrocoagulation For Groundwater Treatment

  Even though groundwater sources are somewhat safer from pollution and contamination due to their underground location, they are still susceptible.

• U.S. Military Bases With Cancer-Linked Contaminated Water Are Undercounted

  Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of an estimated 5,000 man-made fluorinated chemicals that have been used, since the 1940s, in the manufacturing processes of various consumer products and industries. PFAS are widely used, especially because of their oil and water repellency and temperature and chemical resistance.

• Mine Waste Dams Threaten The Environment, Even When They Don't Fail

  Scars from large mining operations are permanently etched across the landscapes of the world. The environmental damage and human health hazards that these activities create may be both severe and irreversible.

• 4 Benefits Of Electrocoagulation For Arsenic Removal From Water

  In water and wastewater treatment, arsenic is classfied as a heavy metal. It is well known for its toxicity and it can cause numerous health problems in humans if consumed at high enough doses. Arsenic can affect the skin, liver, kidneys, bladder, and prostate as well as the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, immune, and endocrine systems. Due to the many health risks associated with arsenic, the U.S. EPA has set the drinking water standard at 10 ppb as the maximum allowable concentration in drinking water. Therefore, this is the goal of all treatment systems for arsenic removal from water.

• Sustainability Trends In The Water Industry: A Focus On Microplastics In Wastewater Treatment

  Plastic has had tremendous impact on society in ways both large and small, such as with microplastics — tiny substances creating a huge problem.