Wastewater Odour Control Equipments are one of the best technical infrastructure systems required for treating wastewater. The location of these facilities is equally important as they. It is because such facilities can cause some negative externalities, which can negatively affect the people and the environment.
Several gases come out of wastewater treatment plants and cause odour. They are generated because of different processes and reactions during wastewater treatment. The formation and concentration of those compounds usually vary with time, waste composition, temperature, and Ph.
Have a look at some of the major gases that causes these smell and how they put an effect on health:
· Hydrogen sulphide: These gas concentrations depend on their overall concentration in the liquid phase and the ambient equilibrium conditions. At non-toxic levels, hydrogen sulphide has an odour similar to rotten eggs. At toxic levels, this gas will paralyze a person's capability to detect the odour and quickly make a victim unconscious.
· Carbon dioxide and methane: They have very little or no odour characteristics and possess a saturated gas density of 1.5 and 0.6 when compared with air. Methane is highly flammable with a wide range of explosiveness and a low flashpoint. All these characteristics lead to fire and explosion hazards.
· Ammonia has a different and robust odour with better warning characteristics even before they attain toxic levels.
All these gases appear colorless at a concentration that is encountered in any wastewater. Some of the significant health concerns and effects of these gases from wastewater are
· Poisoning from hydrogen sulphide, Asphyxiation from any displaced or consumed oxygen.
· Reduced vigilance or tiredness because of less level of oxygen.
· Biological contamination.
· Wastewater related diseases. Some of the common biological agents that are found in sewer systems are parasites, bacteria and viruses. Some common diseases are tuberculosis, common cold, adenovirus, coxsackie, dysentery, Rotavirus pathogen, SARS.
· Hydrogen sulphide is one of the most significant causes of death in the workplace. Even at concentrations of approx. 300 ppm, the gas is deadly. It gets absorbed through the lungs and sometimes gets absorbed through mucous membranes and the skin.
· Any chronic health impacts of these gases have not been established yet. Some of the general symptoms of non-acute levels of exposure are eye irritation, dizziness, headaches and weakness.
· Similarly, methane is one of the asphyxiants but do not cause a significant physiological response.
So, in this way wastewater treatment plant odour control puts an impact on the health.
