Page 35 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

16 Life Cycle Assessment of Wastewater Treatment

viruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses, echoviruses, and hepatitis A virus. These viruses
most commonly cause infections in the liver and eye, causing diseases such as men-
ingitis and liver damage.
1.6.2.3 Diseases Caused by Parasites
Among the protozoa living in wastewater, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora,
and Giardia lamblia are notable for causing disturbance in the intestine, resulting in
serious diarrhea, eye infections, lactose intolerance, and hypothyroidism, and even
leading to death. Parasitic worms such as nematodes, flatworms, and leeches cause
infection in humans and are transmitted through wastewater.

1.6.2.4 Effects of Agricultural Chemicals
Agricultural wastes consist of phosphorus and nitrogen, and the presence of excess
nutrients in the wastewater causes eutrophication, which results in the growth of
unwanted toxin-synthesizing algal species. The consumption of such toxins causes
skin diseases, gastroenteritis, nervous system damage, and liver damage. The tox-
ins produced by the cyanobacteria seem to be carcinogenic. The intake of nitrites,
even at low concentration, results in a deadly disease called methemoglobinemia.
Methemoglobinemia is related to nitrates in drinking water above the most extreme
contaminant level (10 mg L ) as set by the US Environmental Assurance Agency.
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1.6.2.5 Effects of Endocrine Disrupters
EDC are highly toxic to human and animal health. They disturb the endocrine system
by emulating, blocking, or upsetting the secretion of hormones that are most essential for
the health of humans and other species. EDC specifically affect the reproductive system
of human beings by diminishing sperm count and damaging the reproductive system.
EDC also cause tumors in specific regions such as the prostate, the ovary, and the tes-
ticles. They cause alterations in the function of the reproductive system, change sexual
behavior, and disturb the immune system (Bolong et al., 2009; Akpor and Muchie, 2011).

1.6.3 effecTs of Dyes
Azo colors are among the first natural compounds to be related to human tumors.
Many are not cancer-causing agents. An azo dye such as Congo dye affects the
respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. It causes eye infection and
irritates the eye (Chawla et al., 2017). Malachite green is a frequently used dye,
and it is a major carcinogen, causing cancer in the vital organs (Pathania et al.,
2016). Malachite green suppresses the immune system and the reproductive system
of human beings. It is highly toxic to fish at trace concentrations and affects the
chromosomes, as it is a mutagen (Srivastava et al., 2004).

1.7 CASE STUDY ON WASTEWATER EFFECTS ON HUMANS
Minamata disease is one of the most dreadful genuine instances of illness caused by
the release of wastewater from a modern plant into the environment. Methylmercury
from the industrial waste discharge contaminated the marine life in the encompassing