Page 36 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

Environmental and Health Effects Due to the Usage of Wastewater 17

waters, and as a result, the individuals who consumed the mercury-contaminated
fish and seafood were severely affected by Minamata disease. The methylmercury-
affected Shiranui Sea is an island ocean in the southwest locale of Japan’s Kyushu
2
Island. It is around 60 km long and 20 km wide, covering a range of 1200 km .
At the time of methylmercury contamination, around 200,000 individuals living on
the shoreline of the ocean who engaged in the fishing business were affected by
2
Minamata disease. In Minamata Bay, 71,000 m of slope with high mercury content
(over 100 ppm) was secured with soil (recovery region), and 1,539,000 m of the water
2
region containing mercury at 25 ppm or higher on the ocean depths was dug (digging
region). Furthermore, there are no effective remedies for the sickness; only palliative
treatment, restoration treatment, physiotherapy, needle therapy, and moxibustion are
being offered to patients. As of March 1992, 2252 patients had been authoritatively
diagnosed as having Minamata sickness, of whom 1043 have died. A total of 12,127
people claiming to have the sickness have not been recognized as Minamata disease
patients, and what is more, 1968 people are still awaiting the result of examination
by the Examining Board for the Acknowledgment of Minamata Disease Patients.
Around 2000 people not authoritatively recognized as patients are presently in court.
Minamata disease has not stopped, and these individuals require help and assistance.

1.8 FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
As we have discussed in this chapter, wastewater poses a serious threat to the environ-
ment. Fresh water is the only promising source of drinking water and water for irriga-
tion. The undesirable addition of harmful substances to the environment damages the
fresh water sources. Contaminants such as heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, and other
harmful chemicals are not easily degradable, and they are capable of being bioaccu-
mulated into the tissues of living organisms. These contaminants enter the food chain
and are thus accumulated into the organism. Due to this water pollution, fresh water
sources are severely damaged, and it also causes water scarcity. Primarily, govern-
ments should introduce stringent rules to control the discharge of harmful pollutants
into water bodies. Adequate monitoring of the wastewater should be done before it is
released into the water bodies. The only promising remedy to reduce the toxic effects
of wastewater is wastewater treatment. Through wastewater treatment, the harmful
contaminants can be removed from the water, and the toxicity of the wastewater can
be reduced before it is released into the receiving waters. To accomplish unpolluted
wastewater release into receiving water bodies, there is a need for cautious planning,
satisfactory and appropriate treatment, and the observation and proper enactment of
standards. This involves both science and human support, and proper information
about the ill effects of the wastewater must be given to the public. These are some of
the measures through which the severe effects of the wastewater can be minimized.

1.9 CONCLUSION
Water is a fundamental source of energy for all the living beings in the world, and it
is the basic requirement for the survival of human beings. The quantity and quality
of the water are being progressively degraded due to industrial and anthropogenic