Are lagoons efficient for summer wastewater treatment in northern decentralized communities to ensure environmental and human health?

Abstract

Among wastewater treatment methods, wastewater treatment lagoons are popular in northern decentralized regions. There is however a shortage of studies on northern wastewater treatment efficiency. This research addresses this gap by sequentially evaluating lagoon efficiency in a northern Canadian community, aiming to determine the feasibility or the necessity for improvement or alternative methods. The study encompasses physicochemical and human enteric viruses' detection in wastewater, crucial for mitigating environmental and public health risks. Wastewater lagoons exhibited removal efficiencies of 94.10 % for total suspended solids (TSS), 70.5 % for total solids (TS), 99.89 % for ammonium (NH4), 61.53 % for total nitrogen (TN), 65.85 % for phosphate (PO43−), and 91.3 % for chemical oxygen demand (COD). Human noroviruses GI and GII were detected in raw wastewater and lagoon samples, indicating their presence in the community's sewage system. The inefficiency of the lagoon system in reducing TSS, COD, and PO43− to below standard levels, along with the presence of viruses, raises concerns for environmental and human health in the region, especially considering the community's heavy dependence on land and water resources. Urgent measures are imperative to address these inefficiencies for the well-being of both the environment and the community.