Reducing occupational health risks by a novel sewage treatment (India)

The current global water resource scarcity due to climate change, urbanization, and increased water demand in the agricultural sector, has made wastewater treatment and reuse crucial for many countries worldwide. However, wastewater treatment and reuse are known to be associated with several public health and environment risks, which are often not well understood. This research focused on exploring to understand the occupational health risks associated with wastewater treatment and reuse, and to determine whether the novel Pavitra Ganga technology reduces the health risks. This was done using the sanitation safety planning approach to risk assessment in order to identify hazards and assess exposures. Semi-structured interviews, observations, document reviews and wastewater sample analysis were employed to determine the risk levels.The research concluded that there is a high concentration of E. Coli in the treated effluent which exposes the users to microbiological risks, coupled with the lack of usage of personal protective equipment. The novel technology was found to reduce associated health risks more than the existing technology at the treatment plant.