Using wastes as resources
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Cicero, IL (United States)
The collection, treatment, and disposal of domestic and industrial wastewater, garbage, and other wastes present considerable problems in urban and semiurban areas of developing countries. Major benefits of using integrated treatment and resource recovery systems include waste stabilization, recovering energy as biogas, producing food from algae and fish, irrigation, improved public health, and aquatic weed control and use. Information and research are needed, however, to assesss the appropriateness, benefits, and limitations of such technology on a large scale. System configuration depends on the types and quantities of wastes available for processing. There must be enough collectable waste for the system to be viable. Information should be gathered to asses whether there is a net public health benefit by implementing a waste treatment and resource recovery system. Benefits such as savings in medical expenses and increased worker productivity due to improved health may be difficult to quantify. The potential health risks created by implementing a resource recovery system should be studied. The most difficult issues to contend with are socioeconomic in nature. Often, the poor performance of a proven technology is attributed to a lack of proper understanding of its principles by the operators, lack of community interest, improper operator training, and poor management. Public education to motivate people to accept technologies that are beneficial to them is important.
- OSTI ID:
- 6330028
- Journal Information:
- Water Environment amp Technology; (United States), Vol. 4:9; ISSN 1044-9493
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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