Tehnika (Jan 2018)
Industrial wastewater monitoring in the public health institutions in Serbia
Abstract
Wastewater disposal is recognized by the public health sector for its potential negative environmental health impact. This paper is a cross-sectional study, for an observational period from 2015-2017, with an aim to present the scope of involvement of public health institutions in monitoring of industrial wastewaters. Wastewaters were sampled from industrial facilities of chemical, food-processing, mining-smelting and energy, transport, service, wood-processinga and textile production origin. As a study tool we used a data-base of the Institute of Public Health of Serbia, being filled-in with data from the local IPHs, analyzing wastewater quality on contract basis. In total, summing results from three consecutive years, 13392 wastewater samples were collected and analyzed, of which 44.79% (5999) did not comply to the adopted national standards. By observing wastewater treatment dynamics, generating from the legal entities whose samples were analyzed, it appears that it is insufficiently implemented. In all three monitoring years treatment persisted in less than 50% of facilities, which can be linked to the fact that parameters burdening samples at its most are: suspended and sediment matter, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, ammonia, fats and oils, etc. The fact that most of the effluents are disposed of directly into natural watercourses indicates the constantly present risk for both environment and health.
