Septic system aeration to reduce contaminants of emerging concern (CECs)
Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) have been identified and are accumulating in wastewater streams and groundwater supplies across Canada and the U.S. Inadequate wastewater treatment and poorly performing septic systems continue to contribute to the problem and are contributing to key contaminants (e.g. pain killers, flame retardants, pesticides) accumulating in drinking water supplies.
Drop-in solutions for the aeration of septic systems have been identified as a low-complexity, low-cost solution to dramatically reduce the concentration of these key contaminants leaving a septic system.
The U.S. EPA defines Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC)’s as “contaminants, including pharmaceuticals and personal care products that are being increasingly detected at low levels in surface water. There is a concern that these compounds may have an impact on aquatic life”. While that is true, the definition is not broad enough. CEC’s are being detected in ground water supplies that are used for drinking water for rural dwellings and communities that rely on groundwater. “There are various sources of CEC’s such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, personal use products (fragrances, shampoos), pesticides, by-products of various manufacturing processes (flame retardants, plasticizers) and others.”
Source: https://wrrc.arizona.edu/sites/wrrc.arizona.edu/files/Arroyo2013LR_0.pdf
In the past 20 years, CEC’s are becoming increasingly prevalent in wastewater streams. As you would predict, similar prevalence exists in onsite septic systems. There are a variety of factors contributing to the existence of CEC’s in the environment and some concrete reasons for their pervasiveness. Though there is more to unravel about CEC’s and their effects, there is something homeowners can be doing to facilitate the breakdown of CEC’s.
Source: https://wrrc.arizona.edu/sites/wrrc.arizona.edu/files/Arroyo2013LR_0.pdf
One of the reasons why they are of “emerging concern” is that the instrumentation used to detect these contaminants has significantly improved. This new awareness will inevitably lead to changes in septic system design and human behaviour to mitigate these contaminants. We know they are having an impact on our environment, but to what degree must be determined. Some concrete examples are the impacts of various anti-anxiety / anti-depressant medications on fish breeding habits and interactions between male and female fish.
Source: http://www.nature.com/news/human-drugs-make-fish-flounder-1.11843
There have been numerous studies done on CEC’s, but there is much more work to be done. Many of these contaminants area found smaller concentrations, but one of the major concerns is their synergistic effects – a combination of various CEC’s that could react with one another that produce an effect greater than the sum of its various parts, thus increasing environmental degradation. The fate of these chemicals is another concern – as these contaminants move through the natural environment, what do they react with (chemicals, soil, biological organisms), how do they travel through the various media (soil, surface water, groundwater)? Following these interactions, where do they end up and what is their chemical composition? The other concern is their toxicity levels to humans, susceptible portions of human population (children / seniors), natural environments, and the biosphere. These are all questions that have yet to be answered.
Because of the lack of knowledge on the effects of these CEC’s, there is currently very limited regulation on CEC’s.
Of the research that has been conducted, “the most dominant theme of studies relating to CEC treatment by onsite septic systems is that aerobic (oxygen-rich) conditions facilitate CEC removal”.
Many homeowners want to be proactive as we move toward a more sustainable future, and we know that adding aeration to your septic system will facilitate the breakdown of CEC’s. ClearPod is a drop-in, fixed film aeration unit that can retrofit existing septic systems. It creates aerobic conditions in a septic tank which allows beneficial aerobic bacteria to populate on the fixed film. This bio-active surface works to reduce remove BOD and CECs in the wastewater and reduce organic loading to the leachfield. This functionality in turn increases the longevity of your septic system, and dramatically increases the degradation of these harmful CEC’s.
Author: Mr. Lucas Sherry
