Why is marine sewage a problem?
Marine sewage poses a number of threats to public health and the coastal environment: Health risks When you pump or dump marine sewage directly into the water, you can introduce disease-carrying microorganisms into that water. The bacteria and viruses found in raw or partially treated sewage can cause diseases such as gastroenteritis, hepatitis, typhoid and cholera. You may be at risk for these diseases if you swim in waters contaminated by marine sewage. Disease-causing organisms in the water can build up in the bodies of shellfish. You may at risk if you eat raw or partially cooked shellfish from sewage-contaminated waters. Environmental hazards Marine sewage can cause a host of problems for water and marine life: • Sewage and Oxygen: Sewage in water decays. As bacteria and other microorganisms in water break sewage down, they use up oxygen. That’s oxygen that fish and other marine life need to breathe. • Nutrients: Marine sewage is high in nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
