INTRODUCTORY OF TROPICAL HORTICULTURE

(FIELD TRIP)

            The field trip even conducted on Friday, November 30^th, 2012, at 07.00 am - 04.00 pm, in Rangsit and Talaad Thai, Phatumthani. Destination:

1.    Visited Lawn Grass Production.

2.    Visited Ornamental Plants Retail.

3.    Visited Talaad Thai.

1)  Lawn Grass Production

            

The first field trip, visited lawn grass production, located at Klong 15, Rangsit. The large of that place is 35 rai or around 56.000 m². In this place have 4 types of grass. The first grass that I observed use irrigation system and need 40-45 days for growing, and also use the springkler for the irrigation. The function of planting grass, to cover the part of area. In Thailand, when the grass already grow, the workers will cut strip of grass, one by a half meter. They also have equipment for harvest the grass. First, they will cut the grass and move the grass from the soil, with high 1 cm including soil. They said that the price of this grass was 25 baht per square meter, but in the market it would be expensive.

The second grass that I observed, for preparing a planting area or for growing the grass, the workers have to buy the mud from the other place and put the mud to the grass area and then they store the mud. After that, they spread liquid mud on the every side and replace the grass, 5 cm for each part. Spacing is 5x5cms, they use ditches for irrigation, the grass is cut every 12 days, the cultivation area is 1600m². After 1 week, they will use chemical and fertilizer to stimulate the grass every area. The formula of chemical fertilizer is 18, 12 and 6. In summer, they irrigate 3 times a day. In rainy season, they have to prevent pest and use pesticide. In winter, the grass growing late, the grass doesn’t grow very well, they use hormone to stimulate. This grass use to decorate, celebrate of new year and etc,. Winter is the hardest time to maintained. In winter season, they can sell the grass after 40-45 days. For price of this grass is 20 baht per square meter. For the other grass is 15 baht per square meter and in the market will be 18-20 baht per square meter.

           For selling the grass, they have to show the product around the road and the customer will come. If they didn’t have the grass that customer want, they will tell the neighbours. Noan noy or Manila grass is the one cheapest (15 baht). Ya yi pun or Japan grass is the favorite grass. This grass just need the mud to separated, and the root doesn’t need to grow deeper to the soil. If Noan noy grass growing under the big trees, it will dead. This grass have to in open land design. Ya yi pun grass have different colour with Noan noy grass. The worker have 2 days to work, to replant the grass and spray the mud, because mud is major basement of this grass. 1200 m2 of grass is sold and the remaining is kept for breeding. They will get 300-400 baht after they work.

2) Ornamental Plants Retail

The second fieldtrip, visited ornamental plant retails, located at Klong 12, Rangsit. There are many of ornamental plants which for sale, and also many equipment and maintenance tools, such as pot and vase. The examples of ornamental plants at this plasce, such as Orchid, Marigold, Chrysanthemum, Frangipani, plumed cockscomb, Lantana and Bougainvillea.

3) Talaad Thai

The third or last fieldtrip, visited Talaad Thai, located at 31 Moo 9 Phaholyothin km. 42 Klong 1, Klongluang, Pathumthani. Talaad Thai, the number one intregrated agricultural wholesale market in Thailand. Talaad Thai, established in 1995 and managed by Thai Agro Exchange Co., Ltd. is the distribution centre of domestic and international agricultural products. They utilize the area of 200 acres by dividing it into many markets, offering proper infrastuctures and facilities throughout 24 hours. The vision of Talaad Thai or their aim to generate a perfect condition of centralized agricultural wholesale market management with high quality products in order to meet customer satisfaction. Talaad Thai is determined to develop Thailand land and operation to serve overall agro-businesses by providing their significant stakeholders, including traders, farmers and consumer, with quality, hygiene, reasonable prices and supreme services, based on a good community environment.

Talaad Thai have a lot products of fruits, vegetables, meat, ornaments, farm crop and rice and also other markets. The distribution of fresh fruit from every region in Thailand as well as high quality imported fruits. All fruits, having good quality and reasonable prices, are carefully selected by their expert buyers. Daily caravans of fresh vegetables from farms to Talaad Thai. They are one of the huge distribution centers and ready to allocate fresh vegetables to our customers. They emphasize product variety, food safety and convenience of buyers and sellers.

In Talaad Thai, non-toxic meat hub. All meats are fresh, hygienic and safe for consumers’ health. They also provide many kinds of fresh water fishes, seafood and processed frozen food. Talaad Thai has market of flowers and ornamental plants. They offer a wide variety of products from Thailand and overseas, such as flowers, leaves, ornaments, Sanga Phand (Monk’s items), ornamental plants, garden decorating equipment and gardening services. They also have variety of farm crops, rice and grains that sold in fair prices. To become the perfect market and respond to consumer needs present and in the future. Talaad Thai provides the fresh market, the sweets market, the dried food market and etc,.

The other informations that I get, most products of fruit come from china. Some seller in Talaad Thai are the member of Talaad Thai cooperation. Each products of fruit have different number of member. Talaad Thai always recommend and give the knowledge like GAP (Good Agriculture Product) about a few month and also give the informations about good or high technology for the members. Talaad Thai have place for store the important products.

Some seller in Talaad Thai have the own farm and some farmers also as dealer. 70% of fruit products imported from China, also some imported from Australia, New Zealand and American. The packaging from Euroe and American use paper package, but from China, the products of orange use the plastic box.

Talaad Thai give the knowledge to the member of farmer about illegal and not illegal of the product, so the farmer can past. Talaad Thai can get benefit around 200-300 milion baht per day and save it at Thai Bank, and also China or Singapore Bank. The price of every products depend on the supplier or the market. Talaad Thai or the company don’t have control for the price. In the market, can store the products around 1-2 days. At around Talaad Thai also have a lot of house store and mostly the member or importer have own store. The place in Pathumthani near Talaad Thai can keep 400 containers.

Mostly vegetables in Talaad Thai, one from local and some import. Product local more smaller than China. For the example of product is purple cabbage, the member can sell it 5 kg. In Talaad Thai also has spice zone for India Curry or Thai Tomyam. A lot of the host seller that retailer and farmer in Talaad Thai.

Food Environment and Health

The Report of IKEA

(Waste Management)

IKEA, the world-famous Swedish furniture brand, brings its sleek minimalist design to Thai homes. Its 43,000sqm warehouse and showroom space on Bangna-Trad Road displays more than 7,500 furniture and home décor accessories for bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens outdoors and much more. IKEA Bangkok has two levels, and the starting point is on the second floor where all the big furniture and DIY parts are displayed in a gallery-style setup. At the end of the walk-through is a 700-seat cafeteria offering a limited selection of Asian and Western dishes. From the cafeteria, the stairs leads down to the first level where home accessories and smaller items are displayed in sections. Start from glassware, utensils and cooking accessories, then proceed along to lighting, bathroom accessories, decorative items (e.g. wall clocks, candles, picture frames, mirrors), small storage (e.g. baskets, bins, boxes, trays), gardening tools, upholstery, pillows, curtains, and much, much more. IKEA is in 38 Moo 6 Bangna-Trad Rd. (k.m. 8), Bangkaew, Bangplee, Samutprakarn. In this report will explain about the waste management in IKEA, such as products in IKEA, the waste form from that products and how to process or handle the waste of products.  

ü Sustainable Statment

Sustainability is a core business and sustainable statement is the case of IKEA. They said that sustainable statement wherever they are, they act with respect to exert apositive impact on people and on the limited resources of our planet to ensure long-term profitability. Sustainable statement in IKEA have 3 components, that consists of Economic profitable, Sustainability and Environment social. The total of price that they have to pay for it, is 5 milion baht per year.

IKEA have some sustainable strategies, that focus on:

o  Engaging more people, IKEA give many information to the customers, co-workers, suppliers, partners and authorities to know about the waste and sustainability strategies to get positif profitability.

o  Reduce climate impact, take a leading role towards a low carbon society with minimize the wastes.

o  Take social responsibility.

o  Turning waste resourcing and reducing our water footprint, the wastes also can be recycled become resources with this sustainable strategies.

ü The sources of waste management from

o  Operation

o  Product damage

o  Commercial waste

o  Restaurant, Co-worker canteen

ü How to handle wastes

1.      Waste prevention

After they can reduce the amount of waste generated in the first place, then disposing of it will automatically become simpler.

2.      Recycling

As many materials as possible should be recovered, preferably through recycling. Reprocessing be promoted, in particular recovery of waste as raw materials.

3.      Improving final disposal and monitoring.

The waste that can not be reused or recycle have to be safely incinerated and landfill have to only be used as a last resort.

All operation, production and packaging of goods lead to some kind of waste, and waste always impact the environment. Waste resorting is the most important step, like recycling area for plastics, general waste, wood and metal. The steps of waste sorting are Reuse, Recycle and Disposal. For Recycle and Disposal can be handled by Waste management company, that have own ways or strategies.

For example:

1)      Carboard for recycle, the process is done by be pressed to become paper with machine.

2)      Customer area, IKEA give many information to tell the consumer about wastes that sustainability is very important.

3)      Recovery, also the IKEA way, a system and method to prevent goods from getting damaged, and if products are damaged to generated the best revenue from products that would otherwise go to recycle.

ü Minimizing the waste

1.      Food waste.

To handle this waste, IKEA use machine call ECO.WIZ (wet system food waste decomposer) that contain of microbes to be good things and usefull, that break down the food into water in a 24 hours cycle and where only calcium remains. The primary function is to accelerate the natural decomposition process by maintaining optimal levels of aeration, moisture and temperature. Under this manipulated environment without soil and ground water contamination, their unique microorganisms safely decompose any food waste at an accelerated rate compared to natural decomposition.

2.      IKEA blue bag

IKEA provide blue bags for customer to minimize waste like plastic, it means that they can reduce the waste and engage the people to aware about sustainability.

3.      X’mas tree campaign

IKEA also have christmas trees for recycling, after IKEA use the trees they also return the trees.

ü Conclusions

Total waste recycle in IKEA around 70%. IKEA have many steps to handle their wastes and also have different way to handle it, such as use ECOWIZ machine for food waste and return the christmas trees. “Waste of resources is one of the biggest disease of man kind” said Inguard Kamprad as IKEA founder. The recovery waste of IKEA, that goods from exchange to return and goods from inside the IKEA store and have to be checking. IKEA store that work well with the Recovey process have approximately 25% higher net profits than that do not. They said if they have better recovery, it means that they also have better profitability.

FOOD ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

Water Pollution

The possible sources and causes of water pollution from the picture and what will happen to the quality of water in the river and people who live nearby, are:

Ø Fertilizer runoff

Fertilizers are a mixture of phosphate, potassium, and nitrogen. These are all naturally-occurring elements. Fertilizers are useful when soil is insufficient in one of these elements to strengthen its productivity. Although fertilizers are useful in many ways, too much can effect the environment negatively.

When runoff of fertilizer occurs, algae and other aquatic plants begin to take over aquatic environments. Nitrogen is normally in short supply in coastal ecosystems. This small supply limits the creation of new organic matter by phytoplankton, tiny plants at the bottom of the marine food chain. When an ecosystem has an increase in nitrogen, phytoplankton populations can increase drastically. This results in an 'algal bloom' and ruins the state of equilibrium between the environment itself and its resources. Oxygen-consuming bacteria consume the plankton that die and sink to the sea floor. When there is a greater amount of plankton sinking to the sea floor, such as following after an algal bloom, bacteria use oxygen more quickly than the water layers above can replace it. This creates low oxygen conditions, which are unsuitable for plant life.

Ø Industrial wastes

There are various wide-ranging effects, as well as serious consequences, of industrial pollution on the ecological balance of the atmosphere. One of them is water pollution. Dumping of various industrial waste products into water sources, and improper contamination of industrial wastes, often result in polluting the water. Such water pollution disturbs the balance of the ecosystem inside, resulting in the death of various animal and plant species present in the water.

Global warming is one of the most common and serious consequences of industrial pollution. The emission of various greenhouse gases such as CO2, methane (CH4), among others from various industries, increases the overall temperature of the earth, resulting in global warming. Global warming has various serious hazards, both on the environment as well as on human health. It results in melting of glaciers and snow-capped mountains, causing an increase of the water levels in seas and rivers, thereby increasing the chances of flood. Apart from this, global warming also has numerous health risks on humans, such as increase of diseases such as malaria and dengue, cholera, Lyme disease and plague, among others. Certain other common effects of industrial pollution include damaging buildings and structures, increasing the risk of various occupational hazards such as asbestosis, pneumoconiasis, among others.

Ø Livestock wastes

Manure, and wastewater containing manure, can severely harm river and stream ecosystems. Manure contains ammonia which is highly toxic to fish at low levels. Increased amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, that can cause algal blooms which block waterways and deplete oxygen as they decompose. This can kill fish and other aquatic organisms, devastating the entire aquatic food chain.

When contaminants from animal waste seep into underground sources of drinking water, the amount of nitrate in the ground water supply can reach unhealthy levels. Infants up to three months of age are particularly susceptible to high nitrate levels and may develop Blue Baby Syndrome (methemoglobinemia), an often fatal blood disorder.

The microorganisms found in animal wastes, such as cryptosporidium, can also pose significant public health threats. If the presence of these microorganisms exceeds the standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act, community and private well owners will not only face health risks, but will also have to find new sources for their drinking water supplies. This can be extremely costly and impractical.

Ø Lanfill dump

A landfill is property set aside for the purpose of safe disposal of solid waste, either municipal (trash such as would come from homes) or hazardous (toxic chemicals, etc). "Hazardous waste" refers to any material that may pose an unreasonable risk to health, safety, or property, especially those materials that are toxic, corrosive, reactive, or ignitable. If harmful chemicals are present in the soil surrounding a water supply, they can seep into the water supply and cause harmful effects, even in small amounts.

Gases escaping from landfills contain toxic pollutants that can cause cancer, asthma, and other serious health effects. Studies link living near landfills with cancer, where escaping gases will typically carry toxic chemicals such as paint thinner, solvents, pesticides, and other hazardous volatile organic compounds. All dumps also leak toxic leachate; even “state-of-the-art” landfills will eventually leak and pollute nearby groundwater.

Ø Mining pollutants

Mining can have adverse effects on surrounding surface and ground water if protective measures are not taken. The result can be unnaturally high concentrations of some chemicals, such as arsenic, sulfuric acid, and mercury over a significant area of surface or subsurface. Runoff of mere soil or rock debris -although non-toxic- also devastates the surrounding vegetation. The dumping of the runoff in surface waters or in forests is the worst option here. Submarine tailings disposal is regarded as a better option (if the soil is pumped to a great depth). Mere land storage and refilling of the mine after it has been depleted is even better, if no forests need to be cleared for the storage of the debris. There is potential for massive contamination of the area surrounding mines due to the various chemicals used in the mining process as well as the potentially damaging compounds and metals removed from the ground with the ore. Large amounts of water produced from mine drainage, mine cooling, aqueous extraction and other mining processes increases the potential for these chemicals to contaminate ground and surface water. In well-regulated mines, hydrologists and geologists take careful measurements of water and soil to exclude any type of water contamination that could be caused by the mine's operations.

Water-pollution problems caused by mining include acid mine drainage, metal contamination, and increased sediment levels in streams. Sources can include active or abandoned surface and underground mines, processing plants, waste-disposal areas, haulage roads, or tailings ponds. Sediments, typically from increased soil erosion, cause siltation or the smothering of streambeds. This siltation affects fisheries, swimming, domestic water supply, irrigation, and other uses of streams.

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a potentially severe pollution hazard that can contaminate surrounding soil, groundwater, and surface water. The formation of acid mine drainage is a function of the geology, hydrology, and mining technology employed at a mine site. The primary sources for acid generation are sulfide minerals, such as pyrite (iron sulfide), which decompose in air and water. Many of these sulfide minerals originate from waste rock removed from the mine or from tailings. If water infiltrates pyrite-laden rock in the presence of air, it can become acidified, often at a pH level of two or three. This increased acidity in the water can destroy living organisms, and corrode culverts, piers, boat hulls, pumps, and other metal equipment in contact with the acid waters and render the water unacceptable for drinking or recreational use.

Ø Nuclear plant

The use of nuclear power as a source of domestic energy has increased significantly over the past decade and is expected to continue to do so in the years to come. However, the use of this form of energy does not come without a unique set of consequences. These can range from environmental impact, altering to a great extent the balance in the flora and fauna of a region, to causing social problems to do with social consensus and risk perceptions of people living in the vicinity of such a plant. Nuclear power plant operation emits no or negligible amounts of carbon dioxide. However, all other stages of the nuclear fuel chain (mining, milling, transport, fuel fabrication, enrichment, reactor construction, decommissioning and waste management) use fossil fuels and hence emit carbon dioxide.

Perhaps the impact which is easiest to notice is the effect on the environment, particularly in terms of flora and fauna. To start with, the setting up of a nuclear plant requires a large area, preferably situated near a natural water body. This is usually accompanied with clearing of forests which disturbs the natural habitat of several creatures and gradually upsets the ecological balance of the region. Another significant effect is the increased amount of sulfur dioxide in the air which causes acid rain to form which then leads to contamination of surface water bodies of the region, reduction of productivity of the soil, and has several other negative effects on the region's vegetation and human health.

Ø Oil pollution

Oil compounds are mostly just carbon (C) and hydrogen (H), which forms hydrocarbons, but the C and H combine in ways that can be toxic to plant and animal life.  Oil inhibits metabolic activity, interferes with animal membranes and disturbs fishes’ ability to regulate water. The aromatic compounds cause the greatest problems, especially poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs can originate naturally from oil seeps, or can be the result of human activity. They are present, for example, in engine exhausts, furnace smoke, run-off from municipal storm sewers, and oil refinery cooling water. These compounds can cause long-term effects in fish such as cancers and can damage developing fish embryos. And while laws are in place to protect the environment, sometimes there are accidents. 

Oil is persistent--both in its desirability in our modern age and its damaging effects in the environment when it spills. It sticks around. When crude oil ends up in water, it forms a buoyant layer on the water. That layer spreads into a thin slick but in weeks can weather into thick, tarry globs--a tough “skin” trapping fresher oil inside. Storms and weather also break up oil into small drops that can disperse as small oil particles. As these particles collide in the water with suspended sediment, they form “tarballs” of oil, sand, algae and other debris. And while slicks and tarballs can be broken down by light and by micro-organisms and plants, it takes a long time. Floating oil can become stuck onto shorelines, or oil particles can collect enough sediment to sink to the water bottom and remain there.

Oil affects wildlife by coating their bodies with a thick layer.  Many oils also become stickier over time (this is called weathering) and so adheres to wildlife even more.  Since most oil floats o nthe surface of the water it can effect many marine animals and sea birds.  Unfortunately, birds and marine mammals will not necessarily avoid an oil spill.  Some marine mammals, such as seals and dolphins, have been seen swimming and feeding in or near an oil spill.  Some fish are attracted to oil because it looks like floating food.  This endangers sea birds, which are attracted to schools of fish and may dive through oil slicks to get to the fish. Oil that sticks to fur or feathers, usually crude and bunker fuels, can cause many problems. 

Ø Pesticide crop dusting

Pesticides are the only toxic substances released intentionally into our environment to kill living things. This includes substances that kill weeds (herbicides), insects (insecticides), fungus (fungicides), rodents (rodenticides), and others. Pesticides are used almost everywhere, not only in agricultural fields, but also in homes, parks, schools, buildings, forests, and roads. It is difficult to find somewhere where pesticides aren't used, from the can of bug spray under the kitchen sink to the airplane crop dusting acres of farmland, our world is filled with pesticides. In addition, pesticides can be found in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.

As with pesticide application in general, crop dusting is associated with a number of environmental concerns, including spray drift, soil contamination, water pollution, and occupational disease, often in the form of increased risk of cancer to those involved. In addition to their impact on human health, there is also concern that the use of pesticides can lead to the development of resistance among insects. Environmental and human rights issues associated with crop dusting are greatest in developing countries, where government oversight is weaker or absent, few safety practices are used, and chemicals are used that are banned in most developed countries.

Pesticides have been linked to a wide range of human health hazards, ranging from short-term impacts such as headaches and nausea to chronic impacts like cancer, reproductive harm, and endocrine disruption. There is also mounting evidence that exposure to pesticides disrupts the endocrine system, wreaking havoc with the complex regulation of hormones, the reproductive system, and embryonic development. Endocrine disruption can produce infertility and a variety of birth defects and developmental defects in offspring, including hormonal imbalance and incomplete sexual development, impaired brain development, behavioral disorders, and many others.

Ø Precipation

Generally, precipitation will fall to the surface; an exception is Virga which evaporates before reaching the surface. Precipitation forms as smaller droplets coalesce via collision with other rain drops or ice crystals within a cloud. Rain drops range in size from oblate, pancake-like shapes for larger drops, to small spheres for smaller drops. Unlike raindrops, snowflakes grow in a variety of different shapes and patterns, determined by the temperature and humidity characteristics of the air the snowflake moves through on its way to the ground. While snow and ice pellets require temperatures close to the ground to be near or below freezing, hail can occur during much warmer temperature regimes due to the process of its formation.

In cold air way up in the sky, rain clouds will often form.  Rising warm air carries water vapor high into the sky where it cools, forming water droplets around tiny bits of dust in the air. Some vapor freezes into tiny ice crystals which attract cooled water drops.  The drops freeze to the ice crystals, forming larger crystals we call snowflakes. When the snowflakes become heavy, they fall. When the snowflakes meet warmer air on the way down, they melt into raindrops. In tropical climates, cloud droplets combine together around dust or sea salt particles.  They bang together and grow in size until they're heavy enough to fall.

  If snowflakes completely melt in the warmer air, but temperatures are below freezing near the ground, rain may freeze on contact with the ground or the streets. This is called freezing rain, and a significant freezing rain is called an ice storm. Ice storms are extremely dangerous because the layer of ice on the streets can cause traffic accidents.  Ice can also build up on tree branches and power lines, causing them to break and our lights to go out.  There is another kind of precipitation that comes from thunderstorms called hail. Rainfall in a thunderstorm can be very heavy. Cumulonimbus clouds contain huge amounts of moisture. Several inches of rain can fall in a short time. That's why thunderstorms sometimes result in flooding.

Ø Sediments

Sediment refers to the fine-grained particles that are sometimes transported in water. Sediment often results from work projects in or around water and can harm fish habitat. Sediment is the fine-grained particles that are sometimes transported in water. Turbidity refers to the cloudiness of the water because of the sediment suspended in it. Sediment and turbidity can result in a variety of harmful impacts to fish. For example, sediment and turbidity interfere with feeding for visual feeders such as trout and bass. Some of the negative effects of turbid water are:

• abrasion of gill membranes.
• impairment of feeding.
• fatal impacts to small aquatic animals that are food for fish.

Suspended sediment results in turbid water that can harm fish. Deposited sediment can also be harmful to fish habitat.

Ø Septic tank

Properly maintained septic tanks have a minimal effect on the environment. Most harmful bacteria, viruses and contaminants are digested by microbes in the soil under the septic system's drainage field before they reach the groundwater. A septic tank should be properly designed, sited in the right place and maintained regularly. Otherwise, when a septic tank malfunctions, it can have a serious impact on the environment and public health.

If the septic tank has not been inspected and pumped out regularly, the sewage can back up. Once the drainage field gets clogged it stops functioning properly. Heavy metals and toxic chemicals can get into the household wastewater when toxic household products are flushed down the drain. Wastewater containing contaminants such as harmful bacteria, viruses and toxic chemicals can seep into the groundwater, which is an important source of drinking water. People and animals can get diseases and infections from drinking contaminated water.

Contaminated discharge from a septic tank can flow into lakes, rivers, streams and saltwater. Lakes that are used for drinking-water reservoirs can become contaminated. When people swim in contaminated water they can get eye and ear infections, gastrointestinal illnesses and hepatitis. When a septic system backs up, sludge and wastewater can end up on the surface of the ground. Contact with contaminated sludge and water can expose people and animals to diseases and infections.

Ø Sewage treatment plant

Sewage treatment plants neutralize and deactivate the chemicals found in the sewage water. They work by relying on the bacteria that is found in our colons, which eat away the nitrates, phosphates and organic matter that is found in sewage. These plants can be expensive to build and operate for many governments, but there are cheaper alternative which rely on nature to do most of the work. This is done by rebuilding or restoring wetlands,  because the plants and bacteria found in the wetlands will do the same thing that bacteria in standard sewage treatment plants do. This helps the environment in two ways: restoring wetlands and treating human waste water before it pollutes the natural waterways.

When sewage is not properly collected and transported to sewage treatment plant in a sanitary way, sewage emanates foul odour causing air pollution and gives room for mosquito breeding leading to spread of diseases. And also, when sewage is discharged into river bodies without proper treatment, organic matters present in sewage causes depletion of dissolved oxygen which in turn affect aquatic eco system existing in the water bodies. Some gases like methane, carbon-di-oxide, sulphur-di-oxide, etc. are formed in sewage and escape into atmosphere causing air pollution and acclerating global warming by green house gases.

Ø Urban wastes

The urban waste landfills that are not waterproof often represent sources of groundwater pollution by nitrates and nitrites, as well as other pollutants. Landfill exfiltration and water leakage on the slopes affect adversely the quality of the adjoining soils, which brings along consequential effects to their utilization.

Statutory water and sewerage companies, which own and operate the public sewerage system and the treatment works are affected by this directive. The directive mainly affects the statutory water and sewerage companies since they own and operate the public sewerage system and the treatment works.  To meet the requirements of the directive the water companies have had to make a very large investment in building and improving treatment works and improving sewerage systems.

Most of the industrial discharges controlled by the directive already met the treatment levels.  The directive lays down uniform emission standards, or percentage reductions in pollutant concentrations, for discharges from sewage treatment works. It also requires that the sludge arising from the treatment of waste water is re-used whenever appropriate, and that its use or disposal minimises the risks to the environment. A different directive deals specifically with the use of sludge on agricultural land.

An important aspect of the urban waste water treatment directive is the protection of the water environment from nutrients, (specifically compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus), and/or nitrates present in waste water where these substances have adverse impacts on the ecology of the water environment or abstraction source waters.