Last spring, while consumers were concerned about how to clean themselves after defecating, scientists discovered that people infected with the Covid-19 virus shed the virus’s genetic material in their feces. surname. The waste treatment system for more than 100 years is too old In fact, toilet systems play a part in maintaining public health. However, the core technology in the toilet system has existed for more than 100 years, when humanity has not faced the current challenges. On top of that, many parts and equipment in the ground are reaching their lifespan and starting to fail due to lack of investment in maintenance. This year, the American Association of Civil Engineers scored D + for the country’s wastewater treatment infrastructure. Accordingly, there is too much waste around, this creates a potential danger to public health and the environment. The waste treatment system for more than 100 years is too old. Illustration. According to the Wired , evidence of the deteriorating waste disposal system existing around human habitats. While considered a flawed design, combined sewer systems are still prevalent in many older cities. Sewage water overflows when it rains, releasing potential pathogens into the waterways; Waste, nutrients, chemicals and pharmaceuticals get into the sewer system. Degraded septic tanks pollute the soil and groundwater. Wet wipes and other types of waste have tended to increase sharply since the outbreak of a pandemic, causing heavy congestion that keeps wastewater from flowing. Natural disasters caused by climate change overwhelm drainage systems. During the past year, massive floods from Tennessee to Australia left people inundated with polluted wastewater. In August, a series of power outages during a massive heatwave in California caused a wastewater treatment plant to dump nearly 189,270 liters of raw and partially treated wastewater into the mouth of the Oakland River. In February 2021, Texas weather continued to be cold, people could not bathe and heat for many days; a hospital truck dumped water just to flush the toilet. Prisoners endured the filthy days of prisons in Texas. Serious health effects Conventional wastewater treatment systems are not only degraded, but are also in short supply. More than half of the world’s population is not equipped with safe toilets to dispose of waste. According to the statistics of US Water Alliance It is estimated that 2 million Americans do not have complete plumbing, directly affecting health causing skin diseases such as rashes, intestinal diseases such as diarrhea, hookworm … and many difficulties. another towel. Ms. Pamela Rush, an activist from the Alabama countryside, shared her story about daily living next to the raw wastewater dumps, like many other poor people in America, mostly leather. black. These people are sometimes fined and criminally prosecuted for not being able to pay the costs of a septic tank or maintenance. Not being equipped with complete plumbing can directly cause skin diseases such as a rash. Illustration. More tragic, Ms. Pamela also became one of the victims of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The main cause of death was the corona virus, but the underlying causes she suffered were poverty, habitat inequality, climate change, racism and disparity. about health, “said Catherine Coleman Flowers, environmental equity activist. Catherine is also a friend of Ms. Pamela. For people who don’t have their own toilets, closing orders make public toilets harder to find than usual. This problem affects homeless people, people with intestinal disorders and other diseases. In some slums in developing cities, shared toilets are often open, but the order of social exclusion unintentionally makes matters more difficult than ever. Not only is wastewater treatment infrastructure deteriorating or facing many risks, so is the workforce. In the US, this sector is facing a wave of retirement, even seen as the “silver tsunami”. When the pandemic first started, some wastewater treatment industries feared losing old workers that were difficult to replace and important because of illness or worse. They have closed facilities with workers working week-long shifts so that the virus cannot enter. In India, sewer cleaners petitioned the government for simple personal protective equipment so they could keep working. Solution According to the Wired , to solve the problem of waste, the rebuilding of infrastructure is not enough, but it is necessary to apply many new innovations, encouraging the application of new methods. This helps the toilet system work better, ensures safety for human health, is more durable and reasonable. In order to do this, the state and local governments need to have enough funds and new public works policies to create incentives for improvement. Then, in places with stable centralized infrastructure, cities can use both new and established tools to mine wastewater for heat, water, nutrients, chemicals, and metals. valuable, as well as biogas and other fuels. Digital sensors help smarter sewage treatment systems using pipes and reduce spills. The new setup can push used toilet paper out of the wastewater stream before being processed and recycled into cellulose. This substance is a raw material that can be widely used, even used for industrial chemicals. With the right tools, even large chunks of trash that clog drains can turn into biofuel thanks to the greasy layers inside. Besides, there are many new and more radical inventions for the pipeline. Scattered distribution systems for toilet waste and water reuse in buildings or communities are rapidly developing. Businesses, cleaning services by container trucks provide regular cleaning services. A row of public toilets in South Africa. Photo: Alamy Stock Photo. “Urine divert” toilets help separate high-nutrient, low-pathogens from feces and water. They function more like recycling bins than trash cans. These innovations are more relevant in harsh contexts and are better resilient to serious consequences. They minimize the impact on the climate, cause less pollution and produce resources such as clean water, compost, fuel, even insect protein. They can generate revenue streams and provide safe, well-paid, and well-paid jobs that attract young people who are environmentally conscious and work diverse. Many of the above ideas are in beta. To turn these ideas into practice on a larger scale, more investment and supportive policies from the state are needed, attracting people who are willing to overcome difficulties to apply innovative technologies early. toilet system. In addition, there are other innovations such as treatment of the genetic waste corona virus in human feces. Scientists around the world have been analyzing wastewater and providing feedback to public health professionals and policymakers on outbreaks, new trends and the impact of regulations. rules and restrictions. The innovators are also experimenting with new ideas for public toilets, making them more popular with everyone. In Pune, India, the idea of ​​building a reusable bus women’s public toilets, plus a boutique and small coffee shop, helps to reduce the cost of using a toilet. Some cities have implemented or are considering paying a small fee for cafes, restaurants and businesses to provide public toilets. Instead, businesses are advertised for free and are seen as implementing a public service. The Covid-19 pandemic showed a deeper insight into the toilet waste treatment system: This is not only technology but also a human prerogative. According to the Wired Investing in a drainage system not only helps to upgrade old systems and expand the quality of sanitation and safety for everyone, but also avoids further damage caused by disease outbreaks and environmental disasters. Future.

At the present time, more than 1.25 million tons of contaminated water are stored in tanks at the plant. Pictured is workers involved in cleaning up Japan’s No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant after the 2011 disaster. (Source: AFP) On April 26, during a regular press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Uong Van Ban said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed that it would invite water experts. This group joins the working group on a plan to release treated radioactive wastewater from Japan’s No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. After the 2011 disaster, water pumped into the damaged reactors at the No. 1 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant to cool the fuel rods. Along with contaminated rainwater and groundwater, the reactor’s cooling wastewater is treated with an Advanced Liquid Treatment System (ALPS). ALPS removes most radioactive substances, including strontium and cesium, but cannot remove tritium. At the present time, there are more than 1.25 million tons of wastewater that has been treated but still contains radioactive substances being stored in storage tanks at the plant. On April 13, 2021, more than 10 years after the incident at the factory, the Japanese government decided to discharge this wastewater into the sea. The IAEA expressed support for Japan’s decision to discharge treated wastewater into the sea, and affirmed its readiness to provide technical assistance in monitoring this discharge. (Reuters)

Hundreds of tanks contain radioactive wastewater outside the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Photo: AP Since then, the authorities have used millions of tons of water to cool the reactors, and store waste water in giant tanks on site. 10 years have passed, the operator of the nuclear plant Tokyo Electric Power Co (TepCo) is now alerting the danger of running out of water storage space from the cooling process, estimated to reach a threshold of about 1.3 million tons of water. year 2022.
Environmental groups, including Greenpeace, have recommended the Tokyo government to build more tanks to keep water outside the plant, rather than opting for an ocean discharge option. Japan has considered several other options, such as evaporation or underground storage of contaminated water from factories. In the end, however, the Tokyo government decided to dilute the huge mass of polluted water and release it into the sea, when it found this option more technically feasible and cost-effective. The process is expected to begin in the next 2 years. Currently, all wastewater is filtered to remove most of the radioactive elements, but some dangerous substances remain, including Tritium, which has been identified as harmful to humans.
Evaluation of Tokyo’s solution, expert Ken Buesseler at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Falmouth, Massachusetts, noted: “Tritium is light and can float as far as the west coast of the United States within 2 years”. More serious problems are thought to lie in potentially dangerous radioactive isotopes in water, including strontium-90 and iodine-129. In theory, filtration can reduce their concentration, to about 70% for water that has not undergone secondary filtration. But scientists are not sure whether the actual filtration results are according to plan.
A poll conducted by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper in January 2021 found that 55% of Japanese respondents opposed the Tokyo government’s plan to discharge radioactive wastewater from Fukushima into the sea, while 32% said that they support. At the Tokyo government’s earlier hearing on the release of nuclear radioactive water into the sea, some industry and local representatives continued to oppose the decision believed to undermine efforts to revive the affected areas. disaster, blowing past efforts to restore the reputation for local products. “We will die from releasing polluted water into the oceans, as it could have a catastrophic impact on the future of the Japanese fishing industry” – Hiroshi Kishi, head of the Federation of Water Cooperatives National real estate said. Mr. Kishi emphasized that the discharge of radioactive water into the ocean may cause other countries to tighten restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood products, reversing the recent trend of loosening policies.
Japan’s April 13 announcement also immediately drew concerns in neighboring countries, including China and South Korea, about the possible impact on human health as well as seafood businesses. . Beijing calls for Tokyo’s “responsible” attitude, along with “prudent” disposal of nuclear waste, arguing that it involves “the interests of the international community and the vital interests of neighboring countries ”. Meanwhile, Seoul said that “it will be unacceptable if the Japanese side decides to discharge polluted water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant without full consultation”.

Treated contaminated wastewater tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Photo: AFP / VNA Mr. Aso ensures that wastewater discharged into the sea will be treated according to the plan announced by the Government, whereby the concentration of radioactive tritium in wastewater will be diluted to 1,500 becquerel / liter, equivalent to 1/40 of the permitted concentrations are according to Japanese safety standards and 1/7 of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water, before being released into the sea. The discharge of this wastewater into the sea will be implemented in about 2 years. After the 2011 disaster, water pumped into the damaged reactors at the No. 1 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant to cool the fuel rods. Along with contaminated rainwater and groundwater, the reactor’s cooling wastewater is treated with an Advanced Liquid Treatment System (ALPS). ALPS removes most radioactive substances, including strontium and cesium, but cannot remove tritium. At the present time, there are more than 1.25 million tons of wastewater that has been treated but still contains radioactive substances being stored in storage tanks at the plant. On April 13, more than 10 years after the factory incident, the Japanese government decided to discharge this wastewater into the sea. The IAEA expressed support for Japan’s decision to discharge treated wastewater into the sea, and affirmed its readiness to provide technical assistance in monitoring this discharge. Before the Japanese decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 15 expressed concern about this issue, at the same time urged Japan to approach the issue of wastewater treatment from the Fukushima nuclear power plant with all responsibility. responsibility. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed her expectation that the Japanese government would show transparency and inform all countries concerned about Tokyo’s actions. In addition, Ms. Zakharova added that Russia is waiting for Japan to have more detailed explanations, while calling on Tokyo not to make economic activities of other countries difficult, including in the fishing industry. fish. On the same day, Chinese Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Jiang Hao (Wu Jianghao) summoned the Japanese Ambassador to the country Tarumi Hideo to present a note protesting the decision to discharge treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. Stored at the No. 1 Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Waste water storage tank inside the Fukushima nuclear power plant No. 1 The purpose of the move is to allay concerns about Tokyo’s plan to release the treated water of the damaged Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The wastewater generated from the aforementioned damaged nuclear power plant is stored in tanks located on the plant’s premises, and is expected to have no storage space next year. According to Japan’s NHK Radio, wastewater has been treated with the Advanced Liquid Treatment System (ALPS) to remove most of the radioactive material, but radioactive tritium remains. Before being discharged into the sea, water will be diluted so that the concentration of tritium is much lower than the national standard and will be about one-seventh of the World Health Organization’s drinking water standard. However, this plan of the Japanese government has met with fierce opposition from the local fishing community, anti-nuclear activists as well as neighboring China and South Korea. In an interview with NHK Radio, Mr. Grossi said that the Japanese Government has officially requested the IAEA to cooperate in relation to this plan. The agency may send a team of experts from various countries to help alleviate concerns by verifying that the treated water discharge is safe, said the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. full. “We may be receiving experts from different fields from different countries and regions. Any serious concerns will have the opportunity to be discussed and analyzed technically, ”said Grossi, emphasizing, cannot ignore the concerns of some local residents and neighboring countries such as Korea and China. “Regarding these concerns, we can either agree or disagree, but all must be taken seriously. We have a shared responsibility, ”added Grossi.

Mr. Zhao also emphasized that “the ocean is not the trash of Japan”. The same message he posted on Twitter personally.

Zhao’s statement came after the Japanese government approved a project to discharge 1.25 million tons of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.

Earlier, on April 13, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said in a press conference that “there will be no harm” when drinking treated water, and he said that Japan should drain water sooner. .

Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien. Photo: Twitter.

The Chinese spokesman also mentioned Minamata disease, saying Japan “should not forget the historic tragedy” and urged Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga not to discharge wastewater into the sea without the consent of other countries.

Miamata disease is a neurological disease that has killed nearly 2,000 Japanese people, and is caused by a Japanese company discharging methyl mercury waste into the environment.

According to the plan, Japan will discharge wastewater into the sea within the next two years. The government said wastewater was treated and diluted to meet World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standards. However, treatment cannot remove tritium – a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.

Although Japan’s decision to discharge wastewater was approved by the United States and the IAEA, it faced opposition from the country’s fishing industry and neighboring countries. The Chinese spokesperson stated that Japan must reach a consensus of all concerned before proceeding with the discharge.

Mr. Zhao also warned: “China has the right to make follow-up reactions.”

Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien.

“The oceans are not Japan’s trash, the Pacific is not Japan’s sewage trench. The world does not have to pay the price for Japan’s discharge of radioactive water. On some Japanese officials say,” “Nothing will happen even if you drink this”, please drink first, then we will talk, “Foreign Ministry spokesman Trieu Lap Kien said at a press conference on the 14th. / 4.

“We call on the Japanese side to be aware of their responsibilities, to adhere to a scientific approach, to fulfill international obligations and to take into account the serious concerns of the world community and neighboring countries. and the people of our own country, “added the Chinese diplomatic representative.

Earlier, on April 13, the Japanese government announced a plan to discharge more than 1 million tons of radioactive contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific.

According to the roadmap, the discharge will begin in about two years, and the entire process is expected to take decades.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that the decision to release polluted water into the Pacific was the “most realistic” and “inevitable” option to achieve the recovery of Fukushima “.

Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso affirmed that this water source has been treated, diluted, will be very safe, drinkable, and said that Japan should discharge water sooner.

About 1.25 million tons of water has accumulated in the area of ​​the Fukushima nuclear plant after the tsunami hit in 2011.

The amount of radioactive water is increasing by about 140 tons per day, is currently stored in more than 1,000 tanks and is expected to run out of storage space by next fall.

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other third parties will be involved in the plan, ensuring the discharge of treated wastewater in Fukushima into the sea is carried out. transparent way.

In a recent statement, the IAEA confirmed to support this decision, because radioactive elements, except tritium, will be removed from the water or reduced to a safe level before being discharged. The IAEA has also shown that nuclear plants around the world use a similar process to treat wastewater.

However, Japan’s discharge has met with opposition from fishing communities in this country as well as concerns from neighboring countries such as China and South Korea.

South Korea expressed “serious concern” that the Japanese decision would have a direct and indirect impact on the safety of its people and the surrounding marine environment.

South Korea urged Japan to provide more information on its wastewater discharge and said it would measure and monitor the radiation itself.

Grass carp dead cages were 6,737 fish, with a total weight of more than 12.9 tons. The number of dead fish in cage was 68 households in Beo Foam, Phang Khanh, Nam Tren and Thanh Long villages of Cam Thanh commune. In which, most concentrated in Beo Bong and Phan Khanh villages. In addition to the number of dead fish, according to the People’s Committee of Cam Thanh commune, there are 15 fish cages of 5 households with a quantity of about 3 tons of fish in danger of dying.

Caged fish of Cam Thanh people died abnormally

Immediately after the appearance of the dead fish, the inspection team including the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the People’s Committee of Cam Thuy district and the People’s Committee of Cam Thanh commune examined the clinical, initially determined that the fish did not show external bleeding, normal anus. normal fish gills, ankles and internal organs are also normal.

At the same time, take water and fish samples and send them to the Veterinary Hygiene Inspection Center and the Central Veterinary Diagnostic Center for analysis and testing to determine the cause of death.

On April 15, the number of fish in cages and aquatic products on the Ma River passing through Cam Thanh commune still had abnormal death phenomena. Local authorities are still continuing to do damage statistics. The dead fish location is adjacent to Ba Thuoc and Quan Hoa districts where there are facilities that illegally discharge into the Ma River.

Authorities conduct dead fish to determine the cause

As reported, last time, fish in cages and wild on the Ma River, the section running through Ba Thuoc district died massively. The authorities of Ba Thuoc district have drastically discovered 4 companies discharging waste directly to the Ma River. Authorities are struggling to determine the amount and extent of the dangers of chemicals that have spilled into the environment.

Also related to the units “poisoning” the Ma River, at 20:30 ‘on April 14, the inspection team of Quan Hoa district caught the bamboo production base of the cooperative (cooperative) processing forest products. Xuan Duong, in Khu Kham, Hoi Xuan town, Quan Hoa district, is discharging untreated wastewater into the river.

The functional forces discovered that this unit placed a deep underground pipe, the outlet into the Ma River was also very subtly disguised by catching screws on the rocks in the river bed. After the wastewater is filled up, the reservoir will be discharged directly into the underground pipe at the bottom of the tank into the Ma River. The lock valve operation on the bottom of the tank is made of a steel rod about 4m long, so that when the water is full it can be easily unlocked.

Xuan Duong Forest Product Processing Cooperative initially admitted to discharging into the Ma River, the interdisciplinary delegation of Quan Hoa district proceeded to remove all underground waste discharge pipes previously buried by Xuan Duong Cooperative, at the same time. take steps to handle according to regulations.

Forest product processing establishments illegally discharging waste into the Ma River

In order to proactively respond and minimize the damage that occurs, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the People’s Committees of districts of districts of Quan Hoa, Cam Thuy, Vinh Loc, Tho Xuan, Thach Thanh to urgently monitor the cage culture area. of households. Guide farmers to monitor and take care of farmed fish daily and to clean the cages to circulate the flow; use aerators, water pumps to increase dissolved oxygen content; When there are changes in the water environment that adversely affect the health of farmed fish, it is necessary to move the cage to a better water environment …

The above comments of Mr. Konstantin Roginsky, deputy director of the Institute of Oceanography of the Russian Academy of Sciences shared with the media on April 13.

“The amount of wastewater announced by the Japanese side is a small amount. This is a drop of water in the ocean. Even in the worst case, if the wastewater is poorly treated, this heavy water will sink to the bottom and lie at a depth of 5-6-8 km, ”said Mr. Roginsky.

The waste water is planned to be discharged into the ocean, not posing a threat to the ecosystem of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, because the currents in that area go from north to south in the direction of the Russian scientist. Japan”.

The wastewater discharge will begin in about two years and the entire process is expected to take decades. (Image: Reuters)

According to Roginsky, the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant does not pose a threat to the Sea of ​​Japan, which is separated from the Pacific by islands of Japan. “US naval bases are much more harmful to Japan’s coastal fisheries,” added Roginsky.

“About 1.5 million tons of wastewater will be dumped into the ocean. Accordingly, the water is diluted, losing its natural salinity. This can be more harmful to marine organisms than it is with poor radiation release. They are used to living at a certain salinity, at a certain depth, in a certain chemical composition of water, ”explained the Russian expert.

Also commenting on the contemporary Japanese announcement of the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the expert of the Federal Council on Agricultural Policy – Food and Environmental Management, Ms. Natalia Sokolova undertook that if the wastewater is properly purified, there will be no radioactive threat to Russia.

“Right now, the amount of liquid accumulated is very large. Most of it is regular water. If purified from all harmful impurities, including tritium, the wastewater can be safely discharged into the oceans, as well as the coastal waters of other countries will not be affected. “, Ms. Sokolova shared with Sputnik.

According to the ecologist, discharging water from nuclear power plants is a common process for operating plants. But Fukushima is an emergency, so it is not known whether or not an operation will be able to proceed. It will become clear by 2023 whether wastewater can be filtered to the required parameters.

“Rigorous laboratory analyzes should be performed during the entire wastewater purification process. Two years prior to discharge is called approximate figure. I am sure that the Japanese government will make a decision on the outcome of the wastewater purification process. So far, these are just plans and the reality is that not all wastewater can be 100% purified ”, believes Ms. Sokolova.

Japan insists it is safe to discharge water from the plant as it has been treated to remove most of the radioactive elements and will be diluted. (Image: Reuters)

Meanwhile, Dmitry Lisitsyn, President of the Far East (Russia) environmental protection organization, said that the discharge of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan would lead to radioactive pollution. was brought to the heart of the North Pacific, where Pacific salmon are inhabited.

“The Fukushima nuclear power plant is located on the Pacific coast of Honshu Island. When radioactive pollution enters the Pacific off the coast of Honshu, they are quickly transported to the northeast by the Kuroshio currents, then into the North Pacific stream. All polluted wastewater is sent directly to the North Pacific. How does this threaten Russia? The fish forage in the North Pacific, then infiltrate the Russian table and there will be more before the polluted wastewater completely disappears, “RIA quoted Mr. Lisitsyn.

Lisitsyn noted six Pacific salmon species live in the Far East. They spawn in rivers, feed and grow in the ocean. Specifically in the central region of the North Pacific. This is exactly the site where this pollution was done.

What does the IAEA say?

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, welcomed the decision of the Japanese Government to discharge wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea and promised that the organization would assistance to avoid negative consequences.

“I welcome Japan’s announcement of how they will treat wastewater stored at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The IAEA will work with Japan before, during and after discharge to help ensure this is done without negatively affecting health and the environment, ”wrote Grossi on Twitter.

According to Mr. Grossi, the controlled discharge of water into the sea is regularly used by nuclear power plants operating in the world and in the region, they comply with strict environmental safety standards and regulations. .

The start of wastewater discharge is expected to be around 2023. At the current rate of storage in reservoirs, all available reservoirs will be filled by the end of 2022.

Earlier, speaking at a press conference on April 13, Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide announced that it would discharge more than 1 million tons of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, saying that the discharge of water into Thai waters Binh Duong was the “most realistic” and “inevitable” option to achieve the recovery of Fukushima.