An analysis of the environmental crisis of fecal contamination due to inadequate solid waste disposal.
This paper discusses the hazardous effects of inadequate methods of solid waste disposal on the environment. The paper emphasizes the urgency of the need to deal with this issue, and describes fecal contamination as the major culprit. The writer illustrates how the lack of modern sanitation facilities and adequate health care in certain areas, are the main cause of fecal contamination.
“Fecal waste may contain an undetermined number of bacteria, viruses, and parasites capable of causing disease in humans and animals. Studies have focused on numbers of indicator bacteria (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci) or enteroviruses in feces and leachates, but have not estimated the total pathogen load or identified the major sources of these pathogens. This may be due to lack of detection methods for many of the pathogens in solid waste or leachate as well as potentially low numbers of viable but non-culturable organisms. Fecal waste is a breeding ground for diseases and even the smallest of contaminations can cause a great deal of problems.”