How are perceptions associated with water consumption in Canadian Inuit? A cross-sectional survey in Rigolet, Labrador.

Concerns regarding the safety and aesthetic qualities of one's municipal drinking water supply are important factors influencing drinking water perceptions and consumption patterns (i.e. sources used and daily volume of consumption).

Water quality and health in northern Canada: stored drinking water and acute gastrointestinal illness in Labrador Inuit.

One of the highest self-reported incidence rates of acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in the global peer-reviewed literature occurs in Inuit communities in the Canadian Arctic. This high incidence of illness could be due, in part, to the consumption of contaminated water, as many northern communities face challenges related to the quality of municipal drinking water. Furthermore, many Inuit store drinking water in containers in the home, which could increase the risk of contamination between source and point-of-use (i.

Community-based adaptation research in the Canadian Arctic.

Community-based adaptation (CBA) has emerged over the last decade as an approach to empowering communities to plan for and cope with the impacts of climate change. While such approaches have been widely advocated, few have critically examined the tensions and challenges that CBA brings. Responding to this gap, this article critically examines the use of CBA approaches with Inuit communities in Canada.

Oxygen Demand of Fresh and Stored Sulfide Solutions and Sulfide-Rich Constructed Wetland Effluent.

This study investigated the contribution of hydrogen sulfide to biological oxygen demand (BOD5) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) in wastewater effluents, and documented the effect of storage times and conditions on the BOD5 and COD of pH-adjusted sodium sulfide solutions as well as graywater wetland effluent. Initial COD measurements of sulfide solutions were 84-89% of the theoretical oxygen demand (ThOD), 1.996 mg O2/mg S, whereas unseeded BOD5 measurements were 55-77%.

Systems approaches to integrated solid waste management in developing countries.

Solid waste management (SWM) has become an issue of increasing global concern as urban populations continue to rise and consumption patterns change. The health and environmental implications associated with SWM are mounting in urgency, particularly in the context of developing countries. While systems analyses largely targeting well-defined, engineered systems have been used to help SWM agencies in industrialized countries since the 1960s, collection and removal dominate the SWM sector in developing countries.

Overcoming the toxicity effects of municipal wastewater sludge and biosolid extracts in the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) assay.

For nearly two decades, the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) has been used as a valuable tool for determining the total estrogenic potency of various environmental samples, including influent and effluent streams at municipal wastewater plants. However, applying the YES assay to wastewater sludges and stabilized biosolids has been problematic. This is due to co-extracted compounds from the solids either proving toxic to the yeast or masking the presence of estrogenic substances.

Addressing reverse osmosis fouling within water reclamation--a side-by-side comparison of low-pressure membrane pretreatments.

A tertiary membrane filtration (TMF) pilot operating on secondary effluent and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) were setup in a side-by-side study as pretreatments for two identical reverse osmosis pilot systems. The water quality of the permeate from both low-pressure membrane pretreatment systems and the fouling rate of the reverse osmosis systems were compared to assess the capabilities of the two low-pressure membrane pretreatments to prevent organic fouling of the reverse osmosis systems. Both pretreatment pilots were setup using typical operating conditions (i.

Fate of endocrine-active compounds during municipal biosolids treatment: a review.

For two decades, the fates of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) across various wastewater treatment processes have been studied using chemical and in vitro bioassay measurements. In comparison, little work has been conducted to track the fates of EDCs during municipal biosolids stabilization, particularly using bioassay approaches. This leads to knowledge gaps with respect to understanding which single or combined biosolid treatments facilitate EDC removal, and what the total endocrine-active potency of treated biosolids might be.

Nitrification, denitrification and ammonification in point-of-use biosand filters in rural Cambodia.

In order to address the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target #7 for water and sanitation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified point-of-use (POU) water treatment technologies as an option for providing safe water to households. The BioSand filter (BSF) is a commonly used POU system that has been implemented in Cambodia and over 20 countries worldwide. While the health benefits of using a BSF in terms of reduction of diarrheal disease have been fairly well documented, little research has focused on the ability of this technology to treat for other contaminants that could pose health concerns.

A critical evaluation of two point-of-use water treatment technologies: can they provide water that meets WHO drinking water guidelines?

Point-of-use (POU) technologies have been proposed as solutions for meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for safe water. They reduce the risk of contamination between the water source and the home, by providing treatment at the household level. This study examined two POU technologies commonly used around the world: BioSand and ceramic filters.

Effects of total suspended solids loading on short-term fouling in the treatment of secondary effluent by an immersed ultrafiltration pilot system.

This study examined the performance of a pilot-scale immersed ultrafiltration system using secondary effluent as a feed source, with particular emphasis on the role played by total suspended solids (TSS) on short-term fouling rates within permeation cycles. Key secondary effluent quality characteristics, such as ionic composition and total/ colloidal organic carbon content, remained reasonably stable during the course of the study. However, TSS loads in the secondary effluent were correlated with the extent of within-cycle fouling.