Chemical

cleaning
products are
destroying the
ecosystem
and your
septic tank


 JANUARY 31, 2019  KHUSHBOO SHROFF (?AUTHOR=5)


BIOLOGICAL TREATMENT (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/TAG/BIOLOGICAL-
TREATMENT/)
, CHEMICALS (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/TAG/CHEMICALS/),
ECOSYSTEM (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/TAG/ECOSYSTEM/),
ENVIRONMENT (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/TAG/ENVIRONMENT/),
WASTEWATER TREATMENT (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM
/TAG/WASTEWATER-TREATMENT/)


BIO SOLUTIONS (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY/BIO-
SOLUTIONS/)
, BIOTECH (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY/BIOTECH/),
ENVIRONMENT (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY/ENVIRONMENT/)
, MICROBES (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY/MICROBES/),
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY
/SUSTAINABLE-SOLUTIONS/)
, THINKSAFE (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY/THINKSAFE/),
WASTEWATER TREATMENT (HTTPS://ORGANICABIOTECH.COM/CATEGORY
/WASTEWATER-TREATMENT/)

 0

A septic tank is typically an underground

sewage collection unit where waste from
households and small establishments is
broken down and decomposed through
bacterial activity. This is a space to hold and
treat raw sewage through the settling of
solids and digestion by anaerobic microbes,
and therefore has a natural bio-composition
and a presence of several bacteria that do

the work of breaking down the waste. These
naturally occurring bacteria are responsible
for breaking down solid waste so that the
liquid waste can flow down and out of the
septic tank.

It’s so common (and convenient) to just

drain liquid waste of all kinds down the sink,
toilet or tub in your home. However, it’s
important to consider the damage you could
be causing your septic tank by doing this.
The health of a septic tank depends on the
balance of naturally occurring bacteria. So
you must be mindful of what you might be
putting into the drain that could damage
these microscopic organisms
(https://organicabiotech.com/lets-talk-
about-safe-cleaning-shall-we/) and reverse
the composition and balance within your
septic tank, thereby affecting the way in
which the waste is naturally degraded.

The bacteria in a septic tank is typically


capable of decomposing 95% of waste,
leaving only 5 percent behind. This is a huge
chunk of decomposition, which if
compromised can lead to clogging, overflow
and the passage of a lot of harmful effluents
into the waterways beyond the septic tank.
A healthy, balanced and properly
functioning septic tank ensures that
pathogens are trapped within, not allowing
them to be leached out. On the other hand,
if the balance of the hardworking organisms
in charge of breaking the waste down is
skewed, it will not function as well. This may
then cause the discharge of unhealthy
volumes of improperly treated wastewater
in and around the vicinity of the tank. This is
one of the primary causes of groundwater
contamination and health hazards.

According to UNICEF, one gram of human

faeces may contain 10 million viruses, 1
million bacteria, 1,000 parasite cysts and
100 parasite eggs. So every time a septic 
tank malfunctions, it becomes a potential
threat that could release these pathogens
into the groundwater. This not only causes
pollution to the environment – the soil bed,
groundwater as well as rivers and the sea –
but also poses a huge health hazard for
humans and animals in and around the
area. The more a septic tank’s capacity to
breakdown sewage is compromised, the
greater its potential to cause groundwater
contamination. Pathogens – or disease-
causing bacteria and virus – are the
contaminants typically found untreated
wastewater.

Untreated wastewater, with traces of faecal

matter, contains high concentrations of
pathogens that make it extremely
dangerous for human beings in the vicinity
of malfunctioning septic tanks. It is,
therefore, crucial to ensure that your septic
tank maintains a healthy microbial balance
and does its job of breaking down and 
containing the waste to the best possible
capacity.

Many of the chemicals and ingredients in

household cleaning products
(https://organicabiotech.com/thinksafe/)
such as ammonia, bleach and nonylphenol
ethoxylate surfactants and phosphates have
been known to cause irreparable harm to
the health septic tanks. While these are the
same chemicals that ensure you have a
spotless and almost fully-disinfected
bathroom home and bathroom, they’re the
same chemicals that kill the bacteria (in the
septic tank where they end up) ruining the
necessary balance required to breakdown
pathogens.

A majority of septic systems are not

designed to help keep groundwater safe
from chemicals found in household products
from entering it. Some products deemed
‘hazardous household products’ should

especially not be disposed of in a way that
allows them to enter the septic system as
the chemicals can cause harm to human
health and the environment if the products
are not used or degraded properly. When
these chemicals enter a septic tank in overly
large doses or concentrated amounts, they
may increase toxicity levels which in turn
harm the beneficial bacteria that are
working hard to break down the contents.
Then, it sets off a domino effect wherein
these chemicals continue to flow unbroken-
down from the septic tank to the leach field
around the neighbourhood, further into the
water reserves

Put simply, chemical cleaning solutions are

likely destroying your septic tank. This is
why it is crucial to build awareness about
safe non-hazardous cleaning products as
well as to ensure that citizens take care to
safely and responsibly disposing of liquid
chemical wastes in their homes. The 
average citizen probably has no idea about
the harmful effects of products that he/she
believes are good for him. Citizens also have
no cognisance of where their sewage waste
goes (https://organicabiotech.com/where-
does-sewage-go/) and how every action
within the home impacts the biological
chain and ecosystem.

At any given time the average household

contains an estimated 10 litres of products
that could be considered hazardous to the
health of human beings coming in contact
with them, as well as the surrounding
environment. Strong cleansers, bleaching
agents, disinfectants, paints, when poured
into the drain end up putting a strain on the
wastewater treatment facilities that are
designed to treat predominantly organic
waste. Hazardous chemical components like
these often go unprocessed, eventually to
be released back into local waterways
leading to the sea, groundwater, soil and 
local ecosystems.

This can cause havoc in the long run, if it

goes unchecked.

A septic tank is an essential first step in the

efficient and effective means of treating
wastewater generated in every one of our
homes and offices. So it is well worth the
effort to invest in safe cleaning products,
read labels to ensure everything that goes
down the drain is septic-tank safe as well as
inform oneself about the impact that
household activities like cleaning can have
on the environment.

Learn more about septic tank management

(https://organicabiotech.com/organic-sanitation-products
/septic-tank-maintenance-enzyme-treatment/)

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
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