Possible Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic on Domestic Wastewater Characteristics in Kuwait

Abstract

The wastewater quality alterations due to the use of cleaning agents, sanitisers, and disinfectants, in addition to the accompanying use of water during COVID-19 have potential impacts on wastewater treatment operations. How the characteristics of wastewater could be altered by the COVID-19 pandemic was the concern of this investigation. Daily records of the Ardiya catchment in Kuwait City were examined for the period 2015–2020. Perhaps due to the excessive use of water during 2020 (446 compared to the five-year average of 436 l/c.d) and the corresponding wastewater generation increase (253 compared to the five-year average of 239 l/c.d), the effect of chemical usage on the wastewater quality has dampened. Nonetheless, an increase in the frequency of COD/BOD ratio > 3, TP in the range 6.5 to 8.5, TKN in the range 40 to 50 were observed in 2020, which was not observed during 2015–2019. These COVID-19 related alterations are important to take into consideration in wastewater treatment operations to achieve wastewater treatment targets.

Wastewater treatment from a science faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic by using ammonium-oxidising and heterotrophic bacteria

“…However, by the second semester of 2021 (December), the university community gradually returned to different activities resulting in increased WW volumes and changes in the chemical, physical and microbiological composition (Anayah et al 2021 ). In addition, strict biosecurity measures continued to prevent virus transmission (Achak et al 2021 ; Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social 2021 ; Wang et al 2021 ) such as disinfection of teaching and research laboratories with chlorine, chlorine compounds and quaternary ammonium compounds (Achak et al 2021 ; Ahmed et al 2022 ). The increased use of various chemicals hurt three key aspects.…”

“…The increased use of various chemicals hurt three key aspects. In the aquatic ecosystem, the level of pollution increased and increased quantities of chlorine and ammonium-based chemicals released, which could react with each other to generate more difficult-to-remove and possibly toxic compounds, such as nitrosamines (Hora et al 2020 ; Ahmed et al 2022 ). In addition, chlorine could react with organic matter (humic and fulvic substances), forming trihalomethanes that have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on aquatic biota (Hamed et al 2017 ).…”

“…In addition, chlorine could react with organic matter (humic and fulvic substances), forming trihalomethanes that have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects on aquatic biota (Hamed et al 2017 ). The second negative impact was the increase in the WW of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, which may even become a more serious public health problem caused by COVID-19, as microorganism control is not possible with a unique type of antibiotic (Ahmed et al 2022 ). The third impact relates to increased amounts of disinfectants in WW when mixed with hospital wastewater.…”

“…The third impact relates to increased amounts of disinfectants in WW when mixed with hospital wastewater. These compounds or their intermediates may affect the microorganisms performing secondary treatment (inhibition or complete removal), decreasing removal efficiency or increasing hydraulic retention times in plants (Anayah et al 2021 ; Ahmed et al 2022 ).…”

“…Concerning the nitrogen cycle, in the WW, the pollution is contributed by the organic matter, rich in nitrogen, proteins, urea and disinfectants derived from quaternary ammoniums (Hora et al 2020 ; Achak et al 2021 ; Wang et al 2021 ; Ahmed et al 2022 ). As a result, inorganic and organic forms are present in these wastewaters, with ammonia (NH 3 ), ammonium ion (NH 4 + ), nitrite (NO 2 − ), nitrate (NO 3 − ) and diatomic nitrogen (N 2 ) being the most frequent inorganic forms (Han and Zhou 2022 ).…”