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Septic Tank & Drainfield Construction Health Hazards Soil & bacterial hazards when excavating sewage-contaminated soils
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Septic Tank & Drainfield Construction Health-Safety Warnings
Health Hazards from Septic System Construction
Watch out: dust from septic system excacation can be dangerous, even fatal!
Besides the obvious hazards associated with excavating any hole in the ground to install a septic tank, drywell, cesspool, or sewer/septic pipe line (falling in), there are may be serious health hazards from sewage pathogens in soil dirt and other debris that are stirred enough to become airborne during excavation and installation of septic tanks and related equipment.
Bacteria in sewage include pathogens that can cause typhoid, cholera, gastroenteritis, or even pneumonia and sepsis.
Such airborne sewage pathogen hazards are more-likely to be present when excavating to investigate, repair, or replace an existing septic system as there will already have been sewage and sewage effluent discharge into the soils being disturbed.
The editor [DF] reports on an interview with a now-retired septic system contractor who worked installing and repairing septic systems in New York State's Hudson Valley. Over the course of decades of septic excavation work the contractor, who usually operated the excavating equipment himself, was exposed to sewage-contaminated airborne dust without ever giving it a thought.
The contractor developed infectious pneumonia, and after eight months of walking pneumonia that was undiagnosed, he was hospitalized at the Castle Point VA Hospital. The contractor said he never realized just how sick he was until becoming suddenly extremely ill, hospitalized, and diagnosed with sepsis.
The septic contractor/excavator was given a 13% chance of survival. That was worse even than the average 30-day sepsis mortality rate of about 24% and 90-day sepsis mortality of about 32%.
Fortunately the contractor, treated by the V.A. at Castle Point, and he recovered to give us this warning.
Sepsis Mortality & Septic System Construction Hazards Research
Australia, INFECTION RISKS from WORK WITH SEWAGE [PDF] Australia, Government of Queensland, - retrieved 2022/02/22 original source: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/safety-and-prevention/hazards/hazardous-exposures/biological-hazards/infection-risks-from-work-with-sewage
Bauer, Michael, Herwig Gerlach, Tobias Vogelmann, Franziska Preissing, Julia Stiefel, and Daniel Adam. "Mortality in sepsis and septic shock in Europe, North America and Australia between 2009 and 2019—results from a systematic review and meta-analysis." Critical Care 24, no. 1 (2020): 1-9. - Open Access at https://ccforum.biomedcentral.com/
Excerpt from Results:
Four thousand five hundred records were identified. After title/abstract screening, 783 articles were assessed in full text for eligibility. Of those, 170 studies were included. Average 30-day septic shock mortality was 34.7% (95% CI 32.6–36.9%), and 90-day septic shock mortality was 38.5% (95% CI 35.4–41.5%).
Average 30-day sepsis mortality was 24.4% (95% CI 21.5–27.2%), and 90-day sepsis mortality was 32.2% (95% CI 27.0–37.5%).
Hoghooghi, N., Pippin, J. S., Meyer, B. K., Hodges, J. B., & Bledsoe, B. P. (2021). Frontiers in assessing septic systems vulnerability in coastal Georgia, USA: Modeling approach and management implications. PloS one, 16(8), e0256606. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256606
These health hazards include exposure to harmful gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide,
cardiovascular degeneration, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritic changes and intervertebral disc
herniation, infections like hepatitis, leptospirosis and helicobacter, skin problems, respiratory system problems
and altered pulmonary function parameters.
Tiwari, Rajnarayan R. "Occupational health hazards in sewage and sanitary workers." Indian journal of occupational and environmental medicine 12, no. 3 (2008): 112.
Also including as
APPENDIX A: WHY DO COARSE SOILS HAVE LARGER PORE SIZE & LESS SURFACE AREA? & WHY DO FINER SOILS HAVE SMALLER PORE SIZE & MORE SURFACE AREA
and
Cogger, Craig G., APPENDIX B: SEPTIC SYSETEM WASTE TREATMENT in SOIL, (1987) Washington State University Cooperatie Extension, EB1475
[5] Alaska, INSTALLERS MANUAL FOR CONVENTIONAL ONSITE DOMESTIC WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL SYSTEMS [PDF] Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Health Drinking Water and Domestic Wastewater Program, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, 1 Aug 2000, Anchorage Offices, 555 Coredova, Anchorage AK 99501, Tel: 907-269-7500. retrieved 17 July 2012, original source: http://dec.alaska.gov/water/wwdp/onsite/pdf/Certified_Installer%27s_Manual.pdf
Notice: [Quoting]
This document contains information regarding the installation of onsite sewer systems for single-family and duplex residences. It must be used by Certified Installers and homeowners who are subject to 18 AAC 72.
Additional requirements are included in 18 AAC 72. If there is a conflict between the provisions of this manual and 18 AAC 72, 18 AAC 80, or other state regulations, the regulations language controls. AEDC offices.
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In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.
[1] US EPA ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS MANUAL [online copy, free] Top Reference: US EPA's Design Manual for Onsite Wastewater Treatment and Disposal, 1980, available from the US EPA, the US GPO Superintendent of Documents (Pueblo CO), and from the National Small Flows Clearinghouse. Original source http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/625R00008/625R00008.htm Onsite wastewater treatment and disposal systems, Richard J Otis, published by the US EPA. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water Program Operations; Office of Research and Development, Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory; (1980)
[3] "Manual of Policy, Procedures, and Guidelines for Onsite Sewage Systems," Ontario Reg. 374/81, Part VII of the Environmental
Protection Act (Canada), ISBN 0-7743-7303-2, Ministry of the Environment,135 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto Ontario M4V 1P5 Canada $24. CDN.
[4] Manual of Septic Tank Practice, US Public Health Service's 1959.
[7] CNMI, SOIL PERCOLATION TEST MANUAL [PDF] CNMI Division of Environmental Quality, PO Box 501304, Saipan, MP 96950. The CNMI Division of Environmental Quality, Gualo Rai, Saipan provides an excellent English Language manual guide for soil percolation testing. Original source: www.deq.gov.mp/artdoc/Sec6art108ID255.pdf
[8] OR, SOIL TEST PIT PREPARATION FOR ONSITE SEWAGE EVALUATIONS [PDF] (fact sheet) State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Portland OR, 800 452-4011. PDF document. Original source deq.state.or.us/wq/pubs/factsheets/onsite/testpitprep.pdf
[19] USDA SEPTIC TANK / Soil-Absorption Systems: How to Operate & Maintain [PDF] Equipment Tips, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 8271 1302, 7100 Engineering, 2300 Recreation, September 1982, web search 08/28/2010, original source: http://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/pubs/pdfimage/82711302.pdf.
In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested
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