Marine Pollution Due to Wastewater Discharge in Kuwait

Abstract

The extent of marine pollution and sea beach contamination due to occasional untreated wastewater discharges through emergency outfall of different pumping stations was investigated. Pumping station A 3 has been selected for investigation in the present study. Fecal coliform and Fecal Streptococci as indicators and Salmonella the pathogenic bacteria were examined in the water and sand samples collected from Benid Al-Qar Sea beach. Water samples and sand samples were collected for a span of 8 months. Sampling of sand was done at distances of 5 m and 10 m on both left and right sides away from the opening of emergency outfall. Shell samples were also collected to ascertain the presence of any contaminant. The analytical data showed that occasional discharge of wastewater resulted in the accumulation of 710 colonies for F. coliform, 20 colonies for F. Streptococci and 125-colonies/100 ml for Salmonella in sand samples collected from 5 m distance on the left side of an emergency outfall. On moving to 10 m distance the intensity of accumulation was reduced about 50% i.e. 360 colonies, 10 colonies and 75 colonies/100 ml for F. coliform, F. Streptococci and Salmonella respectively. The intensity of accumulation was further reduced in the sand samples collected from the right side of the emergency outfall opening. Gradually all these accumulated types of bacterial cells showed inactivation due to solar radiation exposure and other oceanographic factors. Within a month no growth of any indicator or pathogenic microbe was noticed in the sand samples. Again the F. coliform bacteria started appearing in the sand samples collected during 7 months of the project due to discharge of untreated wastewater under the emergency situation, i.e. renovation of sewage networks. Again the same trend of inactivation of bacterial cells was noticed. Thus Kuwait Sea beaches are not threatened of marine pollution due to occasional discharge of wastewater.