Critically Evaluate the Impacts of Sewage-Related Pollutants on the Solent Coastal Waters from
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Course
Environmental Science
Institution
University Of Southampton (UOS)
Issues associated with sewage-related pollutants in Southampton waters are due to the city being the second largest dock in England, with a population of around 200,000.
This report will introduce what sewage pollutants are, and the impact they have in Solent waters. With data of ten consecutiv...
Critically Evaluate the Impacts of Sewage-
Related Pollutants on the Solent Coastal
Waters from 2010-2019
ENVS2007 Environmental Pollution – A1
Freya Elizabeth Patten
Student ID: 30821207
Word count: 1,992
Bsc Environmental Science
Year 2
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
School of Geography
, Introduction:
Issues associated with sewage-related pollutants in Southampton waters are due to the city being the second
largest dock in England, with a population of around 200,000 (Stringer, et al., 2014). Sewage is defined as
an oxygen demanding mixture of inorganic and organic solids in a solution which includes human waste,
chemical or industrial wastes (Williams, 2020). Significant variables include cadmium, arsenic, metals, and
pesticides from urban waste and nitrates which accumulate in the surface layers of the oceans (Soriano-
Disla, et al., 2011; Grant, et al., 2008). This report will introduce what sewage pollutants are, and the impact
they have in Solent waters. With data of ten consecutive years taken from the Environmental Agency, the
chemicals in the Solent will be critically analysed and will determine if there is a significant change in the
data, using statistical tests such as ANOVA and t-test, as well as evaluating the consequences of sewage
pollution.
Data for Sewage Pollution in Solent Coastal Waters
In 2019, there were 1,783 coastal discharges in England’s waters during the bathing season (Tagholm et al.,
2020). With six bathing waters in the Solent, it is recreationally beneficial but can cause dilemmas when
considering the sewage output (European Environment Agency, 2019). On the eastern side, Hillhead has
increased in Intestinal Enterococci colonies in the last four years (Environmental Agency, 2020). Bacteria
enters the sea from sewage and urban drainage via rivers and streams, mainly from Portsmouth area and
contaminates Solent waters from the input of River Meon. The sewage treatment discharge five km from the
shore is a likely source of sewage pollution. Calshot, on the west of Southampton Water, however has not
increased in Enterococci colonies. Due to the increase in bathing waters, the council must have deemed most
of these sites acceptable to allow bathing.
Figure 1 shows the Historic Waste and Industry around Southampton; most of the industry is located next to
the coast. The waste from these areas travels straight into the Solent and are likely to be high in sewage-
related pollution and chemicals.
Figure 1: Historic Waste and Industry in Southampton (Gov.uk, 2014). It is highly concentrated in the coastal areas,
and therefore the sewage from these industries are more likely to enter Solent waters untreated.
Chemical analysis will be the most reliable source to calculate the amount of sewage in Solent coastal
waters (Longwell, 1955). The Environmental Agency recorded an average of 630 data sets per year for all
areas of sewage pollutants in Solent and South Down Waters. Table 1 shows the average of each year from
2010 to 2019.
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