Up to 20% of Arctic wastewater is discharged without any treatment. Only 19% receives secondary or higher treatment, compared to 86% in Europe and North America. Untreated or poorly treated wastewater harms ecosystems and poses health risks, but further studies are needed to quantify the impacts. Development of treatment technologies suitable for the Arctic context is limited, and more is needed.
The authors hope that the paper can serve as inspiration for legislators and researchers across the region to bring about solutions to the challenges identified.
You can read the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1039/D5VA00082C