水と健康 : 身のまわりの水について

Water is essential for all living organisms including human beings. However, public people know well neither how the tap water is produced in the purification plant nor how the used water is released into the natural environment. The terms,“tasty water”and“clean water”are described, and the water purification process and the tap water supply system generally used in Japan are briefly explained. Tokushima Prefecture is notorious for the lowest sewage system coverage in 47 prefectures of Japan, and the coverage is limited in central part of the city of Tokushima and the city of Yoshinogawa. Since the use of septic tank for combined wastewater is also limited and the pollutants can be released into the natural environment without any treatment, water pollution in small streams at suburb of Tokushima-city, populated area of the city of Naruto and Anan are the potential concern. Thus, sewage system is under construction at former Yoshinogawa River watershed area and financial aid by city governments for septic tank installment is in process. Finally, pollutants possibly released into rivers of the suburb of Tokushima city at the level of potential effects on the ecosystem are also introduced.

四国医学雑誌 : http://www.tokushima-u.ac.jp/med/research/shikoku_acta_medica.html