25 March 2011 page last updated: 24 February 2011 Assessment of
Rural Alaskan Wastewater Leachate Waste facilities in rural
Alaska often contain a mixture of household solid waste
materials and human waste products in close proximity to surface
waters. Seasonal movement of surface waters are often a pathway
for waste toxins and/or pathogens into surrounding ecosystems.
Credit: Photo by Edda Mutter In rural Alaska, communities are
highly sensitive to changes in the surrounding ecosystem and its
effects upon subsistence activities. In turn, ecosystems
themselves are highly sensitive to perturbations brought about
by ineffective solid and sewage waste management practices. In
most instances, untreated waste material, including antifreeze,
plastic material, lead-acid batteries, detergents, medical
waste, and in some instances, human waste, is deposited into
natural tundra ponds, unlined sewage lagoons or solid waste
sites. Due to the absence of regular monitoring, very little is
known about chemical and microbial