An assessment of human health risks posed by municipal wastewater treatment using
constructed wetlands involves delineating pathogen content of inflowing water, degree of
removal/inactivation of pathogens in wetland environments, and level of exposure of
receptor (human) population to treated wastewaters. Four groups of pathogens (viruses,
bacteria, protozoa, and worms) may cause human waterborne diseases. Since most excreta-
related diseases in North America are caused by bacteria and viruses, this chapter focuses …

Conventional secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment methods include activated
sludge, trickling filters, slow sand filtration, chlorination, ozonation and UV radiation.
Chlorination being the most widely used pathogen disinfection method is presently under
scrutiny as chlorination can produce carcinogenic trihalomethanes when natural organic
matter is present in the wastewater. Constructed wetlands (CWs) have proven to be an
effective treatment alternative for the removal and inactivation of pathogens in wastewaters …