8 Dangerous Chemicals to Avoid in Septic Tank

Have you ever watched some sewer monster movie where it all happen because of chemical reaction in some chemist septic tank? Well I am displeased to break it up to you but it is not real and the effect of chemical in septic tank is not that harmful at least not in that way but in fact even though will not turning you become a monster there are more realistic harmful way those chemicals could do to you.

Septic tank as the final dumping for your household must be contain lots of lots micro bacteria and else that some will help the process and some are unwanted. Septic systems are underground wastewater treatment structures, commonly used in rural areas without centralized sewer systems.

They use a combination of nature and proven technology to treat wastewater from household plumbing produced by bathrooms, kitchen drains, and laundry. Many people dump many things to it by just flushing things from the toilet without knowing whether is it safe to do it since it seem pretty simple and easy way to dump something. But it will be so unfortunate to know that some these things dumped in septic tank is harmful and could causing even harmful effect for environment and human and also the septic tank system it self.

Thus, we have gathered information about chemicals to avoid in septic tank into a list below :

1. Gasoline

Always avoid to flush this chemical into your toilet moreover poured it into septic tank. Gasoline could cause harm to environment as it is disturbing the composition of soil nutrient. With this disturbance it is possible that plants can not longer growing in that area or worse it could destroy the existing plant. So it would be wise if you simply do not pour it into toilet in accordance to avoid harmful effect.

2. Antibiotic

In some and many waste water treatment house management, the system works by treating the waste water to be consume onsite. A problem is raised when this system is used at a hospital or nursing homes, the amount of antibiotic they threw on the septic tank can not be treated well and it ended up killing the bacteria that septic tank needed.

However the small amount of it like coming from someone who take antibiotic and dump it from the urine would not be effected to the septic tank at all. So, it is prefer to separate the antibiotic waste from the other waste.

3. Phosphate

With the chemical formula of (PO3−4) this chemical is mostly used in cleaning product some of them are used in detergents who use this kind of harmful chemical as their component. It is known that phosphate could cause many decease to human if it is consumed by great amount. Pouring this kind of chemical to your septic tank water treatment system would not be wise since it could be mixed with your consumed water.

If you have phospate on your septic tank system it can be treated by Treatment of raw/primary wastewater, Treatment of final effluent of biological plants (postprecipitation), Treatment contemporary to the secondary biologic reaction (co-precipitation).  Even some phospate is banned for export import trading because it is listed as toxic chemical banned for import export.

4. Magnesium Sulfate

This chemical is mostly used in toiletries product known as epsom salt. Even though it is okay to use this kind of chemical at minimum amount when it is used in higher amount it could cause many decease problems for human health. It could do many harm such as kidney problems.

So it is suggested to only use this chemical and dump it to the septic tank in small amount around the amount that used as bath soak. To know more about harmful chemical in toiletries product read here.

5. Chlorine

According to the US EPA, chemicals to avoid in septic tank, the level of chlorine needed to disinfect clarified wastewater effluent ranges between 5 and 20 mg/L. The usage above this level of chlorine will kill septic bacteria and infected the wastewater on septic tank system. The big amount of chlorine in septic tank could produce chlorine gas and will harm human respiratory system, eyes, and skin health.

To avoid this harmful effect please always use chlorine based product under it suggested concentration and In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set the permissible exposure limit for elemental chlorine at 1 ppm, or 3 mg/m3. (read more for : 14 Harmful Cleaning Chemicals – Compounds – Side Effects) 

6. Hydrochloric acid HCL

Many plumber use this chemical to solve clogging problems. In some cases it does free the pump but also Hydrochloric acid HCL is counted for a strong acid and could produce gas form of it. It is known that using strong chemical is not suggested because of the harmful effect it could brings, the harm of this acid including damage in respiratory organs, eyes, skin, and intestines irreversibly.

Simply substitute any strong acid to be poured into your septic system, it is better use organic chemical to solve any clogging problem. (Read here : to learn about acid in water reaction)

7. Illegal drug chemicals

It is known that septic system is connected with city sewer system. Pouring waste of meth-lab chemical to the septic system would poisoning the ground water and end up poisoning human who drink that water.

te of drug chemical on their septic system. It is obvious we are not allowed to do it legally so the government already protect us by stating the law.

8. Pesticides

There are many harmful chemical substance contained in pesticide like DDT, DDE, DDD, Metam sodium, Carbamate and so much more that will poison and caused deceased to human.

Pouring pesticide to your septic tank will be mixed with ground water and will poisoning human. The only way to avoid this bad effect is simply do not pour the pesticide to septic system.

So, those are chemicals to avoid in septic tank plus short insight of the harmful of it and suggestion of how to avoid it.