Ecological implications of raw sewage sea disposal in Elefsis bay (Saronikos gulf, Greece)

Abstract

The disposal of Athens wastewater at the entrance of the Elefsis bay constitutes the major source of nutrient pollution for the bay. This disposal combined with the absence of river discharge, lack of run off from cultivated agricultural areas and the bay's limited circulation provide the conditions for the bay's eutrophication. In the spring of 1993 a new deep outfall system discharging primary treated effluent became operational This paper provides an outline of the ecological state of the Elefsis bay before the new outfall became operational.