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Water stagnation occurs whenwater stopsflowing for a long period of time.Stagnant water can be a significantenvironmental hazard.[1]
Malaria anddengue are among the main dangers of still water, which can become a breeding ground for themosquitoes that transmit these diseases.[2]
Stagnant water can be dangerous because it provides a better incubator than running water for many kinds of infectiouspathogens. Stagnant water can be contaminated withhuman and animalfeces, particularly indeserts or other areas of low rainfall.[2] Water stagnation for as little as six days can completely change bacterial community composition and increase cell count.[3]
Stagnant water may be classified into the following basic, although overlapping, types:
To avoid ground and surface water stagnation, thedrainage of surface andsubsoil is advised. Areas with a shallowwater table are more susceptible to ground water stagnation due to the lower availability of natural soil drainage.
Some plants prefer flowing water, while others, such aslotuses, prefer stagnant water.
Variousanaerobic bacteria are commonly found in stagnant water.[4] For this reason, pools of stagnant water have historically been used in processinghemp and some otherfiber crops, as well aslindenbark used for makingbast shoes. Several weeks of soaking makesbast fibers easily separable due to bacterial andfermentative processes known asretting.
Stagnant water is the favorite breeding ground for a number ofinsects.
