Hospital Wastewater

This study investigated contaminations from heavy metals and other physico-chemical parameters in effluents at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Offinso in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Wastewater was sampled at different points of the hospital to help understand how hospital unit operations affected effluent quality. Parameters that were investigated included pH, electrical conductivity, nitrates, phosphates and heavy metals (Mercury (Hg), Manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), Lead (Pb) and Iron (Fe)). Lead concentration at all the sampling points was below detection limit of 0.005 mg/L. The mean concentrations of heavy metals derived for the Postnatal/Antenatal/Theatre (PAT), Labour Ward, Theatre and Laundry/Ward/Pharmacy (LWP) sampling points were 0.16, 0.23, 0.21, 0.14 for Hg; 0.20, 0.19, 0.24, 0.24 for Mn; 0.31, 0.57, 0.56, 0.18 for Zn; 1.15, 0.18, 1.38 and 0.86 mg/L for Fe, respectively. With the exception of Hg and Mn, the rest of the metals and the other physico-chemical parameters were all within the permissible range for effluent discharge by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana

Hospitals are significant sources of contaminants derived from the diagnostic, laboratory, and research activities as well as medicine excretion by patients, which comprise active components of drugs and metabolite, chemicals, residues of pharmaceuticals, radioactive markers, iodinated contrast media, etc. Discharging hospital wastewater, especially those without convenient treatment could reveal the public in danger of infection. Particularly, below the Corona-virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic context in China and the world, it is vital to avoid the health dangers to humans and nature. This work summaries scientific propositions for management, technology selection, and operation of hospital wastewater disinfection in China, which is crucial for suggesting worldwide disinfection planning for hospital wastewater during COVID-19 pandemic. Further, this work briefly reviews some techniques used for killing viruses such as photocatalytic methods and ferrate(IV). Numerous novel signs of progress have as well been performed in hospital wastewater treatment engineering , like radiation disinfection technique, reverse polymerization disin-fection process, plasma disinfection method, and thermal gasification disin-fection procedure.

The wastewater generated by the hospitals contains pathogens, bacteria, viruses, pharmaceuticals and other hazardous contaminants. Traditional treatment methods become insufficient to remove these contaminants. In this paper, the review has been done for the treatment of hospital wastewater using electrocoagulation.

Dissemination of antibiotic resistance via aquatic systems is considered to be an important environmental health concern. The present study aimed to assess the levels of multidrug-resistant bacteria in the raw wastewater of two hospitals in Port Harcourt metropolis using standard microbiological techniques. Among 64 bacterial isolates, seven bacterial groups were identified, including Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter, Shigella, and Bacillus. The bacterial counts were within the ranges of 7.8 x 104-4.8 x 106 and 6.9 x 104-1.09 x 105 CFU/ml in hospitals A and B, respectively. The obtained results indicated high resistance to quinolones/fluoroquinolones (83.3-90%) and penicillins (50-70%). In addition, 86.9% of the isolates showed multidrug resistance. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index was within the range of 0.1-0.8 in the gram-positive bacteria and 0.1-0.6 in the gram-negative bacteria. The findings confirmed the presence of bacteria with high MAR indices in the untreated hospital wastewater.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The overuse of antibiotics in hospitals and the entry of these pollutants into water resources is one of the major challenges to the health of the community and the environment. Removal of antibiotics from hospital wastewater and other aquatic environments is possible through the adsorption process. This study was performed to evaluate antibiotic removal using plantain wood due to being cheapn and natural.
METHODS: In this in vitro study, the effect of pH (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12), contact time (5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 minutes), initial metronidazole concentration (10, 50 and 100 mg/L) and biosorbent dose (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1, 1.2 and 1.4 g) on metronidazole removal rate in synthetic solution were evaluated, and the isothermal kinetic and thermodynamic results of the adsorption process were investigated in this study. Concentration of metronidazole in aqueous solution was measured by Hach DR 5000 UV-Vis Laboratory Spectrophotometer.
FINDINGS: Maximum removal of metronidazole (91%) was obtained at pH=6.5, 60 min, initial concentration of 50 mg/l, adsorbent dose of 0.8 g and 25 °C and maximum adsorption capacity (11.38 mg/g) was obtained at a dosage of 0.1 g. In this study, the reaction rate followed the pseudo-second order and adsorption isotherm followed Langmuir equation. The adsorption thermodynamic results showed that the adsorption process is physical in nature and is a spontaneous endothermic reaction.
CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that biosorbent prepared from plantain wood is a natural material and has the ability to remove metronidazole antibiotics from hospital wastewater and other aquatic environments.

The wastewater generated by the hospitals may contain
pathogens, bacteria, viruses, pharmaceuticals etc. In this
paper, the review has been done for the treatment of hospital
wastewater containing harmful ingredients using
electrocoagulation, the reuse of the same water after
treatment.