QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN AHWAZ CITY; WITH EMPHASIS ON HOSPITAL WASTES

Abstract

Qualitative and quantitative analyses of hospital and municipal solid waste are necessary for selecting the best and most appropriate method of health care collection, storage, transportation and disposal of this kind of wastes. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of hospital and municipal wastes have been studied in Ahwaz city during spring 1996. The amount of solid wastes in five regions of the city was 560,000 Kg perday (0.648 Kg per capita). Also, the rate of waste production in 6 hospitals of Ahwaz was 2.54 Kg per bed. The average density of hospital and municipal solid wastes were 443 and 284.5 Kg/m3 respectively. Physical contents of municipal and hospital solid wastes were also investigated. The results were as follows Plastic & rubber (%7.7 , %16.57) ; wood and paper (%11.3, %14.35); textiles (%5.32, %13.76) ; metals (%4.7 , %9.48) ; glass (%4.26 , %4.12). Also degradable materials in hospital and municipal wastes were %29.38 and %64.24 of total sample waste, respectively.