Wastewater Characteristics and Appropriate Method for Wastewater Management in the Hospitals

Abstract

Background: Hospitals generate relatively large quantities of wastewater that may contain various potentially hazardous ma­terials; therefore the proper management of hospital wastewater is essential.
Methods:  In this cross-sectional study, the quality and quantity of wastewater in the hospitals of Tehran University of Medi­cal Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran, were studied and the suitable method for wastewater management in the hospitals was determined.
Results: Monitoring of pH, TSS, BOD₅, COD and total coliforms indicated that the quality of wastewater in the hospitals was similar to domestic wastewater. The wastewater production in the hospitals was determined to be in the range of 398 to 1090 L/d/(occupied bed). The study on wastewater treatment and disposal methods demonstrated that discharge to munici­pal wastewater collection system is the best alternative for wastewater management in the hospitals, but this approach is not ap­plicable for all of the hospitals. Baharloo, Cancer Institute, Children, Farabi, Imam Khomeini, Razi, Roozbeh, Shariati and Valiasr hospitals can be connected to municipal wastewater collection system at present.
Conclusion: It is recommended that these hospitals' wastewater be discharged to municipal wastewater collection system. Amir Alam, Bahrami, Mirza Koochak Khan and Sina hospitals will be able to discharge their wastewater into sewerage net­work at second phase of Tehran sewerage project (in 2010) and Arash Hospital will be able to discharge its wastewater into sew­erage network at third phase of Tehran sewerage project (in 2015). These hospitals have to select onsite separate waste­water treatment alternative.