Characterization of Hospital Wastewater and Management Treatment Practices in Minna, Niger State

Abstract

Hospitals generate large quantities of both solid and liquid wastes. High public health and environmental risks are involved in managing these wastes. Objectives of this study were: To determine the characteristics of hospital wastewater and examine the current wastewater management practices system. Hospital wastewater contains various potentially amount of hazardous pathogenic organisms, organic and heavy metals, as well as hazardous chemicals, and one of the most important source of pollution factors. In this study, two genera} government hospitals in Niger State were selected for this studied, i.e., General Hospital Minna, and New General Hospital Minna Wastewater characteristics were determined by taking samples from each hospital. Results were compared with World Health Organization (WHO). Measurements and monitoring of ten environmental parameters determined. Physical properties: pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS). Chemical properties: Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), trace elements, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Chloride, Sulphate. Microbiological properties: Total Coliforms (TC), Faecal Strep (FS) and Faecal Wastewater analysis revealed that BOD, COD and Chloride concentrations were more than the permissible limits prescribed in WHO. Coliforms others indicators such as physiochemical and biological indicated that the quality of wastewater in the investigated hospitals was similar to domestic wastewater. Physiochemical parameters studied revealed that the hospital wastewaters showed most of parameters values arc within WHO and Federal Ministry of Environment Nigeria acceptable limits. The study of wastewater treatment and disposal methods clarified that the discharge to municipal wastewater collection system will be able to discharge their wastewater into sewerage network. This process is the best solution for wastewater management in General Hospitals Minna. The researchers recommended that the hospitals have to select onsite separate wastewater treatment.