Determination of Bacteriological and some physicochemical properties of Hospital wastewater

Abstract

The search to determine the level of bacteriological and other pollutants in Hospital wastewater is a major concern to the environmental health workers. The bacterialogical analysis were determined within the wastewater treatment Plant to ascertained quantitatively the total Coli-form count and E. Coli, which ranged between 2.5×103 to 2.8×103 MPN/100ml and 2.5×103 to 2.7×103 MPN/100ml respectively. Wastewater samples were collected from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital wastewater Treatment Plant. Samples were collected between the period of July 2010 to September 2010, and the mean values of the following parameters were determined: pH temperature, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, sulphate, phosphate and conductivity. From the results obtained, the level of temperature is above the World Health Organization limit, while the level of Dissolved oxygen (DO) is below the tolerance limit for the survival of aquatic life in the wastewater. The Bacteriological load is highly contaminated in the wastewater and may pose a threat of infection to human health. The level of nitrate and sulphate did not exceed the WHO limits as recommended for hospital wastewater disposal, while the level of phosphate was found to be higher than the WHO limits. All other parameters determined in the wastewater and food sample were lower than the limits set by WHO and the maximum permissible levels.