Hospitals discharge considerable amounts of chemicals and microbial agents in their wastewaters. Problem chemicals present in hospital wastewater belong to different groups, such as antibiotics, X-ray contrast agents, disinfectants and pharmaceuticals. Many of these chemical compounds resist normal wastewater treatment. They end up in surface waters where they can influence the aquatic ecosystem and interfere with the food chain. Humans are particularly exposed by the drinking water, produced from surface water. Microbial agents of special concern are multiresistant microbial strains. The latter are suspected to contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. In this paper, we will discuss the different approaches towards hospital wastewater treatment. The principle of uncoupling hospitals from public sewers warrants in-depth evaluation by technologists and ecotoxicologists as well as public health specialists.
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Research Article|
December 01 2006
The treatment of hospital wastewater: an appraisal
B. Pauwels;
B. Pauwels
1Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
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W. Verstraete
1Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology (LabMET), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
Tel.:+32 9264 5976, Fax: +32 9264 6248; E-mail: [email protected]
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J Water Health (2006) 4 (4): 405–416.
Citation
B. Pauwels, W. Verstraete; The treatment of hospital wastewater: an appraisal. J Water Health 1 December 2006; 4 (4): 405–416. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wh.2006.0024
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