ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the risk associated with hospital waste water from the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia through microbiological quality parameters. The waste waters were cultured on Nutrient Agar, Sabouraud Dextrose Agar, MacConkey Agar, Salmonella Shigella Agar and 1.osin methylene Blue Agar using spread plate techniques. The results reveals the major bacteria and fungal species associated with hospital wastes to be Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudoinonas spp, Bacillus spp, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Proteus spp, Salmonella spp., Yeast and Candida spp. Results of physicochemical properties of the hospital waste waters from Federal Medical Center Urnuahia showed variations in their properties from different wards. The pH of waste water from infant ward was in the alkaline range. With a mean value of 8.73, similarly the surgical waste water pH was an average of 9.67 while that of the emergency ward was an average of 9.83. The laboratory waste water and the waste water from the medical ward had pH 6.33 and 6.80 respectively which are both slightly acidic. The temperature of the wastewater varied from 30.33°C to 33.67°C and was highest in laboratory and children wards had the lowest temperature of 30.33°C. The biological oxygen demand was in the range of 37.3mg/l to 348.3mg/l in the medical ward waste water and highest in the infant ward wastewater. Similar variations was recorded in the chemical oxygen demand (COD) which was in the range of 185.0mg/I to 483.0mg/I their variation were significantly different. The bacteria load was in the range of 8.3X106 cfu/ml to 2.05X10⁷while the fungal load ranged between 1.33X10²and 1.80X10³ . The coliform count of the hospital waste water samples showed that the average probable number (MPN) per 100ml water was in range of 9/100ml to 90/100ml. The study on wastewater quality indicated that the wastewater quality in all the wards investigated was similar to domestic wastewater quality and within World Health Organization limits.