Potential Risks Associated With Mismanagement Of Hospital Wastewater In Tanzania

Hospital wastewater is harmful to the environment and public health if inadequately managed. Mismanagement of hospital wastewater pollutes soil, aquatic environments and spread infectious diseases that put public into health risks. Regardless on the toxicity of hospital wastewater, there are limited information on the impact of hospital wastewater mismanagement to the environment and surrounding community in the developing countries. This study aims to investigate the potential impacts of hospital wastewater mismanagement to the environment and surrounding community in Tanzania. Sixteen wastewater samples were collected from two national and regional referral hospitals in Tanzania using random stratified sampling technique. Chemical and biological parameters where analyzed in the laboratory following the standard methods from APHA-AWWA-WEF (1998). Thirty hospital cleaners, ten sewer attendants, thirty neighbouring community and ten hospital officials were interviewed to determine their level of awareness and measures taken to protect themselves against contaminating. The results show that effluents discharged into water bodies has high concentrations of organic matters and pathogenic bacteria (0.5 – 23 x 106 cfu/100 ml.). These results reveal that hospitals discharge is highly polluted and hence puts aquatic organisms and downstream water users into risks. Furthermore, 94% of interviewed were knowledgeable and the surrounding community was aware on the effects emanated from mismanagement of hospital wastewaters. This understanding is important for them to protect themselves however cannot safeguard aquatic ecosystems and downstream water users. Therefore, treatment of hospital wastewater with appropriate state-of-the-arts is required before discharging into the receiving water streams which is in line SDG 6.