Influence of Hospital Wastewater Discharged from University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City on its Receiving Environment

The bacteriological and physiochemical qualities of hospital wastewater discharged into the environment from University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City was investigated to assess the influence of the hospital wastewater in the receiving environment. The bacteriological parameters were carried out using the standard microbiological techniques. The bacteriological parameters examined were total heterotrophic bacterial counts, which had values ranging from 1.9x10 to 8.3x10 cfu/ml. The total coliform 7 12 counts ranged from 1.2x10 to 1.6x10 MPN/100ml. The isolated and characterized isolates included eight (8) 3 3 bacterial genera. The bacterial isolates were Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Serratia, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Proteus and Bacillus. The bacterial genera, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas and Serratia were the most frequently distributed isolates in the hospital wastewater. Physiochemical parameters studied revealed that the hospital wastewaters though show some parameters whose values are higher than the WHO to percent levels. Other falls within the WHO acceptable limits. There is therefore, contamination of the receiving environment (water, soil and air) due to the discharged hospital wastewater, which could probably be hazardous to human health.