Contamination of hospital wastewater with hazardous compounds as defined by 7a WHG

In total, 45 samples of hospital wastewater obtained from different origins (total wastewater, nursing, and laboratories) were investigated using chemical analyses as well as biological testing methods. In parallel, the consumption of several product groups relevant to the wastewater has been calculated. The water consumption strongly influenced the quality of the corresponding wastewater. Most of the values of the chemical parameters determined were found within a range as would have been expected for municipal wastewater. The AOX concentrations were distinctly elevated (0.41 mg/L in total wastewater and 0.95 mg/L in nursing wastewater). As could be shown by the calculated consumption of different compounds, the iodoferous X-ray contrast media represented a predominant proportion of the total AOX load of the clinical wastewaters tested. The values of some of the total wastewater samples and the laboratory wastewater samples showed a high toxicity as determined using the daphnia and luminescent bacteria tests. Using Ames and hamster cell tests, 5 out of 23 samples in the clinical area and 7 out of 9 samples from the laboratories turned out to be mutagenic. The origin of this mutagenic potential could not be determined though.