SIMULTANEOUS DISINFECTION AND TRACE HEAVY METALS REMOVAL FROM HOSPITAL WASTEWATER BY ADVANCED OXIDATION TECHNIQUES

Hospital wastewater may contain various potential hazardous materials including microbiological pathogens, radioactive isotopes, disinfectants, drugs, chemical compounds and pharmaceuticals. Hospital wastewater is characterized by high COD and BOD with BOD5/COD ratio varying between 0.250.5(JSS) and 0.38-0.5(KRH) with greenish blue colour. The present study aims at carrying out Disinfection studies on Fenton and photo Fenton process for removal of COD and Removal of trace heavy metals from hospital wastewater under various sets of operating conditions such as dosage of Iron, Hydrogen peroxide, contact time and pH and Irradiation time. The result showed in JSS Hospital wastewater reduction in COD, TSS, and Turbidity removal efficiency of 96.83%, 94.30%, and 84.48% for 0.4g Fe2+ + 1.65ml H2O2 Fenton dosage at 50 RPM and 90 minutes reaction time, at the pH of 3.5. The improvement in BOD5/COD ratio (0.25 to 0.41) was observed at the end of 90 minutes, the result showed in KR Hospital wastewater reduction in COD, TSS, and Turbidity removal efficiency of 89.58%, 85.81%,and 87.27% for 0.4g Fe2+ + 1.65ml H2O2 Fenton dosage at 50 RPM and 60 minutes reaction time, at the pH of 3.5. The improvement in BOD5/COD ratio (0.25 to 0.41) were observed at the end of 60 minutes. 11W UV lamp used to disinfect the wastewater showed reduction in microbial parameters like fecal coliform, fecal streptococci and total coliform, the removal efficiency of TC, FC, FS for JSS and KR hospital wastewater are 99.72 %, 99.72 %, 99.72%. And 99.72%, 99.17%, 98.63% respectively. Studies carried out for Photo Fenton process showed 99% removal efficiency microbial and heavy metals complete removal at optimum H2O2 dose of 1.65 ml and 0.4 g/l of iron, at wastewater pH of 3.5 and the irradiation time from 0th minutes to 120th minutes, the optimum irradiation time were 60th minutes for both JSS and KR Hospitals wastewater at speed of 50 RPM.