Showing 3 results for Water
Mohamad Fahiminia, Elham Taherian, Abolfazl Mohammadbeigi,
Volume 14, Issue 1 (6-2015)
Abstract
Background: Hospitals have been known as main water consumers .Moreover , the amount of their produced wastewater and contamination is much more than domestic subscribers. Hospital waste management has recently emerged as an issue of major concerns but wastewater produced has not received sufficient attention. As there is a separate source of drinking water from that of sanitary usage in hospitals of Qom, surveying the consumption of water and the amount of produced wastewater will provide a lot of information in order to estimate amount of water requirement and wastewater produced in the hospitals
Materials and Methods: The amount of water consumption in hospitals had been collected from the year of 2008 to 2013. Collected data and conversion ratio of water to wastewater had been used for estimating the amount of wastewater. The data was analyzed by SPSS 19 software. Pearson correlation test was used to determine the relationships between variables. By identifying strengths and weaknesses of current system , appropriate interventions for better management of water and sewage systems were presented.
Results: The average of water consumption was found to be 655.7 liter per day per bed and 8.6 liters per square meter of substructure area among all eight hospitals surveyed.There was a statistically meaningful relationship between consumed water in hospitals and substructure area (p<0.05).The average quantity of wastewater produced was estimated as 567.6 liter per day per bed. The main method of wastewater disposal is discharge in an absorbing well.
Conclusion: In order to improve the current situation of mentioned hospitals, reconstructing water and wastewater facilities , using wastewater treatment packages and connecting waste water of hospitals to systems of wastewater collection of city seems inevitable.
Abbas Jahangiri,
Volume 23, Issue 4 (2-2025)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Pharmaceutical pollutants in hospital wastewater pose significant environmental and public health risks. This study aimed to identify and prioritize effective strategies for removing these contaminants from the wastewater of selected hospitals in Markazi Province, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study employed a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. Initially, a comprehensive review of scientific literature, expert interviews, and consultation with professionals in environmental health and wastewater treatment was conducted. Relevant strategies and prioritization criteria were identified using MAXQDA 2022. Subsequently, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was applied using Expert Choice version 11 software to assign weights to criteria and rank the identified strategies.
Results: Five key treatment strategies were identified: (1) integrated biological, physical, and chemical treatment methods (hybrid systems), (2) advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), (3) aerobic and anaerobic biological reactors, (4) membrane filtration, and (5) activated carbon adsorption. The prioritization was based on five criteria: (1) pollutant removal efficiency (0.357), (2) environmental compatibility (0.241), (3) implementation and operational costs (0.198), (4) technology durability and sustainability (0.123), and (5) implementation complexity and feasibility (0.081). The final priority scores of the strategies were 0.312, 0.256, 0.211, 0.134, and 0.087, respectively.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that hybrid treatment systems combining biological, chemical, and physical processes offer the most effective strategy for eliminating pharmaceutical pollutants in hospital wastewater. These insights can guide healthcare policymakers and hospital administrators in selecting optimal wastewater treatment methods, contributing to environmental protection and water quality improvement.
Abbas Jahangiri,
Volume 24, Issue 1 (5-2025)
Abstract
Background and purpose: Hospital wastewater infrastructure is critical for safeguarding public health and protecting the environment. Deficiencies in the management of these systems can precipitate severe public health and environmental crises. This study aimed to identify and prioritize investment risks associated with hospital wastewater infrastructure.
Methods: This applied case study was conducted in a general hospital in Arak, Iran, during April 2025. Initial risk identification involved a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews with 14 experts, with data analysis facilitated by MAXQDA 2022 software. Subsequently, a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) approach, utilizing a customized checklist, was employed to score each identified risk based on its severity, probability of occurrence, and detectability. The Risk Priority Number (RPN) for each risk was then calculated using Microsoft Excel. Finally, risks were ranked in descending order according to their RPN values.
Results: A total of 23 key risks were identified and categorized into five principal areas: design, technical, environmental, operational, and managerial. The highest RPNs were attributed to "lack of pre-treatment systems," "insufficient capacity planning," and "wastewater leakage into surrounding soil". Additionally, managerial and operational risks, such as "insufficient budget for maintenance" and "shortage of skilled personnel," were recognized as significant aggravating factors for other risks.
Conclusion: The findings underscore that many critical risks within hospital wastewater infrastructure originate from fundamental weaknesses in initial design and ongoing management. The FMEA method proved to be an effective and systematic tool for identifying and prioritizing these risks, thereby facilitating improved engineering and managerial decision-making and enhancing the overall effectiveness of investments in this vital infrastructure.
