Hospital effluent care with ozone for inactivation of potentially pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

Hospital effluents are characterized as possible vehicles for the dissemination of numerous pathogenic microorganisms and other contaminants and, when left untreated, represent a potential risk to man and the environment. The objective of this research was to evaluate the presence of arable pathogenic microorganisms present and to verify the efficacy of ozone in the disinfection of effluents from a public hospital in the city of Uberlandia-MG. Hospital effluent collections were performed at two points, with a distance of 200 m: the first point, from the Emergency Room, wards, intensive care unit, surgical center and laboratory and the second point, hemodialysis, kitchen, laundry and clothing. Sampling was performed for three months. The samples were evaluated for the presence of total mesophiles, total and thermotolerant coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. The effluent was treated with ozone for different periods of time. The presence of mesophiles, coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. was verified in both effluents and in all months of evaluation. Ozone was effective in decontamination of hospital effluent, requiring 20 minutes to eliminate bacterial load.