Assessing the efficiency of wastewater treatment plant at testing stage for Can Tho General Hospital

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate and then propose solutions for improving hospital wastewater treatment efficiency at Can Tho General Hospital. Wastewater treatment efficiency was assessed through water flow, temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), mixed liquored volatile suspended solids (MLVSS), total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), sulfate (SO₄^2-), hydrosulfide (H₂S), ammonium (NH₄⁺-N), nitrite (NO₂^--N), nitrate (NO₃^--N), total nitrogen (TN), orthophosphate (PO₄^3-- P), total phosphorus (TP), coliform and sludge volume index (SVI). The centralized wastewater treatment system of the hospital has a capacity of 750 m³/day that meets the requirement for hospital operation during peak months (672.3 m³/day). Results showed that wastewater quality parameters were within the allowable range of the National Technical Regulation on medical wastewater-QCVN 28:2010/BTNMT-Column B; except NH₄⁺-N exceeded the permitted standard 2.5 times. It is necessary to increase the retention time of selector and SBR tanks up to 2.0 hours and enhance sludge circulation to selector tanks in order to increase treatment efficiency of NH₄⁺-N.