A study about the performance evaluation of medical waste sterilization plant in Van, Turkey

ABSTRACT

In this study, the performance of a medical waste sterilization plant was evaluated. Accordingly, the results were pH 7.26–8.07; temperature 22–25°C; conductivity (EC) 109–182 μS/cm; chemical oxygen demand (COD) 200–900 mg/L; suspended solids (SS) 12–86 mg/L; NO2- 0.4–1.0 mg/L; NO3- 1.5–8.3 mg/L; NH4-N+ 11–25 mg/L; and PO4-P 4.5–7.3 mg/L. All the heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn and Hg) had weak correlations with each other. Cr and Hg were observed to have a negative correlation (−0.5733;p=0.05). In addition, the leaching characteristics of the solid waste from the sterilization plant were investigated in terms of heavy metals. Both the Pb and Cd (1.09–0.19 mg/L) values in the leaching analysis of medical waste were slightly above the Turkish Hazardous Waste Control Regulation (THWCR) limit value. This study shows that it is necessary to use some strategies in order to achieve and implement an effective medical waste management system in the city of Van. For this reason, the operation of the medical waste disposal system established in Van is important in terms of creating a preliminary source for more comprehensive studies to be carried out in our country in the future.

KEYWORDS:

• Medical wastewater
• leach
• sterilization facility
• wastewater characterization

Acknowledge

The authors would like to thank the Scientific Research Project Support Unit of Yüzüncü Yıl University for their financial support in this project (FYL-2017-5827) and to Murat Onur Çeliktaş, Branch Manager at the Van Medical Waste Sterilization Plant for his contribution to this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Nomenclature

Mean S.D: Mean Standard Deviation

p: Probability value

pH: Power of hydrogen

TS EN: Turkish Standard Europen Norm

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported financially by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit (BAP), Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Turkey with the project code of FYL-2017-5827.