Antibiotic Contamination in Wastewater of Phranangklao Hospital
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Abstract
The issue of residual antibiotics in wastewater from hospital treatment systems has become a major factor driving the emergence of antimicrobial resistance globally. This study investigates the sources and evaluates the extent of antibiotic contamination in hospital wastewater, with a case study of Phranangklao Hospital in Nonthaburi Province. Wastewater samples were collected from three representative buildings: Jindamanee Building (Outpatient Department Building; OPD Building), the 18-story Medical Center Building (Inpatient Department Building; IPD Building) and Ngeun Tung Daeng Building (Hemodialysis Building) in April 2024. Samples were also taken from the hospital's centralized wastewater treatment system, including influent, the flow measurements tank, effluent from the sedimentation tanks using both grab sampling and composite sampling methods, and the effluent discharge points in December 2023, during the dry season to minimize contamination from rainwater. Sampling was conducted between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., during peak hospital water usage periods. The results showed that the IPD Building had the highest contamination levels, followed by the OPD Building and the Hemodialysis Building. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) was the most frequently detected antibiotic across all operational units, indicating its environmental persistence. The hospital's centralized wastewater treatment system was able to reduce certain antibiotic residues, such as ciprofloxacin (CIP), by more than 90%, but SMX was still found in the treated effluent. The study highlights the need for improvements in hospital wastewater treatment systems to reduce antibiotic residues in effluent, as well as to minimize contamination at the source, such as from various medical activities. The findings can serve as a foundation for developing effective wastewater treatment measures and contamination control strategies to prevent long-term environmental and health impacts.
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References
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