AOX-EMISSIONS FROM HOSPITALS INTO MUNICIPAL WASTE-WATER

Adsorbable organically bound halogens (AOX) are mostly persistent in t he environment, and accumulate in the food web. Some of them are toxic to humans and other organisms. AOX were measured in the effluents fro m six German hospitals of different size and departments like internal medicine and ear-nose and throat (ENT) as well as from laundry, kitch en and laboratory. The concentrations in the day time mixed samples of the total effluent were 0.13 mg l(-1) - 0.94 mg l(-1) (circle divide = 0.43 mg l(-1)). For the separately investigated departments the lowe st concentrations were found in the effluent from laundry and kitchen (0.015 mg l(-1)), and the highest ones in the effluents from the medic al departments (0.12 - 1.71 mg l(-1), circle divide 0.95 mg l(-1) duri ng the week and 0.06 - 0.10 mg l(-1) at the week-end) and the laborato ries (0.05-14.2 mg l(-1), circle divide 2.73 mg l(-1)). The AOX concen tration in night time mixed samples were 0.07 - 0.41 mg l(-1) (circle divide = 0.41 mg l(-1)) for the total effluents and 0.25 - 2.64 mg l(- 1) (circle divide = 1.11 mg l(-1)) for medical departments. Concentrat ions expected by computing: the input of AOX attributable to pharmaceu ticals were between 11% and 16% for two hospitals and 7.7% for an ENT department. One additional important source of AOX in hospital effluen ts may be x-ray contrast media containing a iodine carbon bond. (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.