TITLE:
Characterization of Four University Hospitals Wastewater in Cotonou, Benin
AUTHORS:
Ghislain Emmanuel Sopoh, Cyriaque Degbey, Judicaël Todedji, Fidèle Suanon, Arouna Yessoufou, Justin Somadje, Ferdinand Goudjo, Jean Wilfried Hounfodji, Daouda Mama
KEYWORDS:
Germs, Physicochemical Contaminants, Hospital Wastewater, Risks, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Epidemiology,
Vol.11 No.4,
November
8,
2021
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Because of the specificity of their care activities, hospital wastewater contains various contaminants such as germs, disinfectants, metals, pharmaceuticals and chemical reagents, potentially infectious or toxic, which can be harmful to living organisms, or create ecological damage. This study aimed to analyze the quality of wastewaters produced by university hospitals of Cotonou in Benin. Methods: We conduct an analytical cross-sectional study including 30 wastewater samples from selected hospitals. An analysis of variance was performed at the significance level of 0.05. Results: Microbiological analysis showed the presence of germs such as total coliform types, faecal coliforms, fecal streptococcus, staphylococcus, yeasts and Clostridium perfringens in hospital wastewater samples. There was a significant difference (p Conclusion: The wastewater produced by the university hospitals of Cotonou is of poor quality and therefore requires adequate prior treatment before discharge into the environment.