TY - JOUR

T1 - Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Assessment of Hospital Laundry Wastewaters

AU - Kern, Deivid Ismael

AU - de Oliveira Schwaickhardt, Rômulo

AU - Lutterbeck, Carlos Alexandre

AU - Kist, Lourdes Teresinha

AU - Alcayaga, Eduardo Alexis Lobo

AU - Machado, Ênio Leandro

PY - 2015/1/1

Y1 - 2015/1/1

N2 - The aim of the present study was to assess the ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters generated from a regional hospital located in Rio Pardo Valley in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Physicochemical, microbiological, ecotoxicological, and genotoxic analyses were performed, and the results indicate that some parameters were not in accordance with the limit concentrations established by Brazilian and international guidelines for urban wastewaters. Daphnia magna (EC50 2.01 %) and Danio rerio (LC50 29.25 %) acute toxicity was detected, and sublethal effects were identified in Lactuca sativa (IC25 12.50 %) and Allium cepa (IC25 51.25 %). Cytotoxicity was observed at the five wastewater concentrations used yielding statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the meristematic cells of A. cepa compared with the negative control. The results obtained here warn about the necessity to develop treatment methods that can mitigate the environmental impacts caused by the ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters.

AB - The aim of the present study was to assess the ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters generated from a regional hospital located in Rio Pardo Valley in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Physicochemical, microbiological, ecotoxicological, and genotoxic analyses were performed, and the results indicate that some parameters were not in accordance with the limit concentrations established by Brazilian and international guidelines for urban wastewaters. Daphnia magna (EC50 2.01 %) and Danio rerio (LC50 29.25 %) acute toxicity was detected, and sublethal effects were identified in Lactuca sativa (IC25 12.50 %) and Allium cepa (IC25 51.25 %). Cytotoxicity was observed at the five wastewater concentrations used yielding statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the meristematic cells of A. cepa compared with the negative control. The results obtained here warn about the necessity to develop treatment methods that can mitigate the environmental impacts caused by the ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of hospital laundry wastewaters.

KW - Sustainability Science

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84927169998&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s00244-014-0072-0

DO - 10.1007/s00244-014-0072-0

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 25135422

VL - 68

SP - 64

EP - 73

JO - Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

JF - Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

SN - 0090-4341

IS - 1

M1 - 72

ER -