Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Assessment of Hospital Laundry Wastewaters

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Authors

  • Deivid Ismael Kern
  • Rômulo de Oliveira Schwaickhardt
  • Carlos Alexandre Lutterbeck
  • Lourdes Teresinha Kist
  • Eduardo Alexis Lobo Alcayaga
  • Ênio Leandro Machado

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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number72
JournalArchives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Volume68
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)64-73
Number of pages10
ISSN0090-4341
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.01.2015