Physico-Chemical Characterization of Medical Solid Waste Leachate – Case of the Hospital de l'Amitié of Nouakchott-Mauritania

At the Hospital de l'Amiti, hospital waste corresponds to a mixture of waste assimilated to household waste and the waste from healthcare activities with infectious risks. In the context of hospital hygiene, the conducted study focuses on the impact of this hospital waste on the people of the Hospital de l'Amiti and the environment, and their handling of hospital waste (collection and transport). From an environmental point of view, the physicochemical characterization of the leachate leaving submerged waste in three media (drinking water, distilled water and alcoholic distilled water) show high concentrations for most of the parameters studied. Physico-chemical characterization of solid waste from Hospital de l'Amiti in Nouakchott (Mauritania) was carried out from September to December 2020. The objective was to determine the value of 14 parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, COD, BOD 5 , COD/BOD 5 , BOD 5 /COD, SS/BOD 5 , SS, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate and phosphorus), and improve the treatment method for this solid waste by immersing it in three different mediums (drinking water, distilled water and alcoholic distilled water). Among the 14 parameters, seven exceeded the Moroccan and WHO standards for medium 1, 2 and 3 respectively, conductivity (5340.00 s/cm, 5820.00 s/cm and 3550.00 s/ cm), BOD 5 (122.00 mg/L, 106.00 mg/L and 142.00 mg/L), BOD 5 /COD (2.30, 1.93 and 2.88), SS (1000.00 mg/L, 600.00 mg/L and 600.00 mg/L), nitrite (0.91 mg/L, 25.00 mg/L and 45.00 mg/L), nitrate (210.00 mg/L, 200.00 mg/L and 110.00 mg/L) and sulfate (1000.00 mg/L, 2000.00 mg/L and 1000.00 mg/L). These results indicate the existence of toxic substances in these leachates that may impact the environment. In addition, the study proposes solid waste treatment from the Hospital de l'Amiti in Nouakchott (Mauritania) before its discharge into the natural environment. This observation is consolidated by the analyses carried out on the leachate of the waste immersed in three aqueous media (drinking water, distilled water and alcoholic distilled water).