Health centers represent an incontestable release source of many toxic compounds in the environment due to laboratory activity or medicine excretion. The major sources of medical waste are released from healthcare institutions such as hospitals, clinics, veterinary hospitals and diagnostic laboratories. This paper points out the physico - chemical characterization of health centers wastewater discharged with or without prior treatment into the environment from major hospitals and diagnostic laboratories located in Jaipur (Rajasthan state), India. Physico - chemical parameters such as DO, temperature, BOD5, COD, pH, free CO2, TS, TDS, TSS, chlorine residue are measured as per standards methods. The study reported that untreated wastewater from SMS hospital, shows values of BOD5, COD, TDS, chlorine residue are 468±6.8, 896±8.5, 349±0.8, 703±4.0 3.04±0.1 respectively which were far greater than the standard values. The present study revealed that the hospital wastewaters though show some toxic parameters whose values are higher than the WHO standards. Physico - chemical analysis seems to be a viable option for the disposal of health centers effluents. Further, Diagnostic laboratories also represent small but significant amount of toxic waste into the environment.
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