Physicochemical characterization of wastewater from the morgue at Roosevelt Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36829/08ASA.v20i1.2162Keywords:
hospital effluents, chemical oxygen demand, Biochemical oxygen demand, biodegradability, pollutant load, wastewaterAbstract
The physicochemical characteristics of wastewater generated in morgues had not previously been documented in Guatemala. The objective of this study was to characterize wastewater from the morgue of Hospital Roosevelt by determining flow rate, temperature, pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, color, suspended solids, five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), and chemical oxygen demand (COD), as well as to assess its biodegradability and estimate its pollutant loads. Ten composite samples were collected between September and November 2025. Each composite sample consisted of four grab samples collected at one-hour intervals between 12:00 and 15:00. The average COD concentration was 2,694.30 mg/L, equivalent to 6.40 times the reference value for raw domestic wastewater in Guatemala. The BOD₅/COD ratio was 0.17, indicating low biodegradability. For the observed three-hour daily period, the estimated pollutant loads were 0.53 kg of BOD₅, 3.05 kg of COD, and 0.58 kg of suspended solids, with an average flow rate of 0.1047 L/s; these values were not extrapolated to 24 hours. The results provide a baseline to guide future research and evaluate treatment alternatives for this type of effluent.
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