Environmental Impact Assessment of Effluents from Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech (Morocco) Through Physicochemical Characterization

The releasing of untreated hospital wastewater into municipal sewer systems is of great environmental and public health concerns. In this study, an analysis of environmental implications of Mohammed VI University Hospital of Marrakech's effluent were made using extensive physicochemical studies. Regular samples collected bimonthly from October 2022 to January 2023 from the main hospital collector showed high concentrations of organic pollutants. Recorded mean concentrations of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), 5-day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD<sub>5</sub>) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) were 750 mg/L, 512.14 mg/L, and 879.86 mg/L, respectively, which surpasses Morocco's discharge standards, reflecting an added burden to municipal as well as larger environmental ecosystems. Nutrient analysis showed similarly high concentration values, while average concentrations of total phosphorus, sulfates, nitrates, and nitrites were 5.92 mg/L, 427.97 mg/L, 7.39 mg/L, and 0.60 mg/L, which pose alarms about eutrophication as well as water quality decline. Though this study mostly engaged itself in physicochemical parameters to analyze implications, bacteriological analysis (not discussed here but part of the larger framework) also reflected elevated levels of fecal coliform as well as occurrence of nosocomial pathogens, thus augmenting environmental as well as health implications. The moderate biodegradability of COD/BOD<sub>5</sub> ratio of 1.46 suggests significant treatment considerations based on method choices. In consideration of these, direct dumping of this effluent is an overarching environmental issue. Implementing sufficient treatment measures, like activated sludge processes, sequencing batch reactors (SBR), or membrane bioreactors (MBR), is important to reduce these implications and ensure public health as well as aquatic ecosystem safety.