Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater

Hospital wastewater (HWW) constitutes a potential risk to the ecosystems and human health due to the presence of toxic and genotoxic chemical compounds. In the present work we investigated toxicity and genotoxicity of wastewaters from the public hospital of Buenos Aires (Argentina). The effluent fro...

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Main Authors: Anahí Magdaleno, Ángela Beatriz Juárez, Valeria Dragani, Magalí Elizabeth Saenz, Marta Paz, Juan Moretton
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2014-01-01
Series:Journal of Toxicology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/248461
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author Anahí Magdaleno
Ángela Beatriz Juárez
Valeria Dragani
Magalí Elizabeth Saenz
Marta Paz
Juan Moretton
author_facet Anahí Magdaleno
Ángela Beatriz Juárez
Valeria Dragani
Magalí Elizabeth Saenz
Marta Paz
Juan Moretton
author_sort Anahí Magdaleno
collection DOAJ
description Hospital wastewater (HWW) constitutes a potential risk to the ecosystems and human health due to the presence of toxic and genotoxic chemical compounds. In the present work we investigated toxicity and genotoxicity of wastewaters from the public hospital of Buenos Aires (Argentina). The effluent from the sewage treatment plant (STP) serving around 10 million inhabitants was also evaluated. The study was carried out between April and September 2012. Toxicity and genotoxicity assessment was performed using the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the Allium cepa test, respectively. Toxicity assay showed that 55% of the samples were toxic to the algae (%I of growth between 23.9 and 54.8). The A. cepa test showed that 40% of the samples were genotoxic. The analysis of chromosome aberrations (CA) and micronucleus (MN) showed no significant differences between days and significant differences between months. The sample from the STP was not genotoxic to A. cepa but toxic to the algae (%I = 41%), showing that sewage treatment was not totally effective. This study highlights the need for environmental control programs and the establishment of advanced and effective effluent treatment plants in the hospitals, which are merely dumping the wastewaters in the municipal sewerage system.
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spelling doaj-art-2ee91d8061ab47aa84a48694263aebfb2025-08-20T02:07:53ZengWileyJournal of Toxicology1687-81911687-82052014-01-01201410.1155/2014/248461248461Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital WastewaterAnahí Magdaleno0Ángela Beatriz Juárez1Valeria Dragani2Magalí Elizabeth Saenz3Marta Paz4Juan Moretton5Cátedra de Higiene y Sanidad, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 4° Piso, C1113AAC Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDepartamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental y Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCátedra de Higiene y Sanidad, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 4° Piso, C1113AAC Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCátedra de Higiene y Sanidad, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 4° Piso, C1113AAC Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCátedra de Higiene y Sanidad, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 4° Piso, C1113AAC Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCátedra de Higiene y Sanidad, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 4° Piso, C1113AAC Buenos Aires, ArgentinaHospital wastewater (HWW) constitutes a potential risk to the ecosystems and human health due to the presence of toxic and genotoxic chemical compounds. In the present work we investigated toxicity and genotoxicity of wastewaters from the public hospital of Buenos Aires (Argentina). The effluent from the sewage treatment plant (STP) serving around 10 million inhabitants was also evaluated. The study was carried out between April and September 2012. Toxicity and genotoxicity assessment was performed using the green algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the Allium cepa test, respectively. Toxicity assay showed that 55% of the samples were toxic to the algae (%I of growth between 23.9 and 54.8). The A. cepa test showed that 40% of the samples were genotoxic. The analysis of chromosome aberrations (CA) and micronucleus (MN) showed no significant differences between days and significant differences between months. The sample from the STP was not genotoxic to A. cepa but toxic to the algae (%I = 41%), showing that sewage treatment was not totally effective. This study highlights the need for environmental control programs and the establishment of advanced and effective effluent treatment plants in the hospitals, which are merely dumping the wastewaters in the municipal sewerage system.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/248461
spellingShingle Anahí Magdaleno
Ángela Beatriz Juárez
Valeria Dragani
Magalí Elizabeth Saenz
Marta Paz
Juan Moretton
Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater
Journal of Toxicology
title Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater
title_full Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater
title_fullStr Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater
title_full_unstemmed Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater
title_short Ecotoxicological and Genotoxic Evaluation of Buenos Aires City (Argentina) Hospital Wastewater
title_sort ecotoxicological and genotoxic evaluation of buenos aires city argentina hospital wastewater
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/248461
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