Medical wastewater treatment

Due to its hazardous components, medical wastewater needs to be collected and treated efficiently before being discharged into receiving sources to prevent environmental pollution and harm to human health. As a company with many years of experience in the industry, WeMe is proud to have accompanied many domestic businesses in solving wastewater treatment issues. WeMe is pleased to provide a solution for healthcare facilities looking for answers to their wastewater problems with a low-investment, highly safe, and efficient medical wastewater treatment module.

Origin, components, characteristics, and importance of medical wastewater treatment

Medical wastewater is the wastewater generated from healthcare facilities:

• Medical examination and treatment facilities;
• Preventive healthcare facilities;
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities;
• Medical and pharmaceutical research facilities.

The activities generating wastewater in healthcare facilities include:

• Hygiene, bathing, laundry, and eating activities of staff, doctors, nurses, patients, and their relatives;
• Medical examination and treatment, testing, sterilization of medical instruments, laboratory work, and drug production.

In addition to the basic components of domestic wastewater such as BOD, COD, N, P, suspended solids, dissolved solids, and grease, medical wastewater also contains some specific components:

• Pathogenic microorganisms;
• Disinfectants;
• Chemicals;
• Pharmaceuticals;
• Radioactive substances used in diagnosing and treating diseases.

Due to these hazardous components, medical wastewater must be collected and treated before being discharged into receiving sources to prevent environmental pollution, protect human health, and comply strictly with Vietnam’s regulations on medical wastewater management.

Some information about WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment system

WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment module combines aerobic biological treatment, activated sludge, and MBR membrane filtration technology. The module is made from SS400 steel coated with epoxy, designed and manufactured by WeMe Energy Joint Stock Company. The system operates on a 3-phase power supply with a voltage of 380V. Depending on the wastewater flow, the module is designed with various capacities. The equipment in the module is listed in the table below:

No.	Equipment Name	Brand
1	Submersible pump	Taiwan
2	Horizontal pump	Panasonic
3	MBR membrane	Mitsubishi
4	Air blower	Taiwan
5	Dosing pump	Hanna
6	Electric float	Taiwan
7	Cabinet and wiring	Main components from LS
		Wiring from Cadivi
8	Pipe and fittings system	Vietnam
9	MBR tank and frame	WeMe Environment

Stages of medical wastewater treatment

Medical wastewater has characteristics similar to domestic wastewater, so the treatment process is quite similar, consisting of the following stages:

Pre-treatment stage:

• Collecting wastewater streams to a common treatment system;
• Removing large debris and suspended solids from wastewater and equalizing the flow and concentration through screens, primary settling tanks, and equalization tanks. This stage can significantly reduce the BOD and COD levels in medical wastewater.

Treatment stage:

• Converting N and P compounds through the action of anoxic microorganisms;
• Removing BOD, COD, and organic nitrogen in the form of ammonium using aerobic microorganisms;
• Removing TSS and pathogenic microorganisms using MBR membrane filtration.

Post-treatment stage:

• Disinfecting to balance the pH of the wastewater and kill pathogens in the medical wastewater before discharging it into the receiving source;
• Treating sludge generated from the biological treatment process.

Why should you choose WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment system?

WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment module is a reliable choice for customers for the following reasons:

• The treated water meets QCVN 28:2010/BTNMT standards, columns A and B, for discharge into receiving sources;
• The module uses MBR membrane filtration technology, the latest technology capable of almost completely treating pollutants;
• It saves space and costs by eliminating the need for secondary settling and traditional filtration tanks;
• The system operates fully automatically and with high safety;
• The module is compact, easy to transport, and can be disassembled and reassembled as needed;
• The equipment inside the module is sourced from reputable, high-quality brands, giving the module durability and aesthetic appeal;
• The treated water can be reused for non-potable activities such as irrigation, street cleaning, and toilet flushing;
• The module is continuously improved by WeMe to enhance treatment efficiency, reduce costs, and increase aesthetics.

WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment process

Technology flowchart

Technology flowchart explanation

• Collection pit: Domestic and medical wastewater is piped to the collection pit, where a submersible pump is installed to pump the wastewater to the equalization tank.
• Equalization tank: This tank ensures that the wastewater flow and concentration are kept stable. Air is continuously supplied to the equalization tank to stir the wastewater, prevent sedimentation, and avoid anaerobic decomposition that causes foul odors.
• Anoxic tank: Constantly stirred by air blowers to enhance the activity of floc-forming microorganisms and inhibit the growth of filamentous microorganisms that cause sludge bulking. Here, processes for carbon removal, phosphorus conversion, and nitrate reduction occur.
• Aerotank: Organic matter is broken down by aerobic microorganisms, which use the contaminants in the wastewater as food for growth and biomass production, reducing pollutant concentrations in the wastewater.
• MBR Module: Provides a supply of microorganisms to continue aerobic treatment. The MBR membranes inside the module filter out suspended solids, sludge, microorganisms, and only allow clean water to pass through. Chemicals are dosed directly into the pipeline to the receiving source via dosing pumps to eliminate harmful bacteria such as Coliform, E. coli, etc., in the wastewater. After passing through the medical wastewater treatment system, the wastewater meets QCVN 28:2010/BTNMT standards for discharge into the receiving source.

Note: WeMe’s technology cannot treat wastewater containing complex components such as radioactive isotopes or chemical solvents.

Why is WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment system highly effective?

The standout feature of WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment module is its use of MBR membrane filtration technology, the latest technology capable of almost completely treating pollutants. The MBR module is designed with flat sheet membranes placed parallel and submerged in the aerobic biological treatment tank, with membrane tank dimensions of 650 x 2000 x 2000 mm. Thanks to the ultra-fine 0.1 µm pore size of the membranes, suspended solids, sludge, bacteria, and viruses are retained, while only clean water passes through. The system operates continuously, with air supplied to aerobic microorganisms and to blow off debris to prevent membrane clogging. Periodic cleaning of the membranes is done by pumping chemicals and clean water into the membranes. The entire module operates fully automatically. The treated water has low color due to the effective removal of suspended and dissolved solids by the MBR membrane.

Projects implementing medical wastewater treatment systems by WeMe

Installation of wastewater treatment system for Thanh Khe District Medical Center

• Wastewater type: Medical and domestic wastewater from the center
• Capacity: 5 m³/day
• Required output water quality: QCVN 14:2008/BTNMT column B
• Project location: K62/32 Ha Van Tap Street, Thanh Khe District, Da Nang City
• Investor: Huy Hoang International Investment and Trade Joint Stock Company
• Contractor: WeMe Energy Joint Stock Company

Installation of wastewater treatment system for Tam Phuc Hospital

• Wastewater type: Medical and domestic wastewater from the hospital
• Capacity: 75 m³/day
• Required output water quality: QCVN 28:2010/BTNMT column B
• Project location: Tam Phuc General Hospital, 82A Ngo Si Lien Street, Duc Thang Ward, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan Province
• Investor: Tam Phuc General Hospital
• Contractor: WeMe Energy Joint Stock Company

Which is WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment system suitable for?

WeMe’s medical wastewater treatment system is compact, with various capacities and the option to upgrade by adding more modules, making it suitable for healthcare facilities of all sizes:

• Preventive healthcare facilities;
• Medical and pharmaceutical research and training facilities;
• Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities;
• Commune, ward, and township health stations;
• Dental clinics;
• Aesthetic centers;
• Hospitals.

Additionally, WeMe also provides other wastewater treatment systems such as:

• Domestic wastewater;
• Industrial wastewater;
• Food processing wastewater;
• Livestock wastewater;
• Etc.

If you have any questions, please leave your contact information HERE. WeMe will get back to you as soon as possible to consult and address all your inquiries. Accompanying our customers is our pride and honor at WeMe.

WeMe Energy Joint Stock Company