Nursing homes are familiar to most people. Do you know where wastewater from nursing homes mainly comes from? Together with a manufacturer of online water quality monitors, this article introduces the sources and treatment processes of nursing home wastewater.
Wastewater from nursing homes is mainly generated from residents’ washing, cleaning, canteen activities, as well as medical wastewater produced in the infirmary. Such wastewater contains a large amount of organic matter, inorganic substances and other harmful materials, including pathogens, parasites and viruses. If nursing home wastewater is discharged directly into nearby water bodies without treatment, it may cause fish and shrimp mortality, excessive algae growth, dark and smelly water, and disturb people’s daily life.
With that in mind, wastewater treatment should not be overlooked. The wastewater from nursing homes is low-concentration organic wastewater with good biodegradability. Integrated wastewater treatment equipment can be applied to remove pollutants effectively. The treated wastewater can only be discharged after meeting relevant standards.
Take the A/O process as an example. It is an improved activated sludge process and can degrade organic pollutants while removing nitrogen and phosphorus. The A/O process connects an anoxic section in the front and an aerobic section in the rear. In the anoxic stage, hetero-trophic bacteria hydrolyze suspended pollutants such as starch and carbohydrates, together with soluble organic matter, into organic acids. Large-molecule organics are broken down into small-molecule substances, and insoluble organics are converted into soluble forms. The hydrolysates from the anoxic stage then flow into the aerobic tank for aerobic treatment, improving the biodegradability of wastewater and oxygen utilization efficiency.
During the anoxic phase, hetero-trophic bacteria ammonify pollutants like fats and proteins to release ammonia (NH₃, NH₄⁺). Auto-trophic bacteria conduct nitrification to oxidize ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺) into nitrate. The liquid flows back to the anoxic tank under controlled conditions. Under anoxic environments, denitrifying bacteria reduce nitrate (NO₃⁻) into nitrogen gas (N₂), completing the nitrogen cycle and realizing harmless treatment of wastewater.
After disinfection and sterilization of wastewater, operators shall conduct online monitoring of various water quality parameters. Discharge is permitted only after the treatment meets requirements.
