Analysis of Microbial Air Quality in the Surrounding Hospital’s Wastewater Treatment Plants in Jakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

As hospitals require the usage of various hazardous drugs and chemicals in its daily operation, the often contaminated wastewater of health facilities needs to be processed to comply with the quality standards specified in Regulation of the Governor of DKI Jakarta No. 65/2013. However, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) can also pollute not only water but also the ambient air of facilities. The objective of this research is to identify airborne bacteria and the concentration of fungi due to the presence of WTP and to analyse the types of bacteria that exist through Gram Staining. Microbial air samples taken using EMS E6 showed that the average concentration of bioaerosol at hospital’s WWTP was about 810-1,915 CFU/m3 for bacteria and 1,450-1,955 CFU/m3 for fungi. Furthermore, the highest concentration of bacteria and fungi found in the surrounding equalization and aeration tanks was 1,915 CFU/m3 and 1,955 CFU/m3, respectively, which far exceeded the background value of 80 CFU/m3 for bacteria and 440 CFU/m3 for fungi. Gram staining of the bacteria found in the air surrounding WWTP showed 94% Gram-negative with the bacteria being pathogenic. Therefore, it is pertinent that further action is taken to prevent bioaerosol from spreading around WWTP by building better ventilation surrounding the plants, indicating the technology of the treatment plant to be used, and enforcing personal safety measures on WWTP’s employees.