Hospital waste generation during an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in Taiwan.

During the SARS outbreak in Taiwan, the number of ambulatory patients and inpatients treated at one medical center decreased by 40%-70% because of the increasing number of SARS patients. At the peak of the epidemic, the amount of hospital infectious waste had increased from a norm of 0.85 kg per patient-day to 2.7 kg per patient-day. However, the hospital was able to return the generation of waste to normal levels within 10 days.

Analyzing the design criteria of primary settlers for small sewage treatment systems: a national survey in Taiwan.

An onsite wastewater treatment facility normally has a treatment capacity of 5-200 population equivalents. The small system is receiving increasing attention in Asia countries to make up for the shortage of public sewer system. While many countries rely on large centralized system, small systems in Taiwan have significantly contributed to the treatment of municipal wastewater (21.6%) to make up for the low sewer connection (17.0%). To resolve disputes on the design criteria of primary settlers in small systems recommended by the government, a nationwide survey of 350 permit applications were conducted. This result of the survey revealed that 53% adopted self-proven criteria to reduce the size of the primary settlers using a design flow rate (Q) of 10 m(3)/d or less. The official design criteria were thus analyzed by using two new approaches of design criteria, scale-down factor and sludge blanket height ratio, as proposed in this study. The analysis indicated that sizing of primary settlers must consider the diurnal flow fluctuation and storage of settled sludge in primary settlers for a sufficient period of time, preferably up to 6 months. The official design criteria may be too conservative for Q<5m(3)/d, but inadequate for Q>20 m(3)/d. Based on the result of this study, new measures are suggested to strengthen the onsite program.