Administrative Information
‫المعلومات االدارية‬
02-07-10
:‫المرجع‬
Project Title - )‫عنوان المشروع (عربي وأجنبي‬
“Evaluation of Hospital Wastewater Genotoxicity in a Lebanese University Hospital”
‫دراسة السمية الجينية لمياه الصرف الصحي لمستشفى جامعي في لبنان‬
Principal Investigator - ‫الباحث الرئيسي‬
‫رقم الهاتف‬
‫العنوان االلكتروني‬
‫العنوان‬
Telephone
e-mail
Address
06-930250 roula.abdelmassih@balamand.edu.lb UOB –
ext 3838
Faculty
of
SciencesDept of
BiologyEl-Koura,
Lebanon
‫الوظيفية‬
Post
Associate
Professor
‫المؤسسة‬
Institution
University
of
Balamand
(UOB)
‫االسم‬
Name
Roula
AbdelMassih
Co-Workers - ‫الباحثون المشاركون‬
‫العنوان االلكتروني‬
‫المؤسسة‬
e-mail
Institution
Claude.afif@balamand.edu.lb Faculty
of Claude
Medicine
and
Medical
Sciences- UOB
‫االسم‬
Name
Afif,
MD
–2–
2 years
Scientific Information
‫العلمية‬
‫المعلومات‬
ّ
February 6, 2016
: Duration -‫المدة التعاقدية للمشروع‬
Objectives - ‫الهدف‬
The goal of this study is to assess and quantify the genotoxic potential of Lebanese Hospital
wastewater and to provide recommendations according to the results.
Achievements -‫أالنجازات المحققة‬
There are no strict regulations/ follow-up for the treatment of hospital wastewater or waste
management in Lebanon. Developed countries are currently assessing wastewater from hospitals,
industry, and domestic wastewater to develop regulations for protection of all living organisms.
Pharmaceutical compounds in hospital wastewater may lead to potential genotoxic effect in aquatic
environment (Kümmerer, 2001). According to our knowledge this was the first study done in
Lebanon to assess the mutagenic potential of a Lebanese Hospital.
This would be achieved through:
1- Determination of genotoxic potential of wastewater from Lebanese University Hospital
2- Determination of Mutagenicity ratio oh hospital wastewater
3- Identification of recommended dilutions of hospital wastewater
4- Identification of most genotoxic time interval in hospitals (so that more monitoring may be
done)
Perspectives - ‫آفاق البحث‬
Developed countries are currently assessing wastewater from hospitals, industry, and domestic
wastewater to develop regulations for protection of all living organisms. Pharmaceutical
compounds in hospital wastewater may lead to potential genotoxic effect in aquatic and
ubiquitous environment (Kümmerer, 2001). In Lebanon, there is no evidence that regulations/
follow-up for the treatment of hospital wastewater or waste management is appropriately done.
According to our knowledge this is the first study done in Lebanon to assess the mutagenic
potential of Lebanese Hospital wastewater.
The outputs for this study were
University of Balamand, Faculty of Sciences, Biology Department.
P.O. Box: 100 Tripoli. Tel: 06-930250 ext: 319, Fax: 06- 930278
E-mail: rabdelmassih@balama
–3–
February 6, 2016
1- Genotoxic potential, activity and induction factor of wastewater from a Lebanese
University Hospital were determined.
2- Mutagenicity ratio of the hospital wastewater using Salmonella fluctuation test was
determined.
3- The recommended dilutions to decrease wastewater genotoxicity were identified.
4- The most genotoxic interval or time for the hospital wastewater was identified.
More work needs to be done next in the Analytical field in the:
1- Identification of the most genotoxic compounds in the different pits of wastewater
studied.
2- Samples will be activated using S9 metabolic activation (use of the S9 liver
homogenate) could be done because bacteria do not possess the metabolic capacity of
eukaryotes. The samples analyzed were studied without activation to study wastewater
as is; however many of the genotoxic activity appear after transformation by living cells.
3- Studying the effect of different simple wastewater treatment plans to come up with the
recommendations of the most efficient and less costly type of treatment. Dilution was
used only as a quick solution and it should be emphasized that this could be done by
mixing with water from pits that were not genotoxic but solutions to remove the
genotoxic chemicals should be adopted.
Publications & Communications - ‫المنشورات والمساهمات في المؤتمرات‬
- Abdel-Massih R.M., Melki P., Afif C., Daoud Z., 2012. Detection of Genotoxicity in wastewater
of a Lebanese University Hospital using the SOS Chromotest and the Ames Fluctuation Test,
Environmental Toxicology, submitted (under revision).
International Proceedings / Abstracts
- Kfoury K., Salem ES, Afif C, Abdel-Massih RM, Daoud Z, 2013. Multidrug-resistant Gramnegative bacilli in hospital wastewater of a third world country in transition. 23rd European
Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) #1202
- Kfoury K, Abdel-Massih RM, Salem ES, Daoud Z, 2013. Detection and Analysis of Multi
Drug Resistant Gram Negative Bacilli in the Waste Water of a General Hospital in Beirut. 18th
Science Meeting of the Lebanese Association for the Advancement of Science.
- Abdel-Massih RM, Melki PN, Afif C, Daoud Z, 2012. Hospital Wastewater Genotoxicity in a
Developing Country. TWAS 12th General Conference & 23rd General Meeting, Tianjin,
China.
- Abdel-Massih RM, Melki PN, Afif C, Daoud Z, 2012. Genotoxicity of wastewater in a
University Hospital using the SOS Chromotest and the Ames Fluctuation Test. 31st Annual
University of Balamand, Faculty of Sciences, Biology Department.
P.O. Box: 100 Tripoli. Tel: 06-930250 ext: 319, Fax: 06- 930278
E-mail: rabdelmassih@balama
–4–
February 6, 2016
Symposium , Society of Toxicologic Pathology: Mechanisms of Toxicity, Boston, 33 #
0012.
- Melki PN, Afif C, Daoud Z, Abdel-Massih RM, 2012. Evaluation of hospital wastewater
genotoxicity in a Lebanese University Hospital. EUROTOX, “Safety Science Serving Society”,
48th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology- Sweden, P09-30 (S73). Toxicology
Letters, Volume 211, Supplement, S73.
Abstract - ‫موجز عن نتائج البحث‬
The genotoxic potential of wastewater generated by a Lebanese University Hospital was
evaluated by the SOS chromotest (on Escherichia coli PQ37) and the Ames fluctuation test (on
Salmonella typhimurium TA 98) without metabolic activation. Different concentrations were
tested to determine the recommended dilution for each sample to decrease its genotoxicity. The
samples were taken from 5 different pits, 2 times per day in the morning and the afternoon
during two 1-week (5days) periods in February and August 2011.
This study revealed that hospital wastewater was mostly genotoxic. 50% of the samples
were positive using the SOS chromotest and 67.5% as determined by the Ames fluctuation test.
Genotoxicity of the sample was affected by the time, day, and season of sample collection.
Different pits, representing different wastewater collection points, also varied with respect to
the intensity of genotoxicity.
‫توقيع الباحث‬
University of Balamand, Faculty of Sciences, Biology Department.
P.O. Box: 100 Tripoli. Tel: 06-930250 ext: 319, Fax: 06- 930278
E-mail: rabdelmassih@balama