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Prioritizing Factors for Electrocoagulation in Hospital Wastewater Treatment Using AHP: A Case Study of Regional Hospitals in Thailand
Author(s)
Kaochim, Tanat
Date Issued
January 1, 2026
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
Hospitals are significant contributors to a large amount of complex wastewater, into domestic wastewater and municipal sewer. Hospital wastewater (HWW) can contain both infectious and non-infectious contaminants, such as radioactive materials from cancer treatment, heavy metal contamination from science laboratory work, and pharmaceutical chemicals. Currently, hospitals in developing countries often have a high service density, generating and increasing large amounts of wastewater daily. Electrocoagulation (EC) is an effective electrochemical approach for treating specific types of polluted wastewater, particularly those contaminated by infectious pathogens, which require daily treatment. This study applied the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to prioritize factors influencing the adoption of the EC method for hospital wastewater treatment (HWWT), using the Central Hospital under the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand as a case study. The findings indicated that area requirement was the most important factor, followed by operational expenditure (OPEX). The factor weightings derived from this study provide evidence-based guidance to support decision-makers in adopting EC systems for hospital wastewater treatment.
Citation
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, 797 LNCE, 311-321, 2026