UNLABELLED: Hospital wastewater treatment is gaining attention in recent studies due to its complex nature. The performance of the sequencing batch reactor coupled with tube-settler was investigated for hospital wastewater treatment. The performance was evaluated regarding removing organic matter and nutrients (nitrate and phosphate). The phosphate was removed in the sequencing batch reactor and its associated tube-settler with a 60% removal efficiency margin. Nitrification was observed in sequencing batch reactor and tube-settler, but denitrification could not be achieved. The nitrification-denitrification process was not completed during the process. The current work's main aim was to understand and optimise the operational parameters involved in the performance of the sequencing batch reactor. The operational parameters were optimised using Design expert software, and Response Surface Methodology involved a four-factor and five-level central composite design. The percentage removal of chemical oxygen demand, nitrate, and phosphate was selected to be observed during this study. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13399-022-03406-z.

Department of Civil Engineering King Khalid University Abha 11564 Saudi Arabia

Department of Civil Engineering Mewat Engineering College 122107 Nuh Haryana India

Department of Geography LADES FLSH M Hassan 2 University of Casablanca 47963 Mohammedia Morocco

Energy Cluster Department of Chemical Engineering University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Dehradun 248007 Uttarakhand India

Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory SPIL NETME Centre Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Brno University of Technology VUT Brno Technická 2896 2 616 69 Brno Czech Republic

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