BIO-MEDICAL WASTE

MANAGEMENT

BY-
PRAMOD KUMAR
 WASTES
WASTES Wastes

Gaseous
“Something Solid waste Liquid Waste
Waste

which is not Household

waste
put into proper
usage at a Industrial
waste
given time”.
Biomedical
waste or
hospital waste
BIO-MEDICAL WASTE: -
Any waste which is
generated during the
diagnosis, treatment or
immunization of human
beings or animals or in
research activities
pertaining thereto or in
the production or testing
of biological.
CAUSES

Improper:-
Packaging
Segregation
Treatment and
disposal
of biomedical
waste.
CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE:
 CLASSIFICATION OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE:
1. INFECTIOUS WASTE:
Infectious waste
suspected to contain
pathogens (bacteria,
viruses, parasites, or
fungi) in sufficient
quantity to cause diseases
in susceptible hosts.
 continue…
This category includes:-
• Cultures and stocks of
infectious agents from
laboratory work.

• Waste from surgery on

patients with infectious
disease.

• Infected animals from

laboratories.
Classification continue…
2.PATHOLOGICAL
WASTE:
It consists of tissues,
organs, body parts,
human fetuses, and
animal carcasses,
blood, and body fluids.
 continue…
3. SHARPS:
These are the items that
could cause cuts or puncture
wounds, including;
Needles,
Scalpel and other blades,
Knives,
Infusion sets,
Saws,
Broken glass, and nails.
Classification continue…
4.PHARMACEUTICAL
WASTE:
It includes expired, unused,
spilt, and contaminated
Pharmaceutical products,
Drugs,
Vaccines, and sera
 continue…
5. GENOTOXIC WASTE:
• Genotoxic waste is highly
hazardous and may have;
Mutagenic,

Teratogenic, or

Carcinogenic properties.
 continue…
• It raises serious safety problems,
both inside hospitals and after
disposal, and should be given
special attention.

• It includes certain cytostatic

drugs, vomit, urine, or feces from
patients treated with cytostatic
drugs, chemicals, and radioactive
material.
Classification continue…
6. CHEMICAL WASTE:
It consists of discarded
Solid,

Liquid, and

Gaseous chemicals
 Continue…
Chemical waste may be hazardous or nonhazardous.
It is considered to be hazardous if it has at least one
of the following properties:
Toxic,
Corrosive (acids of pH < 2 and bases of pH> 12)
Flammable,
Reactive
Genotoxic
Classification continue…
7. WASTES WITH HIGH CONTENT
OF HEAVY METALS:
It represents a subcategory of
hazardous chemical waste, and is
usually highly toxic.
It includes
Batteries,
Broken thermometer,
Blood-pressure gauges.
Classification continue…
8. PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS:
Many types of gas are used in
health care, and are often stored in
pressurized cylinders, cartridges,
and aerosol cans.
Most common gases used in health
care includes:
Anesthetic gases
Ethylene oxide
Oxygen
Compressed air
Classification continue…
9. RADIOACTIVE WASTE:
It includes the X- rays, α- and β-
particles, and γ- rays emitted by
radioactive substances.
• α-particles, are heavy
positively charged, and
include protons and
neutrons.
• They have low penetration
power, and are hazardous to
humans mostly when inhaled
or ingested.
 continue…
• β- Particles, are negatively or
positively charged electrons with
significant ability to penetrate
human skin, they affect health
through ionization of intracellular
proteins and proteinaceous
components.
• γ- Rays, are electromagnetic
radiations similar to X- rays but to
shorter wavelength. Their
penetrating power is high and lead
shielding is required to reduce
their intensity.
 SOURCES OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE:
• It is generated primarily from health care
establishments, including
• Hospitals,
• Nursing homes,
• Veterinary hospitals,
• Clinics and general practitioners,
• Dispensaries,
• Blood blanks,
• Animal houses and research institute.
 Sources continue…
OTHER SOURCES:
1. Households:
 The domestic sector generates biomedical waste to
a small extent which is less than about 0.5% of the
total waste generated in a household.

 The type of biomedical waste generated in a

household are syringes, cotton swabs, discarded
medicines, bandages, plaster, sanitary napkins,
diapers etc.
 Sources continue…
2. INDUSTRIES, EDUCATION INSTITUTES AND
RESEARCH CENTERS:
 These also generate bio-
medical waste in substantial
quantities.

 The type of waste generated

from an animal houses is
typically animal tissues,
organs, body parts, carcasses,
body fluids, blood etc., of
experimental animals.
 Sources continue…
3. BLOOD BANKS AND
CLINICAL
LABORATORIES:

Blood banks and

laboratories generate
most of the categories
of biomedical waste.
 Sources continue…
4.HEALTH CARE
ESTABLISHMENTS:

The sources of bio-medical

waste generated in
health care setting.
 EFFECTS OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE: -

The improper
management of
biomedical waste causes
serious environmental
problems in terms of
Air,
Water and
Land pollution.
 Effects continue…
1. AIR POLLUTION:
• Air pollution can be caused in both indoors
and outdoors.
• Biomedical waste that generates air
pollution is of three types-
• Biological,
• Chemical and
• Radioactive.
 Air pollution continue…
A. Indoor air pollution:-
Hospital Acquired Infections
(Nosocomial infection).
Indoor air pollution can
caused due to:
• Poor ventilation
• The paints, carpet,
furniture, equipment’s, etc.,
used in the rooms.
• Use of chemicals,
disinfectants, fumigants etc.
 continue…
B. Outdoor air pollution:
 Outdoor air pollution can be caused by
pathogens.

 When waste without pretreatment is being

transported outside the institution, or if it is
dumped openly, pathogens can enter the
atmosphere i.e. drinking water, food stuff, soil
etc.
 Effects continue…
2. WATER POLLUTION:
• Biomedical waste can cause water pollution. If the
waste is dumped in low- lying areas, or into lakes
and water bodies, can cause severe water pollution.

• Treatment or disposal option can also cause water

pollution.

• Water pollution can either be caused due to

biological, chemicals or radioactive substances.
 Effects continue…
3. LAND POLLUTION:
• Open dumping of biomedical waste
is the greatest cause for land
pollution.

• Soil pollution from bio-medical

waste is caused due to infectious
waste, discarded medicines,
chemicals.

• Heavy metals such as cadmium,

lead, mercury, etc., which are
present in the waste will get
absorbed by plants and can then
enter the food chain.
 Methods of disposal of bio-medical
waste and their segregation
WASTE CATEGORY TYPE OF WASTE TREATMENT AND
DISPOSAL
OPTION
Category No. 1 Human Anatomical Waste (Human tissues, organs, body Incineration@ /
parts) deep burial*

Category No. 2 Animal Waste Incineration@ /

(Animal tissues, organs, body parts, carcasses, bleeding deep burial*
parts, fluid, blood and experimental animals used in
research, waste generated by veterinary hospitals and
colleges, discharge from hospitals,)
Category No. 3 Microbiology & Biotechnology Waste (Wastes from Local
laboratory cultures, stocks or specimen of live autoclaving/
microorganisms, human and animal cell cultures used in microwaving /
research and infectious agents from research and incineration@
industrial laboratories, wastes from production of
biological, toxins and devices used for transfer of cultures)
Category No. 4 Waste Sharps (Needles, syringes, scalpels, Disinfecting (chemical
blades, glass, etc. that may cause puncture treatment@@ / autoclaving /
and cuts. This includes both used and unused microwaving and mutilation /
sharps) shredding

Category No. 5 Discarded Medicine and Cytotoxic drugs Incineration@ / destruction and
(Wastes comprising of outdated, drugs disposal in secured
contaminated and discarded medicines) landfills

Category No. 6 Soiled Waste (Items contaminated with body Incineration@ / autoclaving /
fluids including cotton, dressings, soiled microwaving
plaster casts, lines, bedding and other
materials contaminated with blood.)

Category No. 7 Solid Waste (Waste generated from Disinfecting by chemical

disposable items other than the waste sharps treatment@@ / autoclaving /
such as tubing, catheters, intravenous sets, microwaving and mutilation /
etc.) shredding# #
Category No. 8 Liquid Waste (Waste generated Disinfecting by
from the laboratory and washing, chemical
cleaning, housekeeping and treatment@@
disinfecting activities) and discharge
into drains
Category No. 9 Incineration Ash (Ash from Disposal in
incineration of any biomedical municipal landfill
waste)
Category No.10 Chemical Waste (Chemicals used Chemical
in production of biological, treatment @@
chemicals used in disinfecting, as and discharge
insecticides, etc.) into drains for
liquids and
secured landfill
for solids.
STEPS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF
BIOMEDICAL WASTE:-

Survey of waste
generated.

Treatment of Segregation
waste. of hospital
waste.

Transportation Collection &

of waste. Categorization
of waste.
Storage of
waste.( Not
beyond 48 hrs. )
 COLOR CODING FOR SEGREGATION OF
BIOMEDICAL WASTE: -
COLOR WASTE TREATMENT

Yellow Human & Animal anatomical waste / Incineration / Deep burial

Micro-biology waste and soiled
cotton/dressings/linen/beddings etc.
Red Tubing's, Catheters, IV sets. Autoclaving / Microwaving /
Chemical treatment

Blue / Waste sharps Autoclaving / Microwaving /

White ( Needles, Syringes, Scalpels, blades etc. Chemical treatment &
) Destruction / Shredding

Black Discarded medicines/cytotoxic drugs, Disposal in secured landfill

Incineration ash, Chemical waste.
`
 RESEARCH ARTICLE
A cross-sectional study was conducted among
hospitals (bed capacity >100) of Allahabad city on
“Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices about
Biomedical Waste Management among Healthcare
Personnel”
Medical personnel included were
Doctors (75),
Nurses (60),
Laboratory technicians (78), and
Sanitary staff (70).
RESULTS:
• Doctors, nurses, and laboratory technicians have
better knowledge than sanitary staff regarding
biomedical waste management.
• Knowledge regarding the color coding and waste
segregation at source was found to be better
among nurses and laboratory staff as compared to
doctors.
• Regarding practices related to biomedical waste
management, sanitary staff were ignorant on all
the counts.