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What Is The Biomedical Waste

Biomedical waste includes any solid or liquid waste generated during diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals. It poses hazards due to infectivity and toxicity. About 75-90% is non-hazardous, while 10-25% is hazardous, including infectious waste from isolation wards, pathological waste like human tissues, pharmaceutical waste like expired drugs, and chemical waste like solvents. Proper management of biomedical waste is needed to reduce risks to human health and the environment through practices like segregation by color-coded containers, collection and storage, and developing waste management and antibiotic policies.

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137 views5 pages

What Is The Biomedical Waste

Biomedical waste includes any solid or liquid waste generated during diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals. It poses hazards due to infectivity and toxicity. About 75-90% is non-hazardous, while 10-25% is hazardous, including infectious waste from isolation wards, pathological waste like human tissues, pharmaceutical waste like expired drugs, and chemical waste like solvents. Proper management of biomedical waste is needed to reduce risks to human health and the environment through practices like segregation by color-coded containers, collection and storage, and developing waste management and antibiotic policies.

Uploaded by

Priya
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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what is the biomedical waste?

Bio-medical wate means “any solid and /or liquid waste which is generated during the
diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals.
Biomedical waste poses hazard due to two principal reasons – the first is infectivity and
other toxicity.

sources

Source of
biomedical wastes

Minor Major
sources sources

Govt. hospitals/ private hospitals/ nursing houses/


Physicians/ dentists’ clinics
dispensaries.
Animal houses/ slaughterhouses.
Primary health centres.
Blood donation camps.
Medical colleges and research centres/ paramedic
Vaccination centres. services.

Acupuncturists/psychiatric clinics/ cosmetic Veterinary colleges and animal research centres.


piercing.
Blood banks/ mortuaries/ autopsy centres.
Funeral services.
Biotechnology institutions & production units.
Non-Hazardous Waste
About 75% to 90% of biomedical waste are non-hazardous in nature.
Non-risky waste as their characteristics are comparable to that of domestic waste.
Generated mainly from the administrative and maintenance of hospital and health care
premises.

Hazardous waste
Hazardous waste includes 10- 25% of the overall biomedical waste.
Biomedical waste poses hazard due to two principal reasons.
-Infectivity (15%-18%)
-Toxicity (5%-7%)

Hazardous waste – types


Infectious waste: waste suspected to contain pathogens; e.g. laboratory cultures; waste .

. from isolation wards; tissues (swabs), materials, or equipment that have


. been in contact with infected patients; excreta.
Pathological waste: human tissues or fluids e.g. body parts; blood and other body fluids; . ..

. foetus.
Pharmaceutical waste: waste containing pharmaceuticals; e.g. pharmaceuticals that are
expired or no longer needed; contaminated pharmaceuticals
(bottles, boxes).
Genotoxic waste: waste containing cytostatic drugs (often used in cancer therapy)/
Genotoxic chemicals.
Chemical waste: waste containing chemical substances e.g. laboratory regents; film
developer, disinfectants and solvents that are expired or on needed.
Waste with high content of heavy metals: batteries, broken thermometers, blood pressure .

. gauges, pressurized containers, gas cylinder, gas ..

. cartridges, aerosol cans.


Radioactive waste from radiotherapy: waste containing radioactive substances e.g. unused
. liquids from laboratory research; contaminated . . . ..

. glassware, packages or absorbent paper; urine and


. excreta from patients treated or tested with .. .

. unsealed radionuclides.

Biochemical waste management

Need for proper management of this segregation


biomedical waste:
Collection & storage
- it induces various risk to the human health and to the

surrounding ecosystem. Transportation


- It leads to the environmental hazard, occupational
Treatment & disposal
Hazard and public hazard.

Segregation

- Segregation- the separation of different categories of waste generated at source.


- The segregated wastes should be set aside into colour coding bags at the points of
generation.
- It is essential to reduce the risks and have better and safe management and disposal

How does segregations help?

- Segregation reduces the special needs of waste handling and treatment.


- Avoid mixing of biomedical waste with the municipal waste.
- Avoid illegal reuse of materials like used syringes, needles and other plastics.
- Offers a chance for recycling certain components of medicals waste like plastics after
proper and through disinfection.
- Recycled plastic material can be used for non-food grade applications.
- The biodegradable waste can be composted and can be used for gardening purposes.
Collection & storage

- The collection of biomedical waste involves use of different


types of container for different sources of biomedical waste.
- The container/bins should be located in such a manner that
100% collection is achieved.
- The bins and bags should carry the biohazard symbol
representing the nature of waste.
- After collection the biomedical waste is stored in a proper
place.
- Segregated waste of different categories must be collected respective designated
containers.
- Each container may be clearly labelled where it is kept.
- The reasons of this labelling is that it may be necessary to trace the waste back to its
source.
- Storage spot must be noticeable with a warning sign.
- The extent of storage should be not go beyond 8-10 hrs in big hospitals (more than 250
bedded) and 24 hrs in using homes.

Color coding for collection of Biomedical waste

Color coding for biomedical


waste collecting bin

Blue/ white Red


Black Yellow
translucent (disinfected
(plastic bag) container/pl (plastic bags)
(plastic bag/
puncture astic bag)

Proof container)

Category : Category : Category :


Category : 1,2,3 & 6
4 & 17 3,6 &7
5,9 &10

Discarded Microbiology and Human anatomical


medicine and Waste sharps,
biotechnology waste, animal
cytotoxic drugs, solid waste
waste, soiled waste,
incineration ash waste, solid microbiology and
and chemical waste biotechnology
waste waste, soiled waste
Waste management policy

A waste management policy has to be decided by the hospital authorities and


documented.
 It should clearly describe all level of responsibilities from the highest
administrative authority to the lowest staff (ayas, ward boy, etc.)
 It should be written officially and approved by the regulatory authority and be
available to all the employees in all department .
 The policy must clearly state standard operative procedures.

Disinfection policy
Disinfectant policy should be formulated by the “hospital infection control committee”,
who would then decide on the types of disinfectants to be used in their hospital. This
requires consultation between the microbiologist, infection control doctor, infection
control nurse, pharmacist, supplies officer and representative of medical, nursing and
domestic staff. The selection of a disinfectant depends on many factors such as:
 Intended use of the disinfectant, whether for medical equipment, environment,
skin mucous membranes
 Range of activity
 Speed of action
 Inactivation by organic material
 Compatibility with items processed and processing equipment
 Safety to the user
 Stability
 Cost.

Antibiotic policy
Formulation of an antibiotic policy is essential for every hospital. The reasons are:
1. It is a way of ensuring that patients receive appropriate therapy.
2. When the use of antibiotics is restricted, the appearance of resistant strains
will be delayed and thus incidence in the hospital is kept low.
3. Up-to-up information should be provided for the prescriber, and the
incidence of adverse reaction should be reduced by restricting the use of
certain potentially toxic agents.
4. Costs are reduced by controlling the use of expensive drugs.

The type of policy must be adapted to the needs of the staff, the type of patients and
organisms prevalent in the hospital or units. It must therefore be flexible, and, where necessary,
adapted to the needs of the individual units (e.g. burns and intensive care).

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