Biomedical waste management
DEFINITION:
- Biomedical wastes are defined as waste that is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, or in research activities pertaining thereto, or in the production of biological.
HOSPITAL WASTE CATEGORIES:
Categories of bio-medical waste in India
|
1 |
Human anatomical waste |
|
2 |
Animal waste |
|
3 |
Microbiology and biotechnology waste |
|
4 |
Waste sharps (used and unused needles, syringes, scalpels etc) |
|
5 |
Cytotoxic drugs and discarded medicines |
|
6 |
Solid waste (contaminated with blood and fluids including cotton, dressings, soiled plasters, beddings) |
|
7 |
Solid waste (other than waste sharps such as rubber tubes, catheters and I.V sets) |
|
8 |
Liquid waste |
|
9 |
Incineration ash |
|
10 |
Chemicals used in disinfection, insecticides |
|
Colour coding |
Waste category |
Treatment options |
|
Yellow |
1, 2, 3, 6 |
Incineration /deep burial |
|
Red |
3, 6, 7 |
Autoclaving/Microwaving/chemical treatment |
|
Blue/White translucent |
4, 7 |
Autoclaving/Microwaving/chemical treatment and destruction/Shredding |
|
Black |
5, 9, 10 |
Disposal in secured landfill |
Average distribution of health care waste
- 80% – general health care waste
- 15% – pathological and infectious waste
- 3% – chemical and pharmacological waste
- 1% – sharps waste
- < 1 % – special waste (radio-active waste, cytotoxic waste, pressurized containers, broken thermometers, used batteries)
COLOR CODING & TYPES OF CONTAINER:
|
Colour coding
|
Type of Container
|
Waste Category
|
Treatment options
|
| Yellow | Plastic Bags | Human and animal wastes, Microbial and Biological wastes and soiled wastes (Cat 1,2,3 and 6) |
Incineration/ Deep Burial |
| Red | Disinfected container/ Plastic bags | Microbiological and Biological wastes, Soiled wastes, Solid wastes (Cat 3,6,7) |
Autoclave/ Microwave/ Chemical Treatment) |
| Blue/ White/ Transparent | Plastic bag, Puncture proof container | Waste sharps and solid waste ( Cat 4 &7) |
Autoclave/ Microwave/ Chemical Treatment Destruction and Shredding |
| Black | Plastic bag | Discarded medicines, Cytotoxic drugs, Incineration ash and chemical waste (Cat 5,9 & 10) |
Disposal in secured land fills |
| Green | Plastic Container | General waste such as office waste, food waste & garden waste | Disposed in secured landfills |
- Human anatomical waste is disposed by Incineration.
- Human Anatomical Waste is disposed in a Yellow bag
- Contents from a Red bag may be a source of contamination
- Black bags are used for disposal of ash from incineration
- Hospital waste product accounts Plastic 10%,
- Amount of waste infectious produced in hospitals 45%
- Average hospital waste produced per bed per day in Government hospital 0.5-4 kg
- Biomedical waste(s) to he discarded in Yellow are Category I (Human anatomical waste), Category 2 (Animal waste), Catagory 3 (Microbiology and Biotechnology waste), and Catagory 6 (Solid waste).
- Best for Incineration of infectious waste is Double – chamber
- Halogenated plastic, Mercury,Radiological waste & waste sharp cannot be incinerated
- Disposal of expired & cytotoxic drugs is by Separate land fill disposal
- The majority of the waste produced by health-care providers is General waste
- Sharp instruments like needles, syringes, scalpels hospital waste products are thrown in Blue bag
- Human anatomical waste is the category I of biomedical waste in India
