What are the current medical waste disposal practices posing a threat to our warfighter?
Combat Support Hospitals (CSH), Forward Surgical Teams (FST), dental units and other mobile medical units and treatment facilities operating in primitive, austere environments presently do not have a field deployable pre-treatment system that will inactivate/sterilize fluid medical waste streams prior to direct discharge into the environment. The most commonly employed treatment method in forward deployment areas is open pit burning with a fuel accelerant source. Open pit burning produces both ground and air emission by-products; which are hazardous to human health and the environment. Autoclave sterilization may be available on a limited basis; however, it is not an effective pre-treatment for the disposal of liquid medical biological and non-biological waste products. Chemical treatment (1:10 bleach solution) efficacy is dependent on mixture and concentration and will not inert pharmaceutical compounds. In addition, the practice of “bag and bury”” provides an unreliable management ov
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- What are the current medical waste disposal practices posing a threat to our warfighter?
