What is Medical Waste?
It is a common and costly mistake to treat medical waste simply as solid waste. As waste administrators know, it is illegal to dispose of medical waste at solid waste permitted landfills. Therefore, realizing what medical waste management entails is important. Regulated medical waste is a broad category that includes, but is not limited to, any solid waste generated from hospitals, clinics, dental offices and veterinary facilities. It pertains to waste yielded by treatment, research, production and/or testing of biological materials also referred to as “red bag waste”.
Medical waste includes biological materials that are potentially infectious to humans, or waste materials that have been in contact with biological materials potentially infectious to humans. Typical biological materials that must be disposed as medical waste include human pathogenic and infectious microbial agents, human cells, cell lines, tissues, blood, and body fluids. Typical materials that have been in contact with these materials might include waste paper towels, spent cultures, culture plates, pipettes, sharps such as used clinical and laboratory hypodermic needles, and personal protective equipment such as gloves and disposable gowns. When in doubt, treat such materials as medical waste if they originated in a laboratory or clinic that handles human source materials or human infectious agents. For an official definition of “Medical Waste”, visit the California Department of Health Services website.
Generally medical waste is defined as any waste that can cause an infectious disease or that can be suspected of harboring human pathogenic organisms. It is also known as red bag waste, infectious waste, biomedical waste, and biohazardous waste. Regulated medical waste includes single-use disposable items such as needles, syringes, lancets, gloves, laboratory and surgical supplies, which have been in contact or may have been in contact with blood, blood products, bodily fluids, cultures or stocks of infectious agents. EPA Definition: Medical waste is generally defined under state regulations. Medical waste is often described as any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals, including but not limited to: blood-soaked bandages culture dishes and other glassware discarded surgical gloves – after surgery discarded surgical instruments – scalpels needle
Medical waste is solid waste created by diagnosing, treating or immunizing people or animals. It can also be the product of the research and testing of biological products. This term is defined specifically by the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988. Two million tons of medical waste are produced each year. Most of it comes from hospitals, but other sources include doctor’s offices, dental practices, research facilities, laboratories and veterinarian offices. Companies that manufacture pharmaceuticals also produce high amounts of this waste. Medical wastes are typically divided into one of four categories: infectious, radioactive, hazardous and general waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that approximately 15 percent of waste is infectious. Infectious waste is that which can cause harm to people or the environment, and this category includes items such as bandages, surgical gloves, surgical instruments, needles and microbial dishes, cultures and cloths. Other types i
Medical waste is described as any material generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals. It also includes waste material generated in preparation of human remains for burial or cremation, the production or testing of biological or the development of pharmaceuticals. It includes single-use disposable items such as needles, syringes, gloves, and laboratory, surgical, emergency room, and other supplies which have come in contact with blood, blood products, body fluids, cultures or stocks of infectious agents. Processing Medical Waste The Autoclave Method A self-contained unit used for the sterilization of medical waste products using high pressure pre/post vacuum cycles and pulsating saturated steam generators to sanitize infected waste. This method of sterilization is environmentally friendly and effective for most types of regulated medical waste collected. The Incinerator Method Specific types of medical waste are best treated using the incineration
