BIOMEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

Of the total amount of waste generated by health-care activities, about 85% is general, non-hazardous waste. The remaining 15% is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive.

Every year an estimated 16 billion injections are administered worldwide, but not all of the needles and syringes are properly disposed of afterwards.

1. Pathological wastes:-human tissues, organs or fluids, body parts and contaminated animal carcasses;

2. Infectious waste:-waste contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids (e.g. from discarded diagnostic samples), cultures and stocks of infectious agents from laboratory work (e.g. waste from autopsies and infected animals from laboratories), or waste from patients with infections (e.g. swabs, bandages and disposable medical devices

3. Sharps waste:-syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades, etc.

4. Chemical waste:-for example solvents and reagents used for laboratory preparations, disinfectants, sterilants and heavy metals contained in medical devices (e.g. mercury in broken thermometers) and batteries;

5. Pharmaceutical waste:- expired, unused and contaminated drugs and vaccines;

6. Radioactive waste:-such as products contaminated by radionuclides including radioactive diagnostic material or radiotherapeutic materials;

7. Non-hazardous or general waste:- waste that does not pose any particular biological, chemical,radioactive or physical hazard. 

8. Cytotoxic waste:- waste containing substances with genotoxic properties (i.e. highly hazardous substances 

that are, mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic), such as cytotoxic drugs used in cancer treatment and their metabolites;

• Some major sources of health-care waste are:

1. hospitals and other health facilities

2. laboratories and research centres

3. mortuary and autopsy centres

animal research and testing laboratories

5 blood banks and collection services

nursing homes for the elderly

. Red boxes:-

• In red sharps containers, there should be contaminated waste material that has been in contact with hazardous substances. For instance, IV tubes, catheters, tubing, or syringes (without the needle) can all be collected in red bins. Most of these materials can be recyclable, because they are plastic.

• A yellow colored waste bin indicates several different types of wastes. In yellow bins, there could be human waste, tissues, organs, or bodily fluids. They could also contain chemicals, soiled bed sheets, animal carcasses, or laboratory waste. Yellow bins are going to be used for most general medical practitioners

• Blue colored:-

• Blue cardboard boxes can be used to discard various glass materials. Beakers, medicine vials, and other broken glass equipment can be placed in these receptacles. To ensure collection is conducted properly, all of these containers should be clearly labeled and placed in the same area.

• White color:-•

These containers are used for sharps, and must be lined with puncture-proof bags. Sharps can include used needles, scalpels, or blades. It must be sent to a sanitary landfill.