Biomedical waste management

Biomedical Waste Management

Definition, Facts, and Best Practices

Definition of Biomedical Waste

• “Medical waste that contains potentially infectious material.”

• 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act defines it as, “waste generated during medical research, testing, diagnosis, immunization, or treatment of human beings or animals.”

Names for Biomedical Waste

• Biomedical

Waste

• Bio Medical

Waste

• Clinical Waste

• Medical Waste

• Biohazardous Waste

• Infectious Medical Waste

• Regulated Medical Waste

• Healthcare Waste

Types of Biomedical Waste

• Sharps (needles, scalpels, lancets, broken glass, etc.)

• Infectious Waste (swabs, lab cultures, excreta, etc.)

• Pathological (human fluids, body parts, animal carcasses)

Non-Biological Hazardous Waste

• Pharmaceuticals

• Chemicals (cleaning products, mercury from broken thermometers)

• Genotoxic Waste (e.g. cytotoxic drugs for cancer treatment)

How Much Biohazardous Waste Per Year?

• 5.9 million tons of medical waste per year

• 85% is non-hazardous

• Approx. 1 million tons biomedical waste per year

• 16 billion injections per year

• 2 million needles per day

• 800,000 needle sticks per year (per NIOSH)

Brief History of Biomedical Waste

• 1980’s – Highly publicized medical waste incidents (“Hypodermics on the shore”)

• 1988 – Federal Medical Waste Tracking Act (Strict rules on medical waste transportation)

• 1991 – FMWT Act expires. States adopt regulatory burden.

• Present Day – Advancements in biomedical waste processing, including medical waste transfer by mail.

Regulated Biomedical Waste vs Unregulated

• Regulated Medical Waste

• Biomedical Waste (Sharps, swaps, tissues, body fluids, parts)

• Other Hazardous Waste (Pharmaceuticals, radioactive, chemical)

• Unregulated Medical Waste

• Other waste generated by health care facilities, including disposable tissues, paper waste, food waste, etc.

• This accounts for 85% of all health care waste, or about 5 million tons per year.

Risk to Human Health

• Needle sticks (800,000 per year)

• Nurses, doctors, housekeepers, janitors, recycling employees, general public

• Microorganisms

• Poisoning from bio toxins

• Contaminated drinking water and environment

On-Site vs Off-Site Treatment

• On-Site: Limited to large, well-funded facilities (high cost, regulation)

• Off-Site: Cost effective. Third-party vendors own and maintain equipment and assume regulatory burden.

Types of Off-Site Biomedical Waste Management

• Truck Services – Biomedical waste is packaged in special containers, then hauled away to a dedicated disposal facility.

• Mail-Back or Box Services – Biomedical waste is shipped via USPS. Generally most cost-effective.

Five Biomedical Waste Management Options

• Incineration – Once the method of choice. Still the only method for human/animal tissues and body parts.

• Autoclaving – Steam treatment. Once treated, waste can be disposed of normally in solid-waste landfills.

• Microwaving – High-powered microwave renders waste inert. Can then be disposed of normally.

• Chemical – Works for some biomedical waste but mostly for chemical waste.

• Biological – Uses enzymes. Still experimental.

Best Practices for Biomedical Waste Management

• Know the Laws – EPA, DOT, OSHA, DEA.

• Classify Correctly – Don’t mix with non-hazardous waste.

• Separate by Type – Sharps, pathological, non-hazardous, chemical, pharma.

• Use the Right Containers – Certified cardboard boxes, tubs, or even locked up.

• Prepare for Shipment – Follow DOT regs. Label. Store in secure, dry area.

• Correct Documentation – Correct documents accompany each container.

• Color Code – Right waste in right color container.

• Hire the Right Partner – Right vendor for regs, hazards, type, insurance level.

Color Coding of Medical Waste

• Red – Sharps (puncture-proof containers)

• Red – Biomedical waste (non-sharps in red biohazard bags/containers)

• Yellow – Trace chemo waste

• Black – Hazardous pharmaceutical waste

• Blue – Non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste

• Radioactive Symbol – Radioactive wastes like fluorine18

Who Creates Biomedical Waste?

• Physician Practices

• Retail Health Clinics

• Dental Offices

• Urgent Care Clinics

• Veterinary Practices

• Medical Research Labs

• Nursing Homes

• Home Health Care

• Home Infusion Situations

• Funeral Homes

• Hospitals

• Commercial Offices

• Commercial Buildings

Biomedical Waste Resources

• EPA Map – List of local and state regulating bodies and programs.

• MedPro Waste Disposal – Low-cost, fully compliant pickup, transportation, treatment, and disposal.

• WHO Manual – 308 pages on safe management of health care waste.

• EPA safe sharps disposal document.

• Waste Savings Calculator.

Conclusion

• Biomedical waste is potentially infectious.

• AKA: medical waste, clinical waste, biohazardous, RMW

• Types: Sharps, infectious waste, pathological waste

• 1 million tons per year

• 800,000 needle sticks per year (per NIOSH)

• On-Site or Off-Site Treatment

• Incinerate, autoclave, microwave

• Know the laws, package, and color-code correctly