2. What is Hazardous Waste?
• Many industries and facilities, including construction sites, healthcare facilities,
factories, military facilities, and jettisoned equipment, can stimulate hazardous
waste. In simpler terms, hazardous waste is a substance that has been discarded
and has the potential to cause significant harm to humans or the environment.
Various methods help characterize the properties of Hazardous Waste Disposal.
• The following are some of the characteristics of Hazardous waste:
• Ignitability — This property determines a variety of metrics, including the
material’s propensity to erupt into combustion or its Flashpoint.
• Instability — Unstable methods, — i.e., those that may spontaneously ignite, emit
harmful fumes/cases/vapors when heated, and react when compressed or mixed
with water, are classified as reactively hazardous waste.
• Toxicity — It is easy to determine by analyzing the waste leachate using a testing
procedure known as the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure.
3. What are examples of Hazardous Waste?
• There are several examples of hazardous waste that will help you understand the
concept better:
• 1.Used solvents
• Large and powerful acid or base solutions, aqueous solutions of toxic organic
chemicals and heavy metals (lead, mercury, silver, chromium, barium, and so on),
used equipment oil, sulfides, potent oxidizers, and water-reactive substances are
some examples of used solvents.
• 2.Reactive Chemicals
• Lithium-sulphur batteries, ammunitions, and explosives are some examples of
reactive chemicals.
• 3.Toxins
• Pathogens such as arsenic, trichloroethylene, or mercury can detect at levels that
are beyond regulatory limits, and the substance identifies as toxic and thus
hazardous.
• 4.Corrosives
• Sulphuric Acid and Hydrochloric Acids are some examples of corrosives.
4. How is proper storage and disposal of Hazardous
Waste done?
• Appropriate storage and disposal of hazardous waste containers are critical practices
that do more than just endorse a safe working environment but also ensure you comply
with legislative requirements.
• Aside from explaining and adhering to all national, regional, and municipal hazardous
waste legislation, here are some tips to help you store and handle your waste safely:
• Use sealed containers to block leakage and other stimulants from attempting to enter
the containers.
• Use storage units that are appropriate for the sort of waste deposited and are long-
lasting, corrosion-resistant materials.
• Verify that wastes have been preserved in a location difficult to recourse to
unauthorized individuals, explicitly marked as a hazardous materials storage facility, and
specifically designed to avoid supplementary confinement.
• Decrease the portion of hazardous waste produced on-site by continuously reviewing
their volume.
• Find an authorized waste collecting agency that will ensure safe hazardous waste
disposal.
• Maintain an updated contingency plan with up-to-date details for hazardous
waste management and administration.
5. What is Biohazardous Waste?
• Medical waste that comprises pathogenic organisms is considered biohazardous
waste. It contains several potentially contagious materials, such as laboratory and
dental practice waste. Additionally, it is a consequence of human or animal
diagnostics, vaccination, or therapy.
• There are a variety of acronyms associated with biohazardous waste. These words
are interchangeable among those in the healthcare field. Any waste produced
during a particular healthcare process includes medical, clinical, and biomedical
waste. These are the= common terminology.
• However, there is a distinction between standard medical waste and biohazard
medical waste. Tissues, sharps waste, infected items, and liquids are all considered
“biohazardous” by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Additionally, it classifies
animal tissue and uninfected equipment as “standard medical waste.” Various
methods help characterize the properties of Biohazardous waste.
6. Characteristics Of Biohazardous Waste
• Rigidness — Any non-sharp substance that comes into contact with either human
or animal carcasses characterizes as solid biohazard waste because it cannot be
bent or moved.
• Pathological Waste — Every amputated organ, tissue, and bodily component from
an animal or a human is considered pathological waste. Waste products from
biopsies are part of this category.
• Microbiological Waste — This type of waste is commonly characterized as
laboratory waste. This group comprises waste products from the synthesis of
biologicals and insecticides.
7. What are examples of Biohazardous Waste?
• There are several examples of biohazardous waste that will help you understand
the concept better:
• Sharps Waste — Some examples of sharps waste are needles, syringes, lancets or
fingersticks, scalpels, glass slides, and broken glass.
• Solid Waste — Personal protective equipment (PPE) is one of the best examples of
solid waste. Others include Petri dishes, towels, linen sheets, etc.
• Liquid Waste — Any kind of bodily fluids are examples of this category.
• Laboratory Agents — Disposable dishes and samples are two illustrations. The
equipment professionals use to combine samples and discarded pathogens are
additional examples.
8. How is proper storage and disposal of
Biohazardous Waste done?
• It is necessary to collect, handle, manage, and dispose of biohazardous waste by
employing procedures that reduce the danger of spills and contamination for staff
members, workers, and the general population. All biohazardous wastes must be
kept within the facility while expected to be collected to adhere to this guideline.
• The medical field has allocated specialized disposal containers for the collection of
sharps. These are chemically stable, leak-proof, and puncture-resistant.
• A specified receptacle coated with an autoclave bag is where healthcare workers
should place their solid waste collection.
• Healthcare professionals must always collect Liquid biohazard waste in leak-proof
receptacles. They must designate the vessel as a biohazard and seal it to stop it
from toppling.
• Pathological waste must be double-bagged by clinical staff to eliminate spills.
Furthermore, as with liquid wastes, employees should preserve them in separate
containers.
9. Conclusion
• It is crucial to separate hazardous and biohazardous waste from common trash for
proper waste management. These must be kept separately and disposed of
appropriately, or they could be detrimental to the environment. Everything needs
identification and a catalog. The most effective approach can be understanding the
terminology used to describe various wastes. More medical facilities must raise
awareness and give their staff the necessary training. Several state regulations
must be followed, and strict action should be taken against the workers not
adhering to the policies. Practice safe biomedical activities by following these
preceding steps.