Medical waste

The predominant constituent of plastics waste in medical waste is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), an inexpensive and common polymer used for both medical and commercial products. Iatrogenic dioxane 

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Optimized modern dry scrubbing systems for incinerator gas cleaning are much more effective (and expensive) than their counterparts used so far for utility boiler flue gas cleaning. Brinckman and Maresca [ASME Med. Waste Symp. (1992)] describe the use of dry hydrated lime or sodium bicarbonate injection followed by membrane filtration as preferred treatment technology for control of acid gas and particulate matter emissions from modular medical waste incinerators, which have especially high dioxin emissions. 

BAT Best available technology MWI Medical waste incinerators... 

Section 129 of the CAAA of 1990 applies to a range of solid waste incinerators including MWCs, medical waste incinerators (MWls)... 

The EIA represents about 2,000 companies that manage solid, hazardous, and medical wastes manufacture and distribute waste equipment and offer related pollution-prevention sendees. 

A sub-group of Environmental Industiy Associations that represents for-profit companies in North America providing solid, hazardous and medical waste collection, recycling and disposal sendees, remedial and oil spill clean-ups, and companies providing professional and consulting sendees to the industiy. 

Hospital, infectious, and medical waste incinerators are subject to NSPS and emission guidelines under CAA... 

FIFRA requires the registration of pesticides and disinfectants used in medical waste treatment technologies... 

While medical waste is not subject to federal RCRA regulation, air emissions from new and existing hospital, infectious, and medical waste incinerators are subject to New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and emission guidelines under CAA. 

Fomites Some pathogens may be absorbed into clothing or bedding causing these items to become infectious and capable of transmitting the disease. Others may contain vectors (e.g., lice, ticks) that pose a transmission hazard. Deposit items in an appropriate biological waste container and send to a medical waste disposal facility. 

Remove all clothing and personal effects. Items that will be retained for further processing should be double sealed in impermeable containers, ensuring that the inner container is decontaminated before placing it in the outer one. Otherwise, dispose of contaminated articles at an appropriate medical waste disposal facility. 

If there is a potential that vectors may be involved, care must be taken to kill any vectors (e.g., lice, fleas) remaining either on the cadaver or residing in fomites. Remove all potentially infested clothing depositing it in a container that will trap and eliminate vectors. Dispose contaminated particles at an appropriate medical waste disposal facility. 

Fomites Clothing or bedding may become contaminated with spores. Deposit items in an appropriate biological waste container and send to a medical waste disposal facility. 

Dioxin or furan refers to molecules or compounds composed of carbon and oxygen. These compounds when reacted with halogens such as chlorine or bromine acquire toxic properties. Most research on halogenated dioxin and furan has been concerned with chlorinated species. It is generally accepted that dioxin and furan are by-products of combustion processes including domestic and medical waste combustion or incineration processes.7 In combustion processes, hydrocar-... 

The reduction in the numbers of incinerators and the limitations of autoclaves have created the need for alternative medical waste treatment systems. Currently, there are over 40 such technologies available from greater than 70 manufacturers within the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. While these systems vary in their treatment capacity, the extent of automation, and overall volume reduction, all alternative technologies utilize one or more of the following methods (1) heating the waste to a minimum of 90 to 95°C by means of microwaves, radio waves, hot oil, hot water, steam, or superheated gases (2) exposing the waste to chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) or... 

Thermal systems that use heat to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms are the most common alternative technologies for the treatment of medical waste. These systems can be broadly divided into those using low temperatures — 95°C (moist heat) to 250°C (dry heat) — and those that use high temperatures — from approximately 500°C to greater than 6000°C. The latter systems combust and destroy the waste as part of the treatment process. 

Medical waste has been a growing concern because of recent incidents of public exposure to discarded blood vials, needles (sharps), empty prescription botdes, and syringes. Medical waste can typically include general refuse, human blood and blood products, cultures and stocks of infectious agents, laboratory animal carcasses, contaminated bedding material, and pathological wastes. 

Off-site disposal of regulated medical wastes remains a viable option for smaller hospitals (those with less than 150 beds). Some preliminary on-site processing, such as compaction or hydropulping, may... 

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