Vegetos

Abstract

Health care activities restore health and save lives but also generate large amounts of potentially infectious and hazardous waste. Absence of effective management of this biomedical waste pose great risk to human health and environment. Of the total waste generated, 85% is non-hazardous comparable to domestic waste. Remaining 15% is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive.

Biomedical waste contains potentially harmful microorganisms which can infect hospitalized patients, health workers and the general public. In health care workers three infections are most commonly transmitted: hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus. Other risks associated with waste and by-products include radiation burns, sharp-inflicted injuries, poisoning and pollution through the release of pharmaceutical products, poisoning and pollution through waste water and by toxic elements and compounds such as mercury and dioxins that are released during incineration.

In developing countries poor waste management practices like lack of separation of health-care waste into hazardous and non-hazardous waste, unsafe injection practices and scavenging at waste disposal sites cause additional hazard.

Biomedical waste management is a vital component of environmental protection process. There are rules and regulations in our country for biomedical waste disposal. There is urgent need to follow them to plan appropriate methods for segregation, packaging, labeling and treatment techniques for reduction in volume, neutralization and final disposal of the biomedical waste. The present study reviews the problems related to biomedical waste management and procedures involved in its handling and disposal and its impact on human health and environment. The other aim of this study is to create awareness amongst personnel involved in health care sector.