Sunday, 29 April 2018

Different Ways Used In Medical Waste Management

By Mark Foster


The protection of the environment has been spearheaded by various sectors that champion proper disposal of waste from all sources. The environment is facing contamination from almost everywhere. The health sector as well as a lot of refuse that if not treated properly can cause hazards. As such, various methods of proper Medical Waste Management have been invented as discussed below.

There is the use of specified chemicals to disinfect medical wastes. Only some types of this biohazard waste can be treated through application of chemicals. Some of the known refuse that can be handled through this method is the debris from animals and human. After the chemical disinfection, the litter is deposited in a landfill to avoid any further threat to the environment.

The sharps used in medical procedures can be disposed of in enclosed containers that are resistant to pricks or tear. Encapsulating them theirs can be the other way of reducing the effects of the trash. This is applied as a special precaution upon the sharp equipment for therapeutic uses. These items are known to easily puncture their covering and their exposure can lead to the transfer of infections. These objects should be dumped in containers that can resist puncturing and located is a special spot.

The other method that has existed since ancient times is incineration. The incinerator helps in offering controlled combustion of medical refuse. There is advanced technology in the incinerators to reduce the hazardous nature of burning emissions into the atmosphere. The method helps in minimizing the mass of debris and their infectious state before they are taken to traditional methods.

The wastes can be introduced in enclosed chambers called autoclaves. These chambers make use of high temperature, or at times pressure and steam to purify equipment. The equipment after purification can be put to use again. This is because all infectious microorganisms have been cleared under high temperatures. The chambers have also been known to be used for combustion. But this is only for that trash that produces low units of combustion gases to the atmosphere.

Vitrification, though rare is an effective method of handling hazardous debris. The solid form of refuse is involved in making of glass. This process uses excessive heat that is able to eliminate pathogens contained in wastes. Some of refuse gets into total combustion releasing the gases. The glass allows only little amounts of the waste to get out. This reduces its severity in the environment.

Microwaves have also been used to sterilize such wastes though not common. It works in a similar way with autoclave but this involves only wet medical appliances. The need for water is to promote the efficiency of the microwave. This is because the heat from the microwave will reach every part of the debris through the steam.

A landfill can be an ideal method to help in proper management of such wastes. Landfills will accommodate the already shredded trash and that has been decontaminated. Garbage that has not been passed through any treatment can also be taken there if any other method is unavailable. They can get excavated to avoid contaminating the soil and water.




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