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EPA Regulations Pertaining to Biohazardous Waste

Biohazardous wastes are generated from human and animal diagnoses, treatment and inoculation procedures. If a waste is infectious or potentially infectious, such as blood or body fluids, it should be considered a biohazardous waste. Used needles, scalpel blades, glassware and other sharps are of particular concern because they can injure someone handling them and expose handlers to infectious or pathogenic agents.

  1. Initial Regulation of Biohazardous Wastes

    • Biohazardous wastes, called medical wastes by EPA, were regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 as a pilot program from March 1989 until March 1991. When the pilot program expired, EPA regulated biohazardous wastes under other Resource Recovery Act requirements. The majority of states have adopted the medical waste tracking and management system defined by the EPA.

    Solid Biohazardous Wastes

    • Biohazardous wastes are still regulated by EPA under the Resource Recovery Act. By regulatory definition, a solid waste can be any solid, liquid, or gas that is a waste and does not have a specific exemption. Any medical waste that will, or should be, disposed of is to be considered a solid waste. Solid wastes must be characterized to further determine if they are a hazardous waste.

    Hazardous Waste

    • A solid waste is a RCRA characteristic hazardous waste if it is ignitable, corrosive, reactive with air or water, a pesticide or a heavy metal. A medical waste also is a RCRA hazardous waste if it is specifically listed as toxic or extremely toxic chemical. These listed wastes include formaldehyde, gluteraldehyde, and some chemotherapy drugs, such as uracil mustard. Generators must abide by the regulations for the proper treatment, storage, and disposal of all hazardous wastes produced. They must quantify the amount and type of waste generated. Then, they must file a Notice of Hazardous Waste Activity with EPA.

    Clean Air Act of 1990

    • New source performance standards and guidelines to reduce emissions were issued by EPA in 1997. These requirements were instituted to reduce air emissions from hospital, infectious, and medical waste incinerators. Compliance with incinerator emission standards is additional to other Clean Air Act compliance requirements to reduce volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases.

    Clean Water Act

    • Discharges to publicly owned treatment works are regulated under the Clean Water Act. Facilities discharging water with biohazardous wastes must comply with national pretreatment standards. These standards apply to existing and new sources of water pollution. Monitoring and testing may be a required part of an issued permit.

    Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act

    • Treatment of biohazardous waste often includes the use of disinfectants, antimicrobial agents, and pesticides. These materials must be registered by the manufacturer in accordance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. EPA classifies these materials for "general use" or "restricted use." General use compounds can be applied by anyone. Restricted use chemicals must be applied by a certified applicator. Hospitals must assure that the pesticides used, and the persons applying them, meet EPA requirements

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