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Medical Waste Treatment Methods

Medical waste generally refers to waste generated as a result of health-care activities, most often from hospitals and other types of medical facilities. It includes a wide range of materials, such as needles, chemicals, syringes, body parts, medical instruments and radioactive substances. Lack of medical waste disposal management can increase the risk of infections and diseases to the public, and can pollute the environment. Numerous methods are available to treat medical waste and render it less hazardous and noninfectious.

  1. Steam Sterilization

    • Steam sterilization, also known as autoclave, is a commonly used method of decontaminating hazardous clinical waste. Steam sterilization is an economical method in which medical waste is kept in a specialized sealed chamber and exposed to steam at a specified temperature and pressure for a specified amount of time. Steam sterilization is an excellent alternative to incineration (in which waste deposits are burned under controlled conditions) and also helps to diminish the cost of disposing untreated medical waste.

    Gas Sterilization

    • Gas sterilization is not as common as steam sterilization for treating medical waste. In this method, medical waste is put in an evacuated air-tight chamber and treated with a sterilizing agent (such as ethylene oxide or formaldehyde). The gas that comes into contact with the waste penetrates and kills any harmful infectious agents.

    Chemical Disinfection with Grinding

    • Grinding of medical waste before exposing it to a liquid chemical disinfectant (such as chlorine bleach) is another medical waste treatment. Grinding ensures sufficient exposure of the chemical agent to all parts of the waste and helps in easy disposal of any residues. The resulting liquids are dropped into the sewer system; solid residues are disposed in landfills.

    Thermal Inactivation

    • Thermal inactivation is used for treating large volumes of liquid clinical waste. It involves heating waste to temperatures at which infectious agents are killed. The chamber is preheated to a specific temperature at which the waste is held for a specified time, then released.

    Irradiation

    • Irradiation involves sterilizing waste by exposing it to a cobalt source. Cobalt gives out gamma radiations that destroy all microbes in waste.

    Microwave Treatment

    • Microwave treatment also can disinfect waste. Waste is shredded, then mixed with water and internally heated to neutralize all biologicals.

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