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Biohazardous Waste Disposal Regulations

Biohazardous waste is produced as a result of human activities. It could be infectious such as blood or other fluids in the body. The biohazardous waste can also act as a carrier of infectious diseases and can injure people who are exposed to it. Once the dangers of the biohazardous waste were identified, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put forth certain regulations for the waste disposal. Biohazardous Waste Disposal Regulations in the U.S. vary from state to state. The regulations have helped to establish penalties for mismanagement of the biohazardous waste and also established record-keeping requirements.

  1. Resource Recovery Act

    • The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created the Resource Recovery Act, which has been adopted by many states to regulate the disposal of biohazardous waste. EPA terms biohazardous waste as medical waste. Medical waste which is required to be disposed of is called solid waste. It includes all solids, liquids and gases that are hazardous. By hazardous, it can mean that the waste is caustic, toxic, reactive to the atmosphere, flammable and can be a heavy metal. Examples of biohazardous waste include certain chemotherapy drugs and formaldehyde. Creators of the medical waste must keep track of the regulations and must ensure that the medical waste is properly treated, stored and disposal of waste is done as per the regulations. A notice, called the Notice of Hazardous Waste Activity, has to be filed with the EPA. The Resource Recovery Act also measures the amount and type of waste.

    Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act

    • Biohazardous waste includes disinfectants, pesticides and other anti-microbial agents. By the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the manufacturer of these products must register the materials as per the standards specified. These materials have been classified into “general use” and “restricted use” by the EPA. The general use compounds can be made use of by everyone. But the restricted use chemicals can be made use of only by certified applicators.

    Clean Air Act

    • In 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a new performance standards and better guidelines in order to reduce emissions to the atmosphere. This Act puts forth guidelines to hospitals and to incinerators to reduce infectious emissions. A medical waste incinerator facilitates to burn the waste until it is reduced to ash. By this act, the incinerators have to keep control of emissions of organic compounds and greenhouse gases.

    Clean Water Act

    • The Clean Water Act regulates the expulsions to treatment works which are owned publicly. It sets regulations on the pre-treatment standards and is applicable to both new and existing sources of water pollution.

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