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Disposal Waste Methods Followed by Hospitals

10/27/2020

Medical waste seggregation

Medical waste is one of the most sensitive wastes that requires proper and careful disposal. Medical waste should be completely sterile and free of microbes before it is disposed of into the environment. However, some of the waste cannot be disposed of in landfills directly. In such cases, hospitals use several other waste disposal methods to get rid of infectious medical waste. 

  

Waste Disposal Methods by Hospitals

  


  • Incineration: this is the controlled burning of waste. Hospitals use incinerators to burn medical waste in controlled settings. Incineration kills pathogens, bacteria, and other organic and chemical waste. Incineration is much easier, cheaper, and, in most cases, safer than other methods but only if done properly.
  • Mechanical and Chemical Disinfection: mechanical treatment involves processes that reduce waste volume such as crushing, shredding, mixing, grinding, and pulverizing. Chemical treatment involves the use of chemical agents such as chlorine to oxidize chemical medical waste and kill microbes. 
  • Autoclaves: autoclaves are chambers used to sterilize medical equipment or items for reuse and disposal. Waste in autoclaves is subjected to heat, pressure, and/or steam to kill any microorganisms and later disposed of in landfills.
  • Microwaves: hospitals also use microwave radiation to kill pathogens in medical waste mixed in sludge. The radiation is used as a source of heat that heats the water in the waste sludge. The treated waste is later released in landfills.
  • Irradiation: this involves the use of gamma rays to kill microbes.

    • Other methods used to dispose of medical waste are Vitrification and Electric Arc Plasma treatment. However, these methods are not widely used.   

    These are some of the waste disposal methods used by hospitals to dispose of highly sensitive medical waste.