How Burning Medical Waste Is A Toxic Business

There is an ongoing debate about the health and environmental implications of burning medical waste. Generally, most medical wastes contain toxic and infectious chemical substances. Therefore, when it is burnt, it produces toxic pollutants.

Burning medical waste pollutes the environment and poses risks to human health

When burnt in incinerators, medical waste produces toxic products like dioxins and furans. The released pollutants put individuals and communities residing near the incinerators at risk.

For instance, dioxins can cause lung and heart diseases in humans. Similarly, the toxicants from burning medical wastes damage the environment and the microorganisms in it. Therefore, burning medical waste is a toxic exercise.

How to handle medical waste without burning it

Since medical waste has to be disposed of, there should be a better disposal method instead of burning it. First, healthcare facilities should reduce medical waste volume by reusing some equipment. Secondly, healthcare facilities can reduce the use of single-use plastics to ensure they do not end up as medical waste.

Once the goal of reducing the volume of medical waste has been achieved, the next step is to dispose of the waste responsibly. The World Health Organization recommends landfilling as the most responsible method of disposing of medical waste. However, the waste should be sterilized using microwaves or steam treatment before disposal.

Final thoughts

Burning medical waste has never been a good idea. Irresponsible burning of medical waste releases toxicants that pose great risks to humans and the environment. Therefore, medical waste burning is a toxic business that should not be tolerated.