Saturday, April 28, 2018

Techniques Used In Medical Waste Management

By Mark Foster


The need to keep the environment clean and habitable has led to the formation of regulations that ensure all sectors to not cause pollution. The health sector has been on the forefront to ensure that the environment in which medical facilities are found remains clean. As such, several methods of Medical Waste Management have been set up to facilitate this. The discussion below outlines such techniques to help you out.

There is the use of specified chemicals to disinfect medical wastes. Only some types of this biohazard waste can be treated through application of chemicals. Some of the known refuse that can be handled through this method is the debris from animals and human. After the chemical disinfection, the litter is deposited in a landfill to avoid any further threat to the environment.

The other way of controlling such refuse is via encapsulating it in a special container. The container should have the resistance to easy puncturing. This is because this treatment is given to the sharp objects like used up syringes and needles. The objects are kept in that container and placed in a designated area as they wait being dumped in the major depositing spot.

The refuse can be given a controlled burning in an incinerator. This method has been used for quite a long time. Though it has faced great opposition, due to the release of gases into the atmosphere, technology has reduced the severity of those gases. Because of this, the method has still been found relevant. It has been used to kill pathogens on the wastes and causing a reduction in the volume of final debris to be deposited in the main place.

The wastes can be introduced in enclosed chambers called autoclaves. These chambers make use of high temperature, or at times pressure and steam to purify equipment. The equipment after purification can be put to use again. This is because all infectious microorganisms have been cleared under high temperatures. The chambers have also been known to be used for combustion. But this is only for that trash that produces low units of combustion gases to the atmosphere.

The glass formation or vitrification is another workable way that wastes can be managed. When waste in the solid state is introduced in this process, the heat involved sterilizes it and burns some contents into gases. The remainder is then encapsulated in a glass that allows a low rate of diffusion. This means the waste will only reach the environment in little and less harmful amounts.

Microwaves have also been used to sterilize such wastes though not common. It works in a similar way with autoclave but this involves only wet medical appliances. The need for water is to promote the efficiency of the microwave. This is because the heat from the microwave will reach every part of the debris through the steam.

A landfill can be an ideal method to help in proper management of such wastes. Landfills will accommodate the already shredded trash and that has been decontaminated. Garbage that has not been passed through any treatment can also be taken there if any other method is unavailable. They can get excavated to avoid contaminating the soil and water.




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